If you’re stuck in a rut at dinner time, these are twenty of our favorite family dinner recipes that are quick and easy, and the whole family loves them!
Need some new ideas for family dinner recipes?
Sometimes I go to make dinner at night and think, what the heck have I made for the last 13 years since I’ve been married? Just me? Hopefully you need some ideas for family dinner recipes too.
These are twenty of our favorite family dinner recipes that my kids gobble up, and we think your family will too!
Shrimp Boil.
We got a similar recipe to this in a food box subscription and then found this Shrimp Boil recipe so we could make it again and again. My kidsloveit (although Fos won’t eat the shrimp). It’s fun to serve it on a big cutting board or cookie sheet in the middle of the table so we can all grab and eat. Also, we like adding red bell pepper!
Breakfast Burritos.
Everyone loves breakfast for dinner. We always swap out the potatoes for Tater Tots, cause they’re crispy and delicious — just cook them in the oven according to the instructions and then toss them in the burrito before wrapping up the tortilla.
Also I dare you to eat Tater Tots without quoting Napoleon Dynamite.
Chicken Roll Ups
My mom made chicken roll-ups (we called them chicken packets) since I was a little girl, and Philip’s mom made them too. We don’t use this exact recipe, but it might be helpful if you need step by step instructions.
In our version, I just combine shredded chicken and cream cheese with a little salt and pepper. We do half rolled in breadcrumbs, and half with just plain crescent rolls sprinkled with paprika. They’re so yummy and easy!
Pasta with Ham and Peas
Quick, easy, and delicious.
Also, I’ll usually cut way down on the cream and use mostly pasta water to keep it a little lower in calories.
Turkey Burrito Bowls
We’ll do a version of burrito bowls probably once a month – sometimes with a rotisserie chicken, sometimes with leftover shredded pork, sometimes with ground turkey like in this recipe.It’s a really easy one to modify.
I usually put all the ingredients out in bowls on the table so everyone can pick and choose what they want in their bowl.
Spaghetti Carbonara (spaghetti with bacon and eggs)
Quick, easy, and hearty. Not particularly healthy, but we usually serve it with a big serving of broccoli or something to even it all out.
Tortellini Sausage Soup
This tortellini soup is always a crowd pleaser. The boys love the tortellini, and of course Fos loves the sausage. It’s so flavorful and so delicious — we make this at least once a month!
Also, you might feel like soup is just for the fall, but this is definitely a year round soup. It’s not heavy and thick, so it’s perfect served with some breadsticks and a fresh fruit salad.
Sweet Potato Foil Packets
These little flavorful foil packets are so fun for the kids to help make — and would be great for summer camping or backyard BBQing too!
I load mine up with extra sweet potatoes, and the boys go super heavy on the cheese. It’s perfect for modifying for each family member.
Individual Chicken Pot Pie
We love chicken pot pie, but what we really love is the crust. So making them individually gives you more crust per square inch — brilliant. Plus it’s fun to monogram them!
Her recipe recommends store bought crust, but I always make this one from Annie’s Eats cause it’s easy and delicious.
French Dip Sandwiches
My boys love french dip sandwiches. And I love something that I can toss in the slow cooker and it’s ready at dinner time.
Or of course you could make these the shortcut way — grab some roast beef from the deli, one packet of au jus, and toss on some toasted bread with cheese. Easy peasy!
Meatball Subs
Another quick and easy one you can toss in the crockpot — a few frozen meatballs, a jar of marinara, and it’s ready to go at dinner time. My boyslove these, and honestly so do I. They totally feel like comfort food for me.
Spinach Quiche Cups
Don’t you dare tell my children how much spinach goes into this quiche recipe. It’s masked by the flavor of egg and cheese, and they gobble it up.
I don’t particularly love a full quiche in a pie dish, so I mix everything up as normal — skipping the pie crust — and then cook them in muffin tins. They come out as delicious little egg muffins and we all devour them.
I occasionally add bacon or chopped ham to the recipe, but it’s delicious without.
Turkey Brie Apple Panini Sandwiches
Summer is a perfect time for sandwiches, and these turkey brie apple panini sandwiches are amazing. Sanny doesn’t love Brie, and Philip doesn’t love it with the apple, so we all customize our own sandwich and then toss them on the griddle to cook.
Easy Rigatoni with Italian Sausage
This is a super easy dinner you can toss together in under 30 minutes. And I almost always have all the ingredients on hand.
All four of my boys gobble this one right up!
Pork Carnitas Tacos
We are big taco fans in our house, and this pork carnitas recipe is one of our very favorites. Super tender, flavorful pork, with crispy edges. Mmm, so good.
We like to serve it with guacamole or avocado and fresh Mexican cheese (cotija is our favorite), but you can top it with whatever your kids will eat.
Homemade pizza
We have pizza for dinner almost every Friday night. THIS RECIPE is our go-to for a quick and delicious pizza crust. We usually make two pizzas, one with cheese and pepperoni, and then one fun one for Philip and me.
Our favorites are ham and pineapple or mushroom and bacon with cheddar cheese and no sauce (only a drizzle of olive oil).
Egg McMuffin Sandwiches
They’re super quick and easy and everyone’s excited about them!
Buttermilk Pancakes
Sometimes breakfast for dinner is just what the doctor ordered. These pancakes are THE BEST. Buttery, fluffy, crispy on the outside — I eat them by themselves 90% of the time. No toppings needed.
Sausage stuffed shells
I’ve been making this recipe for AGES, and it’s one of our all time favorites. It’s easy to make ahead too!
The recipe isn’t online, so I shared it in THIS WEEKLY MENU HERE.
(image via)
Homemade cheeseburgers
We don’t follow a recipe — just frozen patties cooked on the griddle or the BBQ grill, cheese melted on top, then toppings and hard rolls from the grocery store (no standard hamburger buns allowed).
They’re a family fave!
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