26 Easy Family Dinners (Crowdsourced From Parents)

Alexandra F.:  Our entire family LOVES this meal and it has become a staple that we eat just about every other week. At about 30 minutes, it is super quick and easy to make!! :) I always make sure to have a bag of frozen broccoli on hand for it.

Amanda Banta:  These bean burritos are right up my alley because they are easy to cook, healthy and a meatless recipe I can serve my entire family. All five ingredients go into the skillet, creating a warm, creamy masterpiece. Serve over rice or wrap up in tortillas and top with slices of avocado, fresh diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and whatever toppings you like. Use the mild Rotel if you want to reduce the spicy factor for young kids.

christadiserio:  This baked ziti recipe is a must-try. There's very little prep involved and the dish can be thrown into the oven while you help the kids with homework. Instead of cooking chicken breasts, you can also buy a rotisserie chicken, which shreds nicely, too. Pair this with a side salad and you've got yourself a tasty & healthy (more importantly: easy) meal!

Kelly R:  Zucchini noodles and traditional spaghetti noodles are combined with store bought pesto and lemon, for a more nutritious but still kid-friendly twist on pasta pesto. The zucchini cooks with the heat of the freshly-drained pasta, so the messy pots and pans (and the effort) are kept to a minimum. It's one of my favorite easy family dinner ideas for summer!

Kelly R:  The flavor of this dish is deceptively complex, even though it just calls for a handful of simple ingredients. It's one of my go-to easy family dinners! The Italian sausage (use a chicken or turkey variety if you prefer) makes it delicious, and makes even the leafy greens kid-approved.

christadiserio:  This four-ingredient pesto chicken is a perfect easy weeknight dinner. The flavors of the pesto combined with the mozzarella cheese are pretty incredible. Different sides include pasta, cauliflower rice, or quinoa. For a time saver, use 1.5 lbs of chicken strips to save yourself some cutting time.

christadiserio:  I cannot even begin to describe how scrumptious this dish is. This buttery, garlicky, lemony shrimp is, first of all, incredibly easy to make and second of all, delicious - oops, did I already say that? This shrimp can be served on top of pasta, with a side of rice or couscous. It tastes great with anything - even on its own.

Kristy Pepping:  I love easy family dinner recipes where you can cook an entire meal all together! My kids really like lemon chicken so this recipe incorporates lots of tasty lemon slices. It also includes potatoes and green beans for the perfectly balanced dinner. I have also made this with baby carrots which worked just as well. If you have a larger family, you can easily add another piece of chicken or two.

Kelly R:  I have been making these tacos for years and years, and they are probably the all-time favorite dinner in my house. I triple or quadruple the taco meat recipe and freeze the extras in dinner-portion servings to use for future taco nights, and often replace about 1/4 of the meat with tiny chopped mushrooms for a hidden boost of veggies.

Gina I.:  You know those nights where you're running from one activity to the next, but you still want to feed the kids a healthy meal they'll actually eat...this is the recipe for those nights! I love that I can keep most of these ingredients on hand and have dinner on the table in 30 minutes! The sweet onion is a nice compliment to the chicken sausage, and it all comes together for a hearty and satisfying meal.

christadiserio:  This recipe is a healthier version of the delicious Hamburger Helper you ate as a kid. It uses minimal and everyday ingredients, which is great especially when you're looking for easy family dinner ideas you can throw together after a long day. If you feel like going a step further in making this recipe even healthier, you can always substitute ground turkey for the beef.

Katie G.:  These mini meatloaves are not only adorable, they're healthy too! Using ground turkey instead of beef and oats instead of white bread, you'll be saving on calories and fat. Plus the kids will love the cute muffin-shaped size. Serve some for an easy family dinner and freeze the rest for a weeknight meal or lunch.

Kristy Pepping:  We have a few picky eaters, but everyone can agree on this easy family dinner idea! It's a good recipe for sneaking veggies - I hide spinach in the sauce! Basically, it is rice and chicken with avocado, lime and cilantro. It says white rice, but really you can use a different variety and it still turns out great.

Stephanie W.:  Trader Joe's has many easy family dinner recipes but this is my favorite one so far! This layered casserole is super flavorful and easy to make, especially if you use their recommended Pork Carnitas which is already cooked (easily substituted for ground beef if that sounds better to you!). Just layer corn tortilla strips, enchilada sauce, cheese and the meat mixture and bake.

Kristy Pepping:  My kids love spaghetti and this 5-ingredient carbonara dish is super easy to throw together. One of my go-to easy family dinner ideas when I'm wondering what should I make! For an even healthier version, use turkey bacon and whole wheat pasta.