4 Easy and Delicious Dinner Recipes for Busy Families

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One of the most common questions I hear in conversations with other busy moms is “What are you making for dinner?” Whether our schedules are packed with recitals, baseball games, or anything in between, all families can benefit from having a few easy and delicious dinner recipes in their toolbox.

Elaborate meal planning and prepping don’t always exist harmoniously with real life for busy parents. Schedules are way too variable for that. My solution is to always have a solid set of ingredients in my pantry for quick and easy dinners. It doesn’t hurt to have some cooking tips handy, either!

Here are some of my tried-and-true (and unique!) easy and delicious dinner recipes with cooking tips for fast, simple, and healthy dinners. Even on those rushed weeknights. These meals are extremely versatile and can cater to everyone’s particular wants and needs (even the picky eaters!). After you’ve tried these recipes, you can find more easy and delicious dinner recipes in Cook Once Eat All Week (this is my go-to cookbook for busy schedules!)

family of four in the kitchen making dinner

Picnic Chicken with Herb Spread

Please note that the chicken requires marinating time, so plan ahead! This chicken dinner packs nicely for evenings when you need to eat dinner on the go. This is truly one of my favorite easy and delicious dinner recipes. 

What you need: 

  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
  • ¼ cup olive oil 
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced 
  • 1 cup of your favorite fresh herbs, chopped and divided (mint, parsley, basil, chives)
  • 1 cup mayonnaise 
  • 1 lemon 
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper
  • Salad greens
  • Tortilla wraps

What to do:

Grab a gallon-sized Ziplock bag and place your chicken breasts in it with olive oil, garlic, and half of the fresh chopped herbs. Put the bag in the refrigerator for 3-6 hours (overnight is also ok). 

Make the spread by combining the remaining fresh herbs, mayonnaise, and juice from one lemon. For more lemon flavor, add a little bit of the zest. 

To cook the chicken, you have a few options! With warmer weather, grilling is the perfect option. You can cook the chicken at any point because this chicken is great served hot or cold. Another option is to pan-sear the chicken in a hot skillet for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Then finish the chicken in a 350F oven until it’s cooked thoroughly and no longer pink in the middle. Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes after cooking before slicing. 

When you’re ready to serve, slice or shred the chicken. If you’re going to be eating in the car, you can cut the chicken and then put it into a container. Serve the chicken on top of salad greens with a dollop of the spread or in a wrap with a schmear of the spread. 

Easy side dish idea:

Baby carrots with the herb spread as a dip

Kid-friendly tip:

Add some barbecue sauce to the wrap or use it as a dip for the chicken. 

Leftover/2nd meal idea:

Mix the shredded chicken with any leftover dip. Add diced celery, onions, and/or apples and you have yourself a really delicious chicken salad mix!

BLT Pasta Salad

I’ve been making this easy and delicious dinner recipe since I was a teenager! It’s very filling and you can use whatever salad-friendly pasta noodle you like. I like to use hearty and flavorful cheese tortellini. 

What you need:

  • 1 box pasta (I like to use cheese tortellini), cooked and cooled
  • 1 package thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2 “ pieces and cooked 
  • 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 package spinach, rough chopped
  • 1 ½ cups mayonnaise 
  • ¼ cup prepared pesto 

What to do:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, bacon, tomatoes, spinach, mayonnaise, and pesto. Stir so that all of the ingredients are coated with the pesto and mayonnaise. You can serve the salad immediately or refrigerate until you’re ready to eat.

You may need to add more mayonnaise if you opt to chill the salad first. 

This flexible pasta salad is one of many easy and delicious dinner recipes that can be spruced up by adding any of the following:: shredded chicken, leaf lettuce, including arugula, black olives, slices of pepper, etc.

The Ultimate Sweet and Salty Dinner Board

One of the best easy and delicious dinner recipes is not even a recipe! This “dinner board” is more of a concept than a recipe you need to follow. Kids love to “build-their-own” and the whole meal comes together in minutes. Plus, it’s very portable so you can take on the go in Bento boxes or even a clean tackle box

Here are some of my favorite ingredients to create the perfect sweet and salty balance. 

What you need:

  • Meat (pick one or more): pepperoni, ham, sliced and rolled up, prosciutto, leftover rotisserie chicken 
  • Fruit (pick a couple): sliced peaches, apples, or pears, grapes, blueberries, strawberries, or blackberries 
  • Veggies (pick several): sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, radishes, celery, carrot sticks
  • Nuts (pick one or more): cashews, Marcona almonds, pistachios, or even chocolate-covered almonds as a treat
  • Cheese (pick one or more): Cheddar, goat cheese, Manchego, pepper Jack 

You’ll also want crackers or crusty bread slices. 

Extras: 

  • Honey 
  • Raspberry jam 

What to do:

Simply place all the ingredients on a cutting board or large plate and enjoy!

Photo by Tricia Timney on Unsplash

Roasted Sweet Potato Bowl

This protein-packed is an easy take on “breakfast for dinner”. It can be served warm or cold. This is another of my favorite easy and delicious dinner recipes and is especially good for dinners on-the-go.

What you Need:

  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, crumbled
  • ¼ cup crumbled bacon (cooked)
  • 2 cooked sweet potatoes, cubed
  • 1 cup cooked broccoli, chopped
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • Everything Bagel Seasoning

What to do:

  1. Place the cubed sweet potatoes in a bowl. 
  2. Put the hard-boiled eggs, bacon, and cooked broccoli on top of the sweet potatoes. 
  3. Scoop the Greek yogurt on top. 
  4. Sprinkle the bowl with the Everything Bagel Seasoning. 

Variations:

You can swap out a different type of potato if you don’t have or don’t like sweet potatoes. You can add more greens or herbs for added flavor and nutrition. I like to add sauteed kale and fresh chives (or ramps if they are in season!). 

Share your favorite easy and delicious dinner recipes with us in the comments. We’d love to hear what easy and delicious dinner recipes you like to make for your family.

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4 Easy and Delicious Dinner Recipes for Busy Families

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