Even if you love cooking, making dinner can quickly become an overwhelming chore on busy days. When it's already after five o'clock, and you don't want to order takeout again, having a few easy dinner recipe ideas on hand can be helpful. You can wait 15-30 minutes for delivery to arrive (after deciding what to order!), or you can spend that short time making something healthier and cheaper yet still simple.
Easy Dinner Recipe Ideas
The following ideas include recipes that require common ingredients you likely have on hand, and most take little time to make. Many of them are flexible, meaning if you don't have all the ingredients, you can swap them out for what you have! Once you've determined your favorites, you can always have the ingredients stocked for quick, easy meals.
Most of these meal ideas are a one-pot dinner, so you might not need to worry about sides depending on who you're feeding. But you can also serve them alongside bread, a simple salad, fruit, or frozen veggies steamed and lightly seasoned. And don't forget about those leftovers. Last night's main dish can become tonight's side (or even an ingredient!).
1. Meal-prep bowls
As the name suggests, meal-prep bowls take a bit of forethought, but they make for a super simple dinner on busy days. The idea is that you chop and cook the ingredients for the bowls on the weekend or another free day so that you can simply pull them out for dinner on a busy day. You can either prepare individual bowls or store the prepped ingredients in separate containers so each person can build their own.
2. Rice and beans
Rice and beans are woefully underrated. This meal is easy, filling, cheap, and, when properly seasoned, delicious! Using canned beans and leftover rice makes this dish a snap to throw together, but dried beans are even cheaper and can be cooked in the slow cooker. If you're not sure where to start, try Costa Rican gallo pinto, a tasty staple that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or supper.
Add some pico de gallo salsa for a burst of freshness.
3. Skillet dinner
Skillet dinners require just one pan and a handful of ingredients, which means easy preparation and minimal cleanup. Leave behind the additives in store-bought Hamburger Helper and discover how easy it is to make something more nourishing from scratch. Not convinced? My chicken sausage and cabbage stir-fry recipe calls for just three ingredients!
4. Stir-fry
Speaking of stir-fry, this Asian-inspired dish deserves a heading of its own. You'll need two pans: a wok or skillet and a rice cooker or pot. But the versatility of a stir-fry makes it great for cleaning out the produce drawer, and it's super easy to make. First, get the rice cooking. Then stir-fry whatever veggies you have on hand, mix in some scrambled eggs or leftover meat, and season to taste.
5. Soup
There's something remarkably comforting about a pot of soup simmering on the stove. And while you can follow a recipe, you can also throw whatever you want into the pot. A simple but hearty lentil soup is a great place to start if you're new to soup-making. Soup often has the most flavor after it has been allowed to simmer for a while, but this gives you plenty of time to get started on cleanup or sneak in a chapter of that novel you've been trying to read.
6. Chicken
Chicken makes a wonderfully simple base for a meal. Bake, fry, or grill chicken breasts with lemon or other seasoning. Thighs, legs, and wings, especially bone-in, are cheaper and just as tasty. You can also roast a whole chicken with potatoes, carrots, and onions in the oven if you're home all day or in the slow cooker if you're not. Serve any chicken dish with rice or pasta for an easy side!
You can also add leftover chicken meat to your soups (check out these delicious ways to use leftover chicken).
7. Casserole
Like soup or roast chicken, casseroles can take a bit more time. But since most of that time is for baking, you can do other things while it cooks. Casseroles are also wonderfully versatile. You can throw one together with just about any combination of grain, vegetables, protein, sauce, and topping. If your mind gets stuck on "tuna casserole" (a great classic), try a taco casserole for something different.
8. Frittata
Breakfast for supper, anyone? Frittatas sound fancy, but they're incredibly easy to make. And once you get a feel for it, you can whip one up without a recipe, with whatever you have on hand. A potato frittata is great for picky eaters. While the frittata cooks, make some pancakes or waffles for breakfast for supper or toast a few slices of bread. It also goes well with salad, if you prefer!
9. Sandwiches
We often associate sandwiches with lunch, but they're also great for a quick, easy dinner. For big eaters, make a batch of sloppy joes. Or do a fridge clean-out and use leftovers as sandwich fillings, which can be as simple as leftover meat with cheese or a bit more creative, like a pad Thai wrap. Other great options include egg and cheese, tuna salad (or tuna melts!), grilled cheese, quesadillas, and paninis.
Add a few pieces of roasted red peppers to your sandwich for some smokey goodness.
Whether you plan out your meals ahead of time or throw something together at the last minute, easy dinner ideas can save your evening. Bookmark this post, print it out, and stick it on the fridge to avoid "what's-for-dinner" panic.
If you need more dinner recipe ideas, this book has many simple, family-friendly recipes for everyday cooking.
Kathy acquired the blog, Recipe Idea Shop in 2024. She was raised on a farm in Arkansas where having a big garden and good food to eat was the norm. She shares recipes for homemade comfort food and new trending dishes.
Kathy began her blogging journey in 2011 when she founded PetticoatJunktion.com, a home décor blog focused on repurposing and upcycling furniture, and thrift store finds.
