When it comes to family dinners, I always struggle during the middle of the week. Either the schedule is crazy and we don’t have much time for a decent meal or I’m too tired to put much of an effort in. Luckily, there are quite a few options for quick, easy, and delicious dinners!
Whether you’re short on time or energy, these 30-minute meals are here to save the day. Go ahead and check out this list of a few of my favorite recipes that require minimal prep work and still have maximum flavor. Who knows, maybe you’ll find a new favorite on this list!
Weeknight Chicken Marsala
Chicken Marsala is one of those classic Italian dishes that you see on restaurant menus everywhere but probably rarely attempt making on your own at home. It’s a fail-safe item to order, thanks to that reliably delicious sweet and savory mushroom sauce. So why not make it a fail-safe dinner in your own kitchen? It is, after all, nothing more than some chicken breasts cooked in a quick pan sauce… It’s easy enough that a cook of any level can handle it and it’s on the table in just about thirty minutes. It may be a classic, but it’s a quick one, and it makes for the perfect restaurant-quality weeknight meal. Get the recipe here!
30 Minute Pork And Peppers Skillet
Here, we threw together a healthy skillet with boneless pork chops and peppers, making a tasty brown gravy-esque sauce that steals the show. Speaking of that magical sauce, we used beef broth and red wine in ours, since the wine offers a delicious – yet not overpowering – flavor that we can’t get enough of. Along with some tomato paste to give more flavor and thicken things up, staple spices like basil and oregano round things out. This sauce is seriously so tasty, and it perfectly coats the pork and veggies. Get the recipe here!
30-Minute Beef Stroganoff
When it comes to comfort food, Beef Stroganoff feels like such a classic, you know? It just seems to be a meal that always hits the spot and the best news is it’s one you can have on the table in under thirty minutes, even if you’re not relying on a shortcut ground beef version. Here’s our quick and easy 30-Minute Beef Stroganoff – big on thinly sliced beef, mushrooms, and onions in a savory, sour cream-kissed sauce but not big on time or trouble. Get the recipe here!
One Skillet Creamy Mushroom Chicken
Smothered in an out-of-this-world creamy, garlicky mushroom sauce, this easy chicken dinner is one we know you’ll come to rely on as much as we do. We like to serve ours over white rice to soak up all that delicious sauce, but pasta is a great option too. Shoot, you could just slurp it out of the pan. That’s even less dishes to wash. And the addition of some fresh broccoli means you’re getting in your greens so there’s nothing to feel guilty about here. It’s hard to believe that a sauce that tastes so velvety and decadent can come together in so little time. Give it a try and add one more 30-minute meal to your repertoire! Get the recipe here!
30-Minute Sloppy Joe Casserole
With everyone’s busy schedules, having a few 30-minute meals the whole family loves is essential! That’s where this 30-Minute Sloppy Joe Casserole comes into play. Not only is this a hearty recipe that will fill everyone up, but it all comes together in one pan over the stovetop. That means the clean-up is just as easy as the prep work! A true win-win in my book. Get the recipe here!
Cajun Chicken & Rice Skillet
You’d be hard-pressed to find a meal we like better than one that cooks up in just one skillet and is on the dinner table in under 30 minutes. That kind of convenience makes weeknights SO much easier, so when you find a recipe for a one-pan 30-minute meal that’s also outrageously delicious, you’d better cling to it. Or at least make it again and again. And we’re not ashamed to say we’ve done just that with this easy Cajun Chicken and Rice Skillet. Get the recipe here!
30-Minute Taco Pasta
This dinner is not only ridiculously tasty, but it comes together in just 30 minutes. Plus, it’s a one-pot meal, which makes clean-up a breeze! Have I convinced you to try out this taco pasta yet? This dish is the perfect combination of seasoned taco meat, veggies, spices, and of course, spaghetti. If there’s one thing my family loves, it’s pasta. By switching up the flavor profile a bit, I can have a meal I know the pickiest of eaters will love, while still enjoying something a little different. Get the recipe here!
Creamy Pesto Veggie Skillet
We’ll admit that this isn’t the prettiest dinner you’re ever going to eat, but what it lacks in looks it makes up for in flavor and convenience. It’s one of those under 30-minute meals that you can turn to whenever you’re in a pinch, with whatever you happen to have on hand. Here we’ve used carrots, mushrooms, and onions, but there are so many combinations of veggies that are absolutely scrumptious when they’re folded in this creamy pesto sauce. Get the recipe here!
30-Minute BLT Pasta
BLTs are a staple when it comes to easy and delicious sandwiches. I don’t often think about making them at home, but they are always a hit when I do. With bacon, crispy lettuce, and juicy tomatoes on a bun, what’s not to love? I was looking for a way to incorporate these same flavors into a dish more suitable for dinner. Thus, this pasta dish was born. Get the recipe here!
One-Pot Cheesy Chicken Rice and Broccoli
When you think of casserole, do you think of chicken and rice? I often do. It’s kind of the quintessential casserole – creamy and cheesy, easy to make, and comforting as can be. This dish has many similarities – the cheesy chicken, rice, and broccoli combination, for starters – but it all comes together on the stovetop in one pot. And that means you get the same tasty comfort in even less time, making for one ideal busy weeknight meal that always satisfies. Get the recipe here!