60 Easy Dinner Ideas List (What to eat for dinner) - The Kitchen Girl (2024)

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When you don't know what to eat for dinner, here's a complete list of delicious and easy family dinner recipes you can make right at home any day of the week!

Why you'll love these dinner ideas

Finding time to prepare nourishing meals can be challenging, but even more so when you don't know what to eat for dinner. It's OK if you often don't know what to cook. We have you covered!

I've rounded up 60 delicious and easy dinner ideas to give you options for when you need to make something good to eat, be it on short notice or when you're planning ahead. You'll find plenty of recipes here suited to your dinner interests and tastes, even if cooking isn't your strength.

You'll also love that every recipe on this list uses fresh ingredients and pantry staples available in regular grocery stores. So you don't have to go out of your way!

Tips to help decide what to eat for dinner

As you read through this dinner ideas list, here my tips. Figuring out what to cook for dinner is a skill that develops over time, much like cooking itself.

• Look for recipes that get you excited to make them!
• My recipes use common grocery items, but it's a good idea to make sure key ingredients are available. These days, you can do this online with your favorite grocery store.
• Read through the instructions before deciding on the recipe to make sure it suits your cooking interest.
• Observe the total time required to make sure the recipe fits into your schedule.
• Read through the recipe tips section for learning opportunities and recipe variations for ideas to modify.
• Visit the recipe comments to hear about other's experience with the recipe. Also, kindly leave your own review.

How this dinner list is organized

I've hand-picked my best dinner ideas, written from decades of food experience, and organized them into categories by food type. Categories include pasta, one-pot dinners, meat entrees, bowl recipes, soup and chili, casseroles, and portable foods.

Pasta

These pasta dinners are a wonderful option for busy weeknights and relaxing weekends. Pasta is quick and easy to prepare, which saves you valuable time in the kitchen, and it can be budget-friendly, which saves you money. These comforting pasta dinners are filling and satisfying – and they taste even better the next day!

• Beef Stroganoff
• Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
• Taco Pasta Recipe
• Instant Pot Spaghetti
• Baked Feta Pasta (TikTok Pasta)
• Chicken Penne Alla Vodka
• Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
• Mushroom Stroganoff
• Ham and Pea Pasta
• Instant Pot Chili Mac

One pot dinners

These one pot dinners are well-rounded entrees that involve preparing whole meals in one pan or skillet. This means less steps and less dishes. They're perfect for family dinner and they make delicious leftovers.

• Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
• Skillet Vegetarian Enchiladas
• Shakshuka
• Ground Turkey Taco Skillet

Meat entrees

Nothing answers the what's for dinner question like perfectly cooked chicken, pork, or beef. You can find the best method below that suits your interest and cooking tools. These proteins are also naturally flavorful and most are minimally seasoned. Pair them with salads and side dishes for complete meal.

• Air Fryer Chicken Breast
• New York Strip
• Pan Seared Sea Bass
• Air Fryer Turkey Breast
• Broiled Salmon Recipe
• Baked Chicken Leg Drumsticks
• Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
• Air Fryer Chicken Legs
• Steak Salad
• Baked Chicken Thighs Recipe
• Garlic Butter Grilled Salmon
• Roast Turkey Breast
• Cooking Pork Chops on the Stove
• Air Fryer Whole Chicken
• Greek Lemon Chicken
• Spiral Ham
• King Crab Legs
• Instant Pot Whole Chicken

Bowl recipes

This dinner idea goes by a few names but we're sticking with bowl recipes here. These are essentially meals in a bowl that aren't your typical soup, stew, or chili and have any array of fresh or cooked vegetables, or beans, cheese, or various sauces.

• Taco Bowl Recipe
• Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowl
• Thai Peanut Zoodles Recipe

Soup and Chili

Nothing beats the comfort and convenience of soup or chili. They both make a great dinner idea for any cooking level because they're quite versatile and relatively easy to make. They also get better by the day and most varieties will freeze well. The hardest part of this dinner quest will be deciding if you'll make French Bread or a classic cornbread recipe to accompany your selection.

• Chicken Vegetable Soup
• Ham and Bean Soup
• White Chicken Chili
• Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
• Kale Chickpea Soup
• Turkey Chili
• 3 Bean Vegan Chili
• Lentil Chili
• Italian Sausage Soup with Orzo
• White Bean and Kale Soup
• Minestrone Soup
• Thai Coconut Soup
• Lasagna Soup
• Homemade Tomato Soup
• Zuppa Toscana
• Stuffed Pepper Soup
• Cabbage Roll Soup
• Split Pea and Ham Soup

Casseroles

Casseroles are always a winner of an idea, especially for family dinners because you can get a whole meal of ingredients into one pan. They can be budget-friendly, especially when you combine leftovers, simple vegetables, grains, and other pantry staples. They can be made ahead, and even frozen, which works great for those busy days.

• Vegetarian Enchiladas
• Instant Pot Tuna Casserole
• Chicken Shepherd's Pie

Portable foods

Sometimes the heart just wants what it wants for dinner, which looks more like party food. These are mostly classic super bowl foods and, dare I say, there's zero shame in this game.

• Pulled Pork Sliders
• Baked Chicken Wings
• Fig Prosciutto Flatbread Pizza
• Reuben Sandwich
• Tortilla Pizza
• Dinner Charcuterie Board
• Steak Nachos
• Totchos Tater Tot Nachos

I'd love to hear what recipes you're planning to make in the comments below. Or feel free to ask me any questions and I'll personally respond! Enjoy these dinner ideas and happy cooking!