Peace out, boring dinners. With pasta, tacos, soups, and more, these recipes will make sure you never have another basic meal again. While we all want to have that picturesque dinner, nobody wants to work for hours at it after a long hectic day. These 55 easy weeknight dinners will have you sitting down to eat in no time flat. With a good mix of greens, protein, and carbs, you really can’t go wrong.
The bell pepper is an excellent vessel for stuffing meat, rice, and, of course, cheese. It’s strong enough to hold its shape in the oven, and the flavor is subtle enough to go well with just about anything. This is our favorite recipe but the custo
The fish—we use cod, but any flaky variety, like tilapia, works—marinates in a mixture of lime juice, chili powder, and cumin that will become your standard. But the real gem of this recipe is the cabbage slaw—it takes just a few minutes to toss together and its brightness is the perfect condiment to the spiced cod.
Oh, chicken alfredo: It’s the classic pasta we just can’t seem to get enough of. Of course there are tons of jarred pasta sauces you can buy, but making alfredo sauce from scratch is actually so easy.
A longtime favorite of Delish readers, this savory-sweet salmon never disappoints. Searing fish might seem intimidating but, once you get the hang of it, it’ll be second nature—just follow our easy tips.
Be sure to have some crusty bread on hand, because this sauce is KILLER. And don’t skip the suggested lemon wedges — the bit of acid helps cut through all the cream!
Due to the intense heat circulation that happens in the air fryer, the outside of these chops crisps slightly while the inside stays nice and juicy. 20 minutes later — most of it hands-off time — and it’s basically instant dinner.
There are hundreds (maybe thousands) of chicken parm recipes in the world, but this one is our favorite. Crispy, well-seasoned chicken, a flavorful tomato sauce with a kiss of sweetness, and, of course, tons of melty cheese. It’s easy, simple, and classic.
This easy one-pot soup was inspired by our love for that Tex-Mex classic: ground beef tacos. Lots of us grew up with taco night with those boxed taco shells and pre-shredded cheese. Now you can have all the joys of serving tacos without having to do any of the taco building.
This recipe starts on the stovetop for a perfect golden sear then finishes in the oven for the juiciest, most flavorful results. If you don’t want to turn on your oven, you can do everything over the stovetop too—after you add the sauce ingredients, reduce heat to medium, and cook for about another 3 minutes until the sauce is a perfectly silky consistency.
Shakshuka, though typically eaten for breakfast, is a hearty dinner. Our take spins the color wheel, thanks to roasted tomatillos and Swiss chard. We top these eggs cooked in a tangy, spicy salsa verde with cotija cheese and avocado, but the topping choices are endless from chorizo to toasted pine nuts.
Confession: We really love Chili’s fajitas. There’s nothing quite as exciting as when the steak arrives at the table sizzling IN the hot skillet. It’s an experience we’ve always cherished, and one that you can now re-create at home!
There is literally only one dirty dish to clean with this recipe. If you’d rather sub in chicken breasts, you totally can — we just love thighs for their flavor and crispy skin.
You’re going to want to put this balsamic honey mustard glaze on EVERYTHING. We enjoy this with roasted red potatoes, but you can serve with any veggie side!
This simple weeknight classic turns your favorite spinach and artichoke dip into a protein-packed dinner.
A lean, lemony fish like this would benefit from being served with some extra lemon wedges, a savory roasted green (like asparagus or string beans) and creamy mashed potatoes.
Cheesy Baked Meatballs
These little guys are pretty light on the cheese. If you’re going for a gooey-er, cheesier bake, top with a full cup of shredded mozzarella. Or, wrap ’em in cheese, like we do with our No-Bread Meatball Sub.
Turkey Tetrazzini is one of our all-time favorites, but depending on the time of year, good fresh turkey can be hard to find. This chicken version is just as creamy and delicious, and comes together in under an hour.
