We've put together a list of easy dinners for busy nights that require minimal effort but are still delicious enough to satisfy your hungry family. From a quick chicken fajita skillet recipe to one-pot pasta recipe, you'll find something that everyone in the family will love!
Get ready for tasty dinners with minimal hassle: guaranteed to help busy nights go by faster!
Check out the other Weekly Meal Plans available for you!

We’ve all been there. You get home from work exhausted and the last thing you want to do is slave away in the kitchen for hours. But, with a busy lifestyle, it seems like making dinner can easily become an afterthought — which can lead to fast food runs or expensive takeout.
With this week's meal plan of easy dinners for busy nights on your side though, you don't have to resign yourself to these unhealthy options anymore! These simple recipes will help save you time AND money while still providing delicious meals that your entire family will love.
Say goodbye to those exhausting and all-too-common days of racing around after work, and enjoy some tasty meals that make getting dinner on the table easier than ever before!
Make sure you check out 10 Essentials Pantry Items, Slow Cooker, The Perfect Kitchen Appliance and Freezer Meal Planning Tips to further help you customize your family’s dinner.
Table of Contents
Busy Night Meal Tips
Working a full day can be exhausting, but coming home to an unfinished meal can make the stress nearly unbearable. To make sure that evenings are relaxing rather than chaotic, prepping ahead of time is key:
- Make a grocery list and shop before the weekend will make sure you have all necessary ingredients.
- Cook up large batches of proteins like chicken or beef, then separate them into individual portions to freeze for later.
- Chop up vegetables and store in reusable containers so they're ready to throw together with your cooked proteins at a moment's notice.
- Simmer slow cooker meals like stews in the slow cookers while you're at work.
- Prep casseroles the night before and place in the oven as soon as you come home.
- Make one pot dishes such as pasta, soups and chilli.
- Grill steaks, burgers, sausages and vegetables on the barbecue to make quick and tasty meals.
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🛒Helpful Kitchen Tools
7-Pc Ceramic Bakeware Set with LidsSet of 3 Oval Casserole Dishes
3 Pack Ceramic Baking Dishes
Insulated Casserole Carrier
🍽 Weekly Meal Plan Collection
Easy Dinners for Busy Nights
We've put together a list of easy dinners for busy nights that require minimal effort but are still delicious enough to satisfy your hungry family. From a quick chicken fajita skillet recipe to one-pot pasta recipe, you'll find something that everyone in the family will love!
This chicken with mozzarella and tomato recipe only takes about 10 minutes to assemble and 20 minutes to cook!
This recipe is perfect for any night of the week. It's hearty, healthy, and just plain delicious. Boneless, skinless chicken cutlets are cooked to perfection in a cast iron skillet, and the vegetables are tender and flavorful.
Made with refrigerator biscuits, tomato sauce, cheese and pepperoni, this Pizza Casserole is ready fast. Serve it with a side salad and dinner is ready!
Bite-sized chicken pieces, chopped pepper and instant rice come together fast! Made in one skillet, cleanup is easy too!
This recipe is great for dinner and it freezes well too! Make an extra one to have on hand in the coming months.
The pasta cooks right in the homemade tomato sauce so it absorbs all the delicious flavors. It's easy to assemble any night of the week and one skillet means that it’s easy to clean up too with minimal dirty dishes!
Casseroles are the perfect way to gather up all the little bits of dinners gone by and make them stretch into one more hearty meal.
This post has been updated since it first appeared in 2017 with new photos, and information. I hope you enjoy the updates as much as I enjoyed working on them!
Emly says
nice post
Corinne @The Pragmatic Parent says
Love spending Thursdays with your parties. Thank you!
Jen @Cincy Shopper says
Happy Thursday! Thank you for hosting!