10 Easy Weeknight Dinners for Busy Families

Finding the time and energy to make a good meal for your family, especially on weeknights, is difficult. When you and your partner work all day, the kids have school, and then you’re trying to juggle extracurricular activities, overtime at work, and everything that you’re trying to navigate, it may seem like you just don’t have time to make a good meal.

There’s a reason that fast food restaurants and companies like DoorDash and Uber Eats are so popular. In the name of convenience, millions of people order dinner and let someone else do all the work for them.

While there’s certainly nothing wrong with enjoying a nice meal from a restaurant, there are plenty of benefits associated with cooking at home.

First, you’ll notice that you save quite a bit of money by cooking at home.

While many people point to inflation and the rising price of groceries as a reason that they choose to eat out, you do not save money by ordering food. Not only are you paying for the food, but you’re also paying the upcharge that restaurants put on their food, so you’re not coming out ahead.

Secondly, the food that you cook at home is much healthier than the food that you get from a restaurant.

With very few exceptions, restaurants don’t have an abundance of healthy food. Putting some food in a crockpot or using some of the quick and easy recipes that we’re about to discuss helps you put healthier, more nutritious options in front of your loved ones.

Finally, getting to eat dinner with your family is a wonderful chance to catch up on the events of the day and spend some quality time connecting.

If you start implementing these quick dinner recipes, consider inviting your family into the kitchen to help you prepare them. These recipes for families don’t only create opportunities for you to eat with your loved ones, but prepping the food is a great chance for you to spend some quality time together.

With all of that in mind, let’s get into 10 weeknight dinner recipes for busy families.

One Pan Chicken and Veggies

One-pan recipes are all the rage right now, thanks in large part to the fact that people are busier than they’ve ever been. These quick dinner recipes don’t take a lot of time or culinary know-how, and they provide you and your family with the nutrients that they need.

Start by seasoning your chicken breasts with your choice of seasonings and put them on a baking sheet alongside some vegetables.

One of the most enticing parts of this recipe is the fact that you can create a completely different meal, just by changing the spices you season with and the veggies you use.

Using carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower will taste completely different than a version of the same meal that includes onions and peppers. Drizzle some olive oil on everything and stick it in the oven for about half an hour at 400 degrees.

Not only is this a healthy dinner option, but if you cover the baking pan in foil, cleanup is minimal.

Pizza Night

Pizza night doesn’t have to include greasy takeout. You can grab some pizza crust at your local grocery store, load up on everyone’s favorite toppings, and make one night each week pizza night.

Not only can you choose healthy pizza toppings, but letting everyone make their own pizza is sure to lead to plenty of laughs in the kitchen. The most appealing aspect is that you can keep things as simple as you’d like.

Let everyone prep their pizza, stick them in the oven, and let them bake until the crust is golden brown, and the cheese is melted.

Taco Tuesday…or Any Other Day of the Week

Taco night is another chance for everyone in the family to turn their meal into what they want it to be.

As long as no one insists on chicken tacos, you can brown and season some hamburger while you’re laying out all of the ingredients.

By the time everything is set up, the meat should be done, and everyone can build their tacos however they like. Even if someone in the family does prefer chicken, it won’t add a lot of time to your dinner prep.

Pasta Primavera

Don’t let the name of this one fool you. Pasta primavera is actually a quick dinner recipe that’s perfect for busy families.

While you have some pasta of your choosing boiling, sauté some vegetables, and when the pasta is done, mix everything together. Once you have veggies in the pasta, drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some parmesan cheese on the dish, and you’re ready to go.

Cleanup is minimal, as you’ll just need a pot to boil your pasta and a sauté pan for the veggies, so you can enjoy a quick and easy dinner that’s perfect for your busy family.

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

This iconic takeout dish is easy to fix at home, and you can make it in your kitchen without all of the MSG and other preservatives that make it less healthy than it has to be. You can thinly slice your own beef or buy it pre-sliced.

Stick the beef in a hot skillet until it's brown. When the beef is done, get it out of the pan and put your broccoli and some garlic in its place, cooking your vegetables until they’re as done as you like them.

Then, mix everything together, add some soy sauce, and you have a great dinner in one skilled in under 30 minutes.

Slow Cooker Chili

Autumn is right around the corner, and with it comes hooded sweatshirts, football games, and some cooler weather.

With that in mind, chili is one of the easiest recipes for busy families that you can make.

For a healthier option, you can use ground turkey, but ground beef works too. Add chili spices, beans, tomatoes, and onions, and let it simmer in your crockpot for six to eight hours. Dinner is served!

Sheet Pan Fajitas

The one-pan dinner makes another appearance on the list, and this one involves making some Mexican food without having to go to your favorite restaurant.

The choice is yours when it comes to your protein, as you can use some thinly sliced chicken or steak. Put it on a pan alongside some bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions.

Drizzle some olive oil on everything, sprinkle the fajita seasoning, and serve it up. If you want to elevate things, you can add salsa, sour cream, or guacamole after the cooking is done.

Quesadillas

Another menu option from south of the border is quesadillas. These tasty little options are quite versatile, as you can fill them with chicken, cheese, steak, veggies, and virtually anything else that comes to mind.

Once everyone picks what they want in theirs, put them in a skillet until golden brown on both sides.

You can make quesadillas for a family of four in well under 30 minutes, so these are a great option for those evenings when everyone has places to be and things to do.

Breakfast for Dinner

Pancakes, waffles, bacon, and eggs aren’t just a great option to start your day. Traditional breakfast foods are also a great option for those who are looking for a quick dinner recipe to enjoy with their families.

If you’re really looking for some ways to cut down on time, get some frozen waffles and microwavable bacon.

The only thing you’ll have to cook is the eggs, and those are quick. This might not be the healthiest option, but it’s tasty and fast.

Shrimp Scampi

Finally, shrimp scampi is another option that most people assume takes a lot more time and effort than it actually takes.

This light and flavorful dish which is a hit at virtually every Italian restaurant, can be fixed in half an hour or less and only requires two dishes.

Sauté some shrimp in a skillet with garlic, butter, and lemon juice while boiling some angel-hair pasta (or whatever kind of noodle you prefer).

When everything is done, mix it together, sprinkle it with some parsley, and enjoy your quick dinner.

Dinner is Served

These 10 recipes can help you cut down on your stress when you’re trying to come up with quality recipes for your busy family.

You don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen, and you don’t have to break the bank on takeout.

Enjoy prepping and eating with your loved ones while dealing with everyone’s hectic schedules.