• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Unlikely Hostess

  • Welcome
  • Holiday & Party
  • Food
  • Home Decor
  • Everything Outdoors
  • Clean & Organized
  • Beauty & Fashion
  • About
  • At Home With Ang

April 26, 2023

30 Easy Weeknight Dinners Everyone’s Raving About

Packed schedules and busy weeks are begging for easy weeknight dinners!

This lineup is meant to help you with that moment you just got home from work and evening activities, everyone is hungry, and you need to whip up something fast.

These easy weeknight dinners are highly reviewed, easy to make, and ready in a half an hour or less.

I know this will bum some readers out, but I left the crock pot recipes out.

Say whaaaaat?!  

Don’t worry, I’m working on an entire line featuring ONLY crock pot recipes coming soon. 😉

For now, these weeknight quick cooking recipes have everyday ingredients and simple prep instructions. 

You will probably have a lot of this on hand all ready.

These are classic and fast comfort food favorites that even picky eaters will enjoy.

As always, you will find recipe links and details below each image.

Let’s get to it! 

#1) Easy Weeknight Melt In Your Mouth Chicken

easy weeknight dinner chicken

Cookies & Cups offers this easy weeknight dinner.

It’s a no fuss combination of chicken breasts, sour cream, parm and seasonings.  Yum!

#2) Easy Weeknight Dinner – Ranch Pork Chops

Easy weeknight dinners

Wonky Wonderful offers the recipe to these easy tangy porch chops.

Dry ranch seasoning mix and a hot sear in the oven keeps them moist and flavorful.

#3) Easy Weeknight One Skillet Sausage & Rice

Diet Hood offers this super fast cooking easy weeknight dinner.

Clean up is a breeze with this one pot dinner flavored with veggies, sausage and rice.  Yum!

#4) Easy Weeknight Dinner- 5 Ingredient Enchilada

easy weeknight dinner

Southern Bite simplifies the oven baked enchilada.

Want to know something funny?

There is a war going on in the comment section over whether you should call this dish an ‘enchilada’ because it’s made with flour tortillas, not corn.   

I don’t think your taste buds will care what they are named. 😛

#5) Easy Korean Ground Beef and Broccoli

easy weeknight dinner ground beef

While I would have never thought to make beef and broccoli with ground beef, this recipe from Miss In The Kitchen has insanely good reviews!

The yummy orange flavored sauce brings serious flavor to this dish!

#6) Easy Weeknight Dinner: Meatball Subs

Easy Meatball Subs

Real Mom Nutrition knows what to do in a pinch!  Take advantage of the prepared Italian meatballs in your frozen section.

When seared in good marinara sauce these meatball subs take just minutes to prepare.

#7) Easy One Pot Mexican Ground Beef & Rice 

One Pot Mexican Ground Beef and Rice is a stove top dinner recipe loaded with ground beef, rice, salsa, corn and cheese. This cheesy ground beef and rice casserole is an easy dinner recipe perfect for weeknights.

This Is Not Diet Food has the steps for this hearty and filling main course.

Quick cooking rice, Mexican spices and corn make this dish a crowd pleaser! 

#8) Easy Weeknight Dinner Taco Casserole

Taco Casserole being scooped out of a casserole dish with a spatula.

The Cozy Cook shares a genius concoction in this crunchy Mexican casserole.

Seasoned ground beef, refried beans and Fritos…yes please!

#9) Easy Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry

easy weeknight dinner

Stir frys are a great way to whip up something fast! 

This tasty recipe from Happy Family is loaded with veggies and protein.

#10) Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

easy weeknight dinner

A Spicy Perspective shares this flavorful chicken tortellini soup recipe.  

A rotisserie chicken will help it come together in a snap.

#11) Easy Weeknight Dinner – Crispy Cheddar Chicken

easy weeknight dinner

Jamie Cooks It Up shares this out of bound chicken recipe that is dredged in milk, cheese and crackers.

With the flavorful gravy on top this one is sure to satisfy your comfort food cravings.

#12) Garlic Butter Chicken & Potatoes Skillet

Garlic Butter Chicken and Potatoes Skillet - #eatwell101 #recipe One skillet. This chicken recipe is pretty much the easiest and tastiest dinner for any weeknight! #Garlic #Butter #Chicken #Potatoes #Dinner - #recipe by #eatwell101

Eating Well 101 offers this whole foods meal with serious flavor!

The chicken marinades in a pepper soy sauce before getting seared with garlic rosemary potatoes.

#13) Easy Stuffed Shells Weeknight Dinner

weeknight dinner recipes

Mom On Timeout always provides the goods for busy Moms that are short on time!

These easy jumbo pasta shells are filled with a creamy cheesy filling.

#14) Easy Mashed Potato Casserole With Crispy Chicken

The Cozy Cook offers her take on KFC Famous bowls. 

Delicious mashed potatoes, creamy corn and white meat chicken provide a irresistible combination.

#15) Easy Weeknight Dinner – French Onion Beef Casserole

Easy Weeknight Dinners

Life In The Lofthouse offers a quick version on the classic beef and noodles recipe.

This dish has egg noodles, ground beef, and Frenchs fried onions.

#16) 4 Ingredient Quick & Easy Goulash

The Kitchen Is My Playground offers a staple that we make at least once a month.  

My kids can’t get enough of this!

#17) Easy Weeknight Dinner – 30 Minute Orange Chicken Skillet

The Gunny Sack shows you how to make this delicious sticky orange chicken over rice.

The small chicken breast pieces sear up in minutes! 

#18) Easy One Pan Balsamic Chicken & Veggies

Cooking Classy serves up this healthy and flavorful dish!  

This tangy balsamic reduction flavors veggies and chicken to perfection.

#19) Easy Weeknight Dinner – Lemon Butter Garlic Shrimp With Angel Hair Pasta

easy weeknight dinner

Averie Cooks shows you how you can make restaurant style pasta in just minutes at home.

These shrimp sear up in seconds and when paired with lemon provide the perfect flavor for angel hair pasta.

#20) Easy 20 Minute Tortellini Bake

Easy Weeknight Dinner

This Gal Cooks showcases this wildly popular baked pasta recipe. 

Consider adding crumbed Italian sausage or pepperoni for a meaty main dish.

#21) One Pan Cheesy Sausage Pasta

easy weeknight dinner

This tasty dinner can be on the table in less than 20 minutes!

Perfect easy weeknight dinner for when you’re short on time.

#22) Easy Weeknight Dinners – Quick Beef StroganoffBeef Stroganoff in a rustic white bowl over noodles

Recipe Tin Eats offers this delicious dish among many others.

A good cut of steak paired with a simple searing technique help maximize flavor!

#23) Easy One Pot Lasagna Soup

Making homemade lasagne can take some time!

One Pot Recipes help bring all the lasagna flavor in a quick cooking soup…genius!

#24) 15 Minute From Scratch Sloppy Joes

Mel’s Kitchen Cafe helps you create a sloppy joe recipe that is SO much better than Manwich.

Worcestershire and soy sauce are a couple of the secret ingredients.

#25) Easy Weeknight Dinner Rotisserie Chicken Tacos

A Family Feast has a great idea on how to turn a rotisserie chicken into a crowd pleasing favorite.

These tacos are seasoned with coriander and cumin, and topped with crisp iceberg lettuce.

#26) 1 Pan BBQ Chicken Sweet Potato Bowls

These delicious sweet potato bowls may look complicated…but they’re not!

The Creative Bite walks you through how you can prepare them from start to finish using one sheet pan.

#27) Easy Weeknight Dinner Creamy Beef & Shells

easy weeknight dinner

Sometimes it’s the simple things in life.

Damn Delicious knows that well with this easy cheesy kid pleasing main dish you can whip up in a snap.

#28) One Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta Easy Weeknight Dinner

Everyone loves this creamy classic.

Number 2 Pencil shows you how you can whip up this easy weeknight dinner in just minutes.

#29) Easy Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadilla

This is one of those…why didn’t I think of that?

Girl Heart Food turns a classic quesadilla into a meaty main dish.

#30) Easy Weeknight Dinner Biscuit Chicken Pot Pie

No Biggie offers this no brainer solution to an easy flaky no fuss chicken pot pie.

Who wouldn’t want to eat this?

Happy Weeknight Dinner Planning!

As always, remember that your success comes with just a little prep work.  You will nail these easy weeknight dinners if you:

  • Plan a week or two in advance.
  • Inventory your pantry and produce 
  • Shop for these simple ingredients ahead of time

You’ll be just minutes away from delicious home cooked food your entire family will enjoy.

Looking for more inspiring eats?  Check out the Unlikely Hostess recipe vault roundups!

Cheers for now!

Psssssssssst! Want to learn about one of my secret weapons?

 

Join The Growing Gathering!

Do you want effortless inspiration for your life and home?  How about some actionable advice that you can implement right now?  At The Unlikely Hostess we're all about making life better.

Better recipes, better decor & organization ideas, better celebrations, and a better looking you so that you can love your life and the space you live it in.

A life that you can't wait to share with others!  Cheers, I can't wait to meet you.

Please wait...

Please check your inbox folders and add The Unlikely Hostess to your contacts. 

It's hard to bring you inspiring ideas when I'm stuck in your junk folder! 🙂

Can't wait to meet you.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Food, Main Dish

May 27, 2025 By theunlikelyhostess Leave a Comment

30 Stunning Landscaping Ideas For Along The Fence

May 20, 2025 By theunlikelyhostess Leave a Comment

30 Gorgeous Flower Pot Ideas For Your Front Porch

May 15, 2025 By theunlikelyhostess Leave a Comment

20 Chic 4th Of July Nails With Simple Trendy Designs

Primary Sidebar

Hi There!

I'm Ang, and I help people create a life and home that they can proudly share with others. Together we'll tackle the hurdles on your journey to delicious food, beautiful spaces, and celebrations filled with family and friends. Read More…

Footer

Archives

COPYRIGHT & PRIVACY POLICY

Unless otherwise noted, all blog content and images are NOT the property of The Unlikely Hostess.  For more information on this, or for detailed information about our privacy policy, affiliate programs, or contact information please visit our page on Contact & Privacy Policy.

AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER

The Unlikely Hostess participates in the Amazon Services LLC. Associates Program & The Etsy Affiliates Program. These are advertising programs designed to provide affiliate links for sites in order to earn commission by linking to products sold on these sites. This means The Unlikely Hostess can earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.  All of our posts may contain affiliate links.

Copyright© 2025 · Brunch Pro Theme by Feast Design Co.