Easy Dinner Ideas-Little Sprouts Learning

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Don’t want to spend a ton of time getting dinner on the table? These easy dinner ideas will help you get dinner done quick, please your pickiest eaters, and feel good about what you’re feeding your family!

stir fry on a plate with stir fried green beans for a quick and easy dinner

Looking for easy and frugal family dinners for tonight, check these out and read on! We all need quick ideas for dinner tonight sometimes, don’t we?

Quick and easy dinner ideas

When I make dinner, I want to make it fast, with little mess, and easy. But I also want to feed my family something healthy and not just junk food. Can you relate? There are so many easy dinner ideas that are healthy too, like these. Try these air-fried chicken breasts without breading! So good!

And for even more air fryer recipes to wow your tastebuds, check out these summer air fryer recipes.

In times like these, we don’t always have a bunch of choices of ingredients, so knowing how to make something with pantry staples is a real plus. How about some of these quick easy pantry meals for dinner tonight? We all need easy dinner ideas for our family that everyone will eat.

Or do you have a bunch of eggs to use up? Check out these delicious egg recipes. (And eggs are economical too!) And check out all these other instant pot chicken soup recipes too.

And meatloaf freezes great too! This bbq meatloaf is a crowd pleaser at our house. Or meatballs for even more fun! And don’t miss these fully loaded burger bowls too! Yum! Don’t forget to check out these super easy 5 ingredient beef enchiladas too! We also love this hamburger pasta dish as well. And these Easy Slow Cooker Meatball Subs are easy, delicious, and made right in your slow cooker!

Loaded with cheese and pepperoni, this pizza pasta bake will be a crowd-pleaser. This One Pan Cheeseburger Pasta is another favorite easy dinner idea. These Easy Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Sliders (On Hawaiian Rolls) are super easy to make, everyone raves over them, and they are full of cheesy goodness. You can make them ahead and toss them in the oven a few minutes before dinner, freeze them, or make them right then in a few minutes flat. Perfect for busy weeknights!

Chicken breast on top of vegetables on a plate for an easy dinner

I know pasta is one of my daycare kid’s favorite meals, but my husband and daughter LOVE pasta too. I make my own hamburger helper with pasta here at home and it’s always a big hit. I love how quickly pasta cooks, it makes the whole meal seem like it comes together faster. Try these quick easy dinner ideas with pasta with your family tonight. You can even sneak in a ton of veggies with no one realizing with this butternut squash mac and cheese. My kids love it!

You can make cheesy tuna mac. You can also make it creamy spicy tuna mac. All you need is a can of tuna or chicken you already have in your pantry. This Easy Tuna Croquettes Recipe with Canned Tuna makes the crispiest tuna balls, so good. You can also make tuna salad with eggs to stretch your tuna further. It’s a great filling for this tuna wrap. Or make this kid-pleasing tuna bake for kids. And don’t forget Creamy tuna pasta salad. But my favorite of all time is this creamy tuna pot pie with biscuit topping!

And the ultimate comfort food, an ooey gooey tuna melt! A newer one we’ve been doing that the kids love is Creamy Broccoli Tuna Casserole with Egg Noodles. Here are some of the best recipes for cooking with canned tuna. And get creative with Quick Tuna Bacon and Mushroom Quiche too. We also love this Easy Creamy Tuna and Corn Pasta Salad Recipe.

This Penne Tuna Pasta Bake with Cottage Cheese make a quick and easy dinner idea that is light, satisfying, and delish.

One of our new favorite tuna casseroles is this creamy sour cream and onion tuna bake. So good, with panko on top, it gives you the feel of the classic chips. This Easy Tuna Biscuit Casserole Recipe without Cream Soups is a little different than the traditional pot pie flavors, but it’s oh so good, you’ll want to make it again and again! And you won’t have the guilt of all the chemicals in processed foods.

Easy dinner tonight

I love being able to take something I have already made and recreate it for my kids or my family. Easy dinner ideas with leftovers is one of my favorite cooking techniques. See what you can make with what’s already hanging out in the fridge waiting for a new taste. Another great leftover idea is pork chop tacos with your leftover pork chops. And nachos are another great way to use leftover meat. And check out these super easy BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. Or another favorite leftover pulled pork recipe is my leftover pork roast stroganoff. So good! Or try these pesto focaccia chicken sandwiches. So good! Or Healthy Leftover Turkey Pot Pie!

And for a taste like nothing you’ve EVER had, try this Leftover Brisket Chili in the Crock Pot. It will blow your mind! The smoky flavor in the brisket permeates every bite of chili in the most fantastic way!

Soup is one of my favorite meals and some of my very favorite soups are in this quick easy dinners (soup) post, check it out for some inspiration for tonight. There are plenty of soups in there that my daycare kids love as well. The other night we used our first yellow squash from our garden to make this WONDERFUL hearty summer squash soup. It was amazing. And this Broccoli cheddar soup is a personal favorite!

Leftover chicken is very versatile too. And buying a whole chicken to cook and make several meals saves you tons over buying specific parts. You can even use a rotisserie chicken that’s cooked in the store. This leftover chicken fried rice is our favorite way to use it. And we love anything Mexican flavored, so these creamy chicken enchiladas with leftover chicken are another winner at our house. We also love these leftover chicken mini pot pies! Try some of these 15 Budget Stretching Chicken Recipes tonight.

This chicken pot pie stew will be a favorite for your family, but you also dump it all in a casserole dish and bake it in the oven so it’s easy too! Or the ultimate breakfast for dinner, this breakfast pot pie. You’re going to die when you taste it. If you love jalapeno poppers, check out this easy version with broccoli and chicken for a whole meal. Easy Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole Recipe.

We love this garlic butter chicken that just takes a few minutes to make and the flavor is outstanding! We are also digging this Cheese Dip Philly Cheesesteak that comes together in just minutes but delivers big flavor! Also try 14 Super Easy Crockpot Recipes Picky Eaters will Love. Like this Green Bean Chicken Casserole in the Slow Cooker that is full of flavor and easy to make. Herbs, veggies, and all the goodness.

These Easy Taco Pork Chops are spicy, flavorful, and easy to make! Plus, you skip all the extra carbs from regular tacos, but none of the taste!

One of the best things I’ve ever done with leftovers is this Mexican leftover smoked brisket soup. It only took about 10 minutes to make, I used up my leftover brisket, and it was so good, I couldn’t believe it. You can make this ahead and freeze it too.

And who doesn’t love a tender delicious beef roast? You can whip one up in your crock pot with very little effort, all you need is time. Or make a big pan of this Easy Bacon Cheeseburger and Fries Casserole Recipe, yum!

For even more make-ahead freezer meals that you can prepare ahead, check out this post.

Mexican leftover smoked brisket soup in a pan on the stove

Good dinner ideas

I love cutting down on clean up and that’s why one pot wonders are some of my favorites. You can make everything in one vessel and not have a sink full of dishes just for the cooking part of the meal. Check out these quick and easy one pot wonders.

The instant pot is the ultimate one pot wonder. Check out these 20 easy dinners in the instant pot. And don’t forget the magic of the crock pot! It’s full of greatness as well! You can even cook acorn squash in the crock pot.

I don’t know about you, but pork is my favorite meat. I mean, bacon…right? I love pork roast, pork chops, pork ribs, all of it. These easy dinner ideas made with pork are sure to give you some serious inspiration and make your mouth water. Especially this pork Verde idea that can make your family a ton of meals! And check out these 32 Easy Leftover Pork Recipes.

Are you more of a chicken person? Check out these quick dinners with chicken. You can make these chicken thighs in the crock pot. Set it and forget it. You can also make this simple chicken and rice in the oven. Check out more recipes your kids will love with these Kid Friendly Shredded Chicken Recipes

Or what about turkey? This instant pot turkey breast makes a wonderful tender juicy flavorful meal in no time.

You can even make some really easy dinners with lunch meat and the meat is already cooked. A great time saver. Think of all the versitile ways you can use it.

Easy Freezer Meals

Being prepared ahead of time with easy freezer meals really helps on those nights when the kids have worn you out (or another job) and you don’t feel inspired to make anything at all. Freezer meals have saved my bacon more times than I can count.

I love to have something in there I can pull out and be all magical with. Check out these quick and easy freezer meals and spend some time this weekend making some stuff to get ahead. It just takes a little work ahead to save you tons of time all week.

One of my favorite freezer meal stand bys is this easy freezer stir fry with all my favorite veggies.

And don’t forget the one pot wonder of the crock pot. Check out this crock pot (or any pot) bbq pork roast recipe that will please your family for several meals! Or even this pork tenderloin teriyaki recipe in the crock pot. (Although you do have to cook down the sauce in a little separate pan, it’s worth it!). Don’t forget to check out slow cooker pork chops with apples here. Or how about this 4 ingredient Rotel chili? Yum! It’s a great Rotel recipe you’re going to want to keep!

I also LOVE these comfort food sausage cabbage rolls that are super easy with only one pot. You can get them ready and then they cook while you’re doing homework, getting baths, or whatever else you need to do. Another favorite of ours is this Mongolian ground beef recipe. It’s packed with flavor!

These ham and cheese sliders are super cinchy and everyone loves them!

Do you ever try to do meatless Monday? Or are you giving up meat for lent? There is tons of great inspiration in these quick and easy dinner ideas full of meatless meals. This vegetable lasagna using zucchini noodles is a winner here too! It’s even nightshade free!

I love sheet pan dinner ideas. They are quick and you don’t have to stand over them, just toss in the oven and go about your evening until they are done. You can also roast up a big pan of vegetables for a great meatless dinner. Like these air fried vegetables with garlic bread seasoning. These honey roasted root vegetables are amazing too!

Sometimes I don’t want to do any kind of cooking at all. You might think you have to cook, but when it’s hot, who even wants to heat up the kitchen? I love no cook meals when I’m extra tired, or way too hot. Check out these really easy dinners that don’t require any cooking at all. I think you’re going to find something your family or daycare kids will love!

Salad with chicken, spinach, and pomegranites

In the fall, I love a stick to your ribs comfort food meal like these ideas. Even this Pepperoni Pull Apart Bread can be part of a super easy dinner!

My air fryer oven is a lifesaver for easy dinner ideas. These air fryer pork recipes have saved me tons of time already. I’m working on air fryer beef recipes, air fryer chicken recipes, and air fryer fish recipes too. And these air fryer smashed potatoes are a great side to pair with any easy dinner main dish. They are amazing! And did you know you can even cook a frozen pork tenderloin? It’s still going to be delicious, I promise! So if you forgot to thaw your meat, check it out!

You can even make quesadillas in the toaster! Or taquitos in the air fryer, Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos. Or these black bean quesadillas are bomb too! These steak quesadillas are a favorite here with even the pickiest eaters!

For some quick and easy make ahead sides, check these out:

And don’t forget about breakfast for dinner like these fun pancake tacos.

We all gotta stick together and after a full day of working with other people’s kids, I never feel like making dinner. But if we eat out all the time it wastes money and it’s not good for our health, so I try to cook most days. I hope some of these easy dinner ideas will change your overwhelm into a feeling of accomplishment when you are inspired to knock dinner out of the park (without knocking yourself out in the process)

For more inspiration:

What are your favorite easy dinner ideas? I’d love for you to share recipes with me as well.

Enjoy dinner with your family tonight!