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Easy Weeknight Dinners

written by Ashley Fehr

Updated February 19, 2026

These Easy Weeknight Dinners are some of our favorite family dinner recipes that are quick to prep and get on the table! Including baked dishes, one pan meals, pastas, and more.

collage of nine images of easy weeknight dinners with text title overlay.

I know we all know it, and yet it keeps taking us by surprise: life is busy!

With three kids constantly on the go, in sports and competitions, with their own social lives, it seems like there’s never really a good time to slow down and spend hours making an elaborate dinner.

Thankfully, we have a bunch of easy dinner recipes in our back pockets, perfect for weeknights when we just need simple.

Here, I’m sharing our go-to easy weeknight meals! I’d love to hear what yours are in the comments below.

Slow Cooker Weeknight Dinners

Crockpot meals are must haves for days when you don’t have time to supervise the cooking process. These slow cooker dinners range from easy meals ready in 3 hours, to recipes with longer cook times which are perfect if you are busy all day.

overhead image of four chicken breasts in white slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Chicken Breast

This Slow Cooker Chicken Breast recipe comes out perfectly juicy and seasoned every time! Learn my tips for getting the best crockpot chicken breast, perfect for salads, sandwiches or an easy dinner.

We love this one because we can cook a bunch of chicken and use it in different ways throughout the week!

square image of crockpot chicken breast with tuscan cream sauce in slow cooker.

Crockpot Tuscan Chicken recipe

This Crockpot Tuscan Chicken is made up juicy chicken breasts slow cooked in a rich and cheesy cream sauce. This recipe takes just 10 minutes to prep and makes the perfect dinner served over your favorite pasta!

square image of tomato basil slow cooker chicken in white crockpot.

Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken

This Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken is SO easy and flavorful, you wouldn't believe it only has a few ingredients! The perfect easy dinner recipe!

square image of slow cooker pulled chicken with two forks.

Juicy Crockpot Shredded Chicken

This Crockpot Shredded Chicken is easy, flavorful and a great way to meal prep for the week ahead! How to make slow cooker shredded chicken including tips, tricks and additional recipes.

white chicken chili being scooped out of white crockpot.

Easy Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

Easy Crockpot White Chicken Chili is the perfect dinner for a busy weeknight! Tender white beans, corn, green chiles and shredded chicken are all married up in a rich and creamy broth. Just toss everything together in the Crockpot and let it do all of the work for you!

steel ladle scooping chili out of black crockpot.

Easy Crockpot Chili Recipe

This Crockpot Chili Recipe has ground beef, vegetables and beans in a flavorful sauce — the low and slow process makes it incredibly delicious! Perfect for busy weeknights — just load it with your favorite toppings!

overhead image of slow cooker pork loin roast in black slow cooker

Slow Cooker Pork Loin Roast recipe

This easy Slow Cooker Pork Loin roast includes a flavorful garlic herb rub, and is slow cooker in apple juice for extra flavor! It is fall apart tender with minimal effort!

This is another one that's great for meal prep — cook it once and you can use it in pasta, make pulled pork, use it for nachos or put it on pizza!

square image of crockpot chicken and dumplings in slow cooker

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

This Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings recipe is a slow cooker version of a classic comfort food! Tender chicken, loads of veggies, and fluffy homemade dumplings are simmered in a thick and flavorful gravy.

sliced pork tenderloin covered in glaze in a white slow cooker.

Glazed Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin recipe

This Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin is covered in an easy garlic herb rub and drizzled with a honey balsamic glaze! Everything cooks together in the crock pot with minimal effort and maximum flavour. It is moist, tender and perfect over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes!

close up of a wooden ladle in a slow cooker of baked ziti.

Slow Cooker Baked Ziti

This Slow Cooker Baked Ziti is actually made completely in the crockpot — even the pasta! It is so much easier than the traditional version but packs all of the same flavor!

italian beef being lifted out of white crockpot with tongs.

Italian Beef recipe

Easy shredded Italian Beef made in the crockpot, just six ingredients! Tender chuck roast is simmered in a tangy broth for fall-apart goodness, perfect for serving on sandwiches.

This one cooks all day long, perfect for busy days out of the house!

One Pan Weeknight Meals

These skillet dinners come together quickly and many include protein, veggies and carbs making them a complete meal.

speckled bowl filled with one pan chicken and noodles.

Chicken and Noodles Recipe

Chicken and Noodles is a 30 minute, one pan dinner with egg noodles, tender chicken, carrots, celery, peas and a simple cream-and-cornstarch sauce. It's easy to customize with whatever you have on hand and makes a cozy, weeknight-friendly meal in a single skillet!

square image of chicken stirfry in black skillet.

Chicken Stir Fry recipe

This Chicken Stir Fry is a quick and healthy meal packed with crisp veggies like snap peas, bell peppers, and carrots, all tossed in a delicious homemade stir fry sauce. Ready in 30 minutes!

square image of homemade mac and cheese scooped in wooden spoon.

Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese

This Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese is a creamy, cheesy dream made in just one pot with simple ingredients. It’s quick, comforting, and perfect for when you’re craving some serious comfort food!

a full pan filled with homemade hamburger helper and topped with chopped parsley.

Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe – easy one pot pasta!

This Easy Homemade Hamburger Helper is a savory, one-pot meal that's better than the original! Made with tender elbow pasta, savory ground beef, cheese, tomato sauce, and veggies, it's ready in 30 minutes or less!

a wooden ladle in a pan of fried rice.

Simple Fried Rice Recipe

Skip the takeout and make this simple Fried Rice at home! With soy sauce, toasted rice, vegetables and eggs, it's delicious on its own or paired with your favorite main dish.

mango salsa chicken and rice in a pan topped with chopped parsley.

Mango Salsa Chicken and Rice

This Mango Salsa Chicken and Rice is a flavorful meal made with 6 ingredients in ONE pot and is packed with flavor! Just dump and simmer — ready in just over 30 minutes.

a plate filled with taco macaroni topped with chopped parsley.

Taco Mac

This Taco Mac is an easy one pot meal made in 30 minutes! With ground beef, macaroni, taco seasoning, and loads of cheddar cheese, it's an instant favorite!

large white skillet filled with breakfast skillet with green onions beside.

Easy Breakfast Skillet

This easy Breakfast Skillet is made with just a few ingredients and in 30 minutes! A hearty breakfast or weeknight dinner.

large white dish filled with bbq chicken chili mac.

One Pot BBQ Chicken Chili Mac

This One Pot BBQ Chicken Chili Mac is the perfect meal in one! It’s loaded with protein, fiber, veggies and made in one skillet in 30 minutes! An easy, healthy weeknight meal.

overhead view of orecchiette pasta and sausage in white pot.

Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage

This deliciously creamy and hearty One Pot Orecchiette with Sausage dish is perfect for a quick weeknight meal for the whole family! Made with Italian sausage and orecchiette pasta, it’s such a filling meal that’s great for so many occasions.

close up a blue dish filled with teriyaki chicken and noodles topped with sesame seeds.

One Pan Teriyaki Chicken and Noodles

One Pan Teriyaki Chicken and Noodles checks all of the right boxes for a weeknight dinner recipe! It's easy, flavorful, and filling. Tender noodles, protein-packed chicken and a medley of nutritious veggies are cooked in just one pan with the best sweet and tangy sauce!

white pan filled with creamy chicken orzo and parsley beside.

One Pot Chicken Orzo Recipe

This Easy Chicken Orzo Recipe is loaded with tender bites of chicken, orzo, and spinach all held together with the best creamy sauce. Boursin is my not-so-secret ingredient that sends this dish over the top. It's an easy orzo pasta recipe that the whole family loves!

close up of stuffed pepper casserole in white dish.

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Stuffed Pepper Casserole features Italian sausage, peppers, salsa, rice and more cooked to perfection beneath a layer of gooey mozzarella cheese. It's a supremely satisfying dinner that's easy to make all in one pan!

Weeknight Meals from the Oven

While baked dishes sometimes take longer than skillet meals, many can be prepped ahead or frozen to bake later, making them a versatile option for busy days!

Teriyaki Chicken and Rice Bake

This Teriyaki Chicken and Rice Bake combines tender chicken breast, a flavorful homemade teriyaki sauce, vegetables, and fluffy rice for a one-dish meal the whole family will love! Ready in an hour.

baked cheeseburger pasta in a pan topped with chopped parsley.

No Boil Baked Cheeseburger Pasta

This No Boil Baked Cheeseburger Pasta tastes like a cheeseburger and mac and cheese had a baby. Everything bakes in one dish without browning the beef or pre-cooking pasta. It’s hearty, melty, and guaranteed to win over even the pickiest eaters!

white baking dish full of chicken and rice casserole with chopped parsley beside.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole is the definition of comfort food! White rice and chicken breasts are baked in a casserole dish to creamy and cheesy perfection. There's also a good amount of veggies in there for those picky eaters at your table!

teriyaki chicken ramen bake being lifted out of dish with tongs.

Teriyaki Chicken Ramen Bake

This Teriyaki Chicken Ramen Bake is a flavorful one-pan dinner that’s ready in just 30 minutes. Tender ramen noodles bake in a sweet-savory teriyaki sauce with juicy chicken and veggies for a family-friendly meal!

square image of chicken casserole with chicken breasts and vegetables in a creamy sauce.

Creamy Chicken Casserole recipe

This Creamy Chicken Casserole is an easy, comforting dish made with chicken, potatoes, carrots, and a creamy sauce. It’s perfect for busy nights when you want something warm and hearty, and it’s all made in one dish!

a piece of taco casserole being scooped out of pan.

Taco Casserole

Taco Casserole is cheesy, beefy, flavorful and SO easy to make! It's a great weeknight dinner that the whole family loves. A base layer of soft tortillas are topped with a hearty ground beef mixture, more tortillas and plenty of gooey cheese.

overhead shot of a full pan of chicken broccoli rice casserole.

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

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white baking dish full of caprese chicken and potatoes topped with chopped basil.

Caprese Chicken and Potatoes

This Caprese Chicken and Potatoes combines juicy chicken breasts, tender baby potatoes, cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and mozzarella, all baked together with Italian herbs. It’s a simple, flavorful meal that’s easy enough for weeknights but impressive enough for entertaining!

white pan of chili cheese casserole with a biscuit being scooped out.

BBQ Chili Cheese Biscuit Casserole

BBQ Chili Cheese Biscuit Casserole features a layer of BBQ beef chili (and some added veggies) topped with homemade cheesy biscuits! This is a comfort food recipe that always hits the spot.

Tips for making weeknight dinners more doable

Keep your freezer stocked: shortcut foods like frozen fruits and vegetables, cooked proteins like meatballs or shredded chicken, shredded cheeses or cooked rice. By taking one part of the prep out of the equation, dinner time is less stressful!
Cook once, eat more: I love making one big batch of a protein early in the week. Think Baked Chicken Breast, this Easy Meatball Recipe, or even a whole Turkey.
Make it a family affair: by choosing jobs that the kids can help with (chopping, watching the oven, stirring, assembly) and getting everyone involved, it means less work for everyone.

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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