We’ve rounded up 40 of the best easy family dinner ideas from the Instant Pot to 30 minutes or less meals, we’ve got you covered.
Weeknights are busy for families. Juggling jobs, school, extracurricular activities, errands, and other commitments. While dinner should be a time for families to relax and connect, it’s sometimes one more stressful element of the day. We often throw in the towel and zip through the drive through or call in for take-out so we can just get everyone fed.
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We’ve put together a list of recipes for meals that can be prepared in the Instant Pot or slow cooker, recipes that are 10 ingredients or less, 30-minute meals, sheet pan meals, and more. Some are healthy, some maybe not as much, but we guarantee they are all delicious. We’ve even thrown in a few that make large portions so you can save some for a heat-and-eat meal later, and as many as possible that won’t come with an excessive grocery bill.
Enjoy your family meals again with these weeknight dinner ideas. You might find your new favorite recipe, or even one that the kids can throw together themselves (score!).
Weeknight Dinner Tips
When we say easy, we mean easy — We all know that when a recipe calls for time spent skewering cubes of meat, spiralizing vegetables, or lining individual cups of the muffin pan, the time commitment significantly increases for us home cooks. Stick to dinner recipes that don’t require these extra steps.
Buy pre-sliced products. Seriously. You won’t regret it. I used to think whole was fresher and better, but the stress I’ve saved myself by eliminating that extra time spent cleaning and chopping (not to mention the extra cutting boards and knives that I’ll have to clean up later) has been a sanity saver. Shredded carrots, sliced mushrooms, prechopped broccoli, shredded lettuce – it’s all in my veggie drawer so I can just throw a handful in and go.
The same goes for shredded cheese. Yes, some recipes will say freshly-grated. It’s 100% acceptable to use pre-grated cheese.
Use your slow cooker, pressure cooker, instant pot, and air fryer. I have one of those combo rice-cooker/slow cooker machines from Costco and I randomly throw rice in the pot to keep in the fridge for when we need a quick side dish. I also regularly use it for slow cooker carnitas, pot roast, mongolian beef, and soups. It’s a lifesaver.
Make things ahead of time, and double the batch. I know you’ve heard it before, but making an extra meal on Sunday night will get you fed fast on Tuesday, and when there are leftovers in the fridge, you’ve always got something to take for lunch or for tomorrow nights meal.
Easy Family Dinner Ideas for Busy Weeknights
When weeknights get busy, get dinner done in minutes. Here's a list of easy meals that will feed the family quickly, so you can enjoy less time cooking and more time together.
Easy One-Pot Chili Mac and Cheese
Chili Mac and Cheese combines the best of two beloved dishes for a truly outstanding yet quick-to-make comfort food. Make this one-pot meal on a weeknight for an easy, filling meal in under 30 minutes!
Salmon & Pea Pasta Primavera
The whole family will love this fresh pasta primavera dish with roasted salmon and English peas.
Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff is a classic comfort food that’s quick and easy to get on the dinner table. You can even start with frozen beef!
Best Honey Soy Salmon Recipe - How to Make Honey Soy Salmon
While the rice is cooking in the rice cooker, you can make these sweet, delicious salmon filets. Dinner is served in under 30 minutes.
Walking Taco Casserole
This Walking Taco Casserole recipe is an easy weeknight meal that has all the flavors of tacos with the crunch of corn chips, too. It’s a favorite with our family (and especially me since it’s so quick and simple to make)!
Easy Cashew Chicken Recipe
Serve up one of your favorite take-out meals in less time than it takes to go pick it up. So good you'll want to add this to your weekly rotation!
This easy Instant Pot Jambalaya is the BEST! It has chicken breast and Cajun sausage for a wonderful flavor, and you can easily add shrimp. All your Jambalaya questions are also answered, so don’t miss this one.
White Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi
Step up your gnocchi game (without all the extra time) with this fast and easy skillet recipe that the family is sure to love.
Easy Fried Rice {cheap eats}
Make an extra batch of fried rice on the weekend, then use leftover chicken to whip up this easy fried rice recipe for a quick weeknight meal.
Easy Weeknight Veggie-and-Bean Burritos Recipe
These easy veggie burritos are fresh, healthy, and delicious, Make a few extra to have on hand for lunch tomorrow!
Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Make a batch of this Instant Pot pulled pork and use it for multiple meals -- pulled pork sandwiches, tacos or quesadillas, or throw it on top of a baked potato. We even love ours crisped up in the pan and scrambled into eggs for breakfast.
No-Peek Chicken (Just 5 Ingredients)
Five ingredients, one pan, and ten minutes of prep. Need we say more?
Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
This Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast has just a few extra ingredients which makes the best version you’ll ever try! Serve it sandwich style, or with your choice of potatoes.
Chicken Caprese Salad
Add left-over chicken to this couscous salad and serve it with bread for a quick and easy dinner with all the deliciousness of a Caprese salad.
Szechuan Beef Pasta
This easy recipe for Szechuan Gourmet Beef Pasta is a family staple and a reader favorite. Flavorful ground beef and pasta make it easy to skip the takeout and still keep weeknight dinners delicious! So much simpler than traditional Szechuan Beef and just as flavorful.
White Chicken Chili {Easy!}
Leftover rotisserie chicken is the hero making this mouth-watering white chicken chili an easy weeknight meal that the whole family will love. We serve ours with cornbread and honey butter.
This easy sausage and broccolini sheet pan meal is fast, and easy to customize. Toss everything in the oven and dinner is ready in 20 minutes!
Mushroom & Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Kick your grilled cheese up a notch with this easy recipe for a fun, comfort-food style weeknight dinner.
Brunswick Stew (Stovetop or Crockpot)
This easy Southern Brunswick Stew recipe is a great way to use leftover meat and it’s on the dinner table in about half an hour!
30-Minute Portobello Pizzas
A fun and healthy twist on mini-pizzas, take this basic recipe and let the family customize each to their liking.
Instant Pot Lasagna
If lasagna is a dish you avoid unless you have several hours to devote to it, then this easy Instant Pot Lasagna recipe will change your mind!
If you love Instant Pot lasagna but want to swap out the noodles for veggies, try this quick and easy recipe.
Easy Ground Chicken Tacos (in 20 Mins!)
Tacos are always a hit, and they are usually a pretty quick meal to get on the table. These use ground chicken, which we use a lot in our house.
Avocado Pasta with Jalapeños and Queso Fresco
Ten minutes to dinner? Yep! Avocado Pasta is one of the simplest pasta dishes you can make. Try it tonight for a flavorful, easy dinner!
One-Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff Recipe by Tasty
We're adding a second beef stroganoff recipe because we love it. Also, this variation is with ground beef and is made in one pot. Super easy. Super quick. Super delicious.
Fresh Broccoli Rice Casserole with Chicken
This Fresh Broccoli Rice Casserole with Chicken is cheesy, hearty and has a ton of flavor and crunch from the buttery cracker topping!
20-Minute Sausage and Pepper Ravioli Skillet
It'll taste like it's takeout from your favorite Italian spot. Everyone loves ravioli and this meal will be on the table in just 20 minutes.
This simple and healthy Salsa Chicken cooks in just 30 minutes with only one pan to clean!
Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
One-pan oven baked chicken thighs with potatoes and your side, plus a technique that easily allows for a different flavor chicken for each member of the family (and it only takes a minute)!
Chicken and Broccoli Recipe
A spin on takeout beef and broccoli, chicken and broccoli stir fry is always a hit.
Corn Casserole with Chicken and Rice
This Corn Casserole with Chicken and Rice is delicious, healthy and easy to make even on a busy weeknight!
Easy Pad Thai Recipe - How to Make Best Pad Thai
This Pad Thai with shrimp recipe cooks up quickly for a take-out inspired dinner.
Italian Garlic Chicken Skillet
This Italian Garlic Chicken Skillet with olives, rosemary, onions, and mushrooms is the perfect dinner for the entire family. 30 minutes is all you need.
Pancake Tacos with Cheese and Bacon
Make this even quicker by prepping a batch of pancakes on the weekend to use for meals during the week. We let them cool, throw them in a Ziplock bag, and put them in the fridge for the kids to heat and eat.
Amazing Pot Roast with Balsamic and Dijon (Chuck Roast)
This pot roast recipe uses a chuck roast, then adds balsamic and Dijon for an amazing flavor twist. Make it in your slow cooker or the Instant Pot for a complete and delicious comforting home cooked meal with minimal prep time.
Italian Sausage Hoagies
This calls for Italian sausage, but we've also used a jar of marinara and frozen meatballs to make quick and delicious meatball hoagies.
5-minute Quick Faux Pho Recipe
Got 5 minutes and some leftover steak? Then you’ve got time for this seriously delicious Faux Pho recipe. This recipe is for two servings, so if you're cooking for a family you'll want to double the recipe.
Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
I started making this a few years ago and my daughter still requests it on the regular. We actually used to make it Whole 30 style with no butter, cream, or cheese and it was equally outstanding.
EASY Instant Pot Potato Soup
No canned soup. No draining potatoes. So simple and flavorful. Instant Pot Potato Soup is the best thing you’ll make in your pressure cooker! Serve it with garlic bread or a salad and you've got a hearty meal in minutes.
6-Ingredient Italian Sausage Stew
This Italian Sausage Stew has just 6 ingredients but so much flavor! Complete step one, then throw everything in the slow cooker and dinner will be ready when you get home.
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Heidi Deal
Heidi Deal is an editor, mother of two, and seasoned home cook who enjoys experimenting with new recipes and teaching her kids how to prepare family meals. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, volunteering, and spending time with family and friends.
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