Quick Dinner Ideas
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This roundup of 30 quick dinner ideas will help you to put a healthy meal on the table even on those nights when you’re very busy.
Everyone needs a good supply of quick dinner ideas for busy nights. If you’re in a hurry, it can be tempting to grab takeout or depend on processed, packaged meals to feed your family. We’ve all been there. But with a little planning, convenience food can be the exception and quick, healthy, homemade dinners can be the norm.
I’ve gathered 30 quick dinner ideas that you can use in your meal plan for busy evenings. As long as you have the ingredients on hand, you can put each of these dinners together in 30 minutes or less.
For recipes with beans, I recommend making your own beans from dried beans and storing them in the freezer after they’re cooked. By cooking the beans ahead of time with kombu, you add minerals and nullify the gassy effects. Canned beans don’t have either of these benefits, and they cost about four times as much as the homemade version.
The first section of this recipe roundup includes recipes that you can start making when you come home at 5:30 and you’ll be eating by 6:00. The second section covers slow-cooker dishes that can be prepared the night before you eat them or in the morning. When you walk through the door at the end of the day, dinner will be waiting for you.
30 Minutes Meals
One Pot Ground Beef and Cabbage Skillet
Turkey Sloppy Joes
Vegetarian Nachos from Food Done Light
Roasted Pepper, Goat Cheese, and Basil Pasta from Eat Good 4 Life
Two Bean Soup with Kale from Cooking Light
Heirloom Tomato and Avocado Sandwich with Creamy Herb Dressing from Naturally Mindful
Chipotle Bean Burritos from Cooking Light
Fall Vegetable Curry from Cooking Light
Cabbage Peanut Stir Fry from My Whole Food Life
Cornbread Waffles with Chili from Plain Chicken (you could use my whole grain cornbread recipe)
Quick Dinner Ideas for the Slow Cooker
Slow Cooker Cauliflower Lentil Stew from the Shiksa in the Kitchen
Crock Pot Salsa Chicken from Miso Ginger
Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup from Eat Live Travel Write
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna from Eating Well
Slow Cooker Chickpea and Lentil Stew from Whole Foods Market
Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup from All Recipes (use homemade taco seasoning)
Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken from Skinny Taste
Curried Chicken with Ginger and Yogurt from Real Simple
Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potatoes from Real Simple
Barley Vegetable Soup from Better Homes and Gardens
Pulled Pork in a Crock Pot from 100 Days of Real Food
What are your go-to quick dinner ideas that you use when you’re pressed for time? Please share them in the comments.
A very timely list! This month has been quite hectic and packed full of activities.
Thanks for including my vegetarian nachos. We love, love, love nacho night. Can’t wait to try some of your other fabulous quick ideas.
Thanks, Christie. We actually had vegetarian nachos for dinner the night I wrote this post (inspired by your recipe). Great idea! We loved them.
Thanks for the great dinner round up! We often struggle with fast and healthy meals, so it’s nice to have this as a reference.
-Dana
Thanks, Dana. Take-out is just so easy, which is why I need a long list I can turn to on those busy nights.