My Go-To Weeknight Dinners

Like many of your homes I’m sure, I have trouble coming up with dinner ideas that I know everyone will eat and enjoy. Why is it that one kid likes the opposite of what the other kid likes? While they can agree on their love for pizza and pasta, we certainly can’t have that every day!

So, I’ve kept note of the meals everyone likes that they like, but that are also healthy and easy enough to whip together on a weeknight after a long day of work, between dance carpooling. It’s a tall order! While they may have originally been inspired by a recipe, these are now meals that I can adapt based on what food I have on hand. They are easy, healthy and approved by my pickiest kid! Which is why at least one of these meals are on my meal plan every week.

Lemon Chicken

I love this SkinnyTaste Recipe in which you simply put chicken, carrots and potatoes on a sheet pan and amp up the flavor with lemon and oregano. This one’s so good because I can use whatever kind of chicken or veggies I have in my fridge. If I don’t have potatoes in the house, I’ll add a quinoa or rice on the side. The girls love lemon, so this dinner was an immediate win in our house.

Taco Salad

Taco Tuesday is a no-brainer when meal planning, and we’ve tried to make it healthier here by making taco salad, although I still offer the girls tortillas for theirs. There’s no real recipe here! We simmer ground turkey with taco seasoning (Simply Organic has a good store-bought option) and put it over chopped romaine with various sides and toppings, including diced onion, tomatoes, avocado, cheese, beans and salsa.

Quinoa Bowls

Another no-recipe go-to in our house is a quinoa bowl, which we have at least once a week. There are so many variations you can do for this, but my two favorites are:

• BBQ chicken quinoa bowls with quinoa, chicken (rotisserie is a great option here) arugula, blue cheese, red onion, tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette

• Greek shrimp quinoa bowls with quinoa, grilled or sautéed shrimp, feta, tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, spinach and Greek vinaigrette

Bowls are the best because, similar to a taco bar, the girls can choose the toppings they want and everyone is happy.

What easy family meals are on a heavy rotation at your house? If you’re looking for more ideas, check out my Dinner board on Pinterest. I’ve also started posting my weekly meal plan to Instagram Stories every Sunday!