Weeknights in our house often like a sprint from the moment school ends to the second kids are finally in bed. Between homework (new this year!) and after-school activities, getting dinner on the table can easily become the most stressful part of my day if I don’t plan it out correctly.
These five easy weeknight dinners for busy families are my go-tos. They’re all family-friendly (aka even my picky eater likes them), low-effort, and actually doable on even our busiest school nights.
I shared these on my Substack, Medicated Millennial Mom, a few months ago but wanted to repurpose them here!
1. Chicken noodle soup: This is my go-to dinner when anyone in the house is sick. It is so comfy to eat and makes me feel warm from the inside out. Although my daughter painstakingly removes each and every carrot, she still eats it. With a hearty portion of toasted bread on the side. On a similar note my friend’s chicken pot pie soup is also a kid-approved winner, but I make it without peas for the kids because heaven forbid they have to eat a pea!
2. Spaghetti and meatballs: My dad made us meatballs (his mom’s recipe) every Sunday after church growing up for my entire childhood and I try to keep that tradition alive although it’s usually on Monday nights. I use my Italian grandmother’s recipe and my children literally cheer when I tell them it’s meatball night. When we’re tight on time I buy the Rao’s frozen meatballs and marinara and put that over spaghetti.
3. Beef tacos: When my daughter came home from camp one day last summer proclaiming that she liked tacos I literally almost cried at the idea that we could add another meal to our rotation! And add it we did. Tacos are a weekly staple and they’re endlessly customizable so we, as parents, don’t get sick of them. I set up a DIY taco bar and let the kids build their own, which gives them a deeply convincing illusion of control. I swap out beef and chicken every other week. The beef recipe is below but for chicken I usually just shred a rotisserie chicken and use the same recipe below!
Beef filling:
- I yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 lb beef
- 1 package of mild taco seasoning (which they like more than if I mix the spices myself)
- 1 bottle of mild salsa
- Sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent, 3-5 minutes
- Add the beef and seasoning, breaking up the meat with a spoon as it cooks
- Once cooked through, add the salsa and ¼ cup of water and cook until the liquid dissolves in half.
The toppings I always put out:
My daughter always goes for (lots of) cheese and sour cream and my son is a salsa, guac, and cheese kinda guy.
- Hot sauce
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Mild salsa
- My picky-kid-friendly “guacamole” which is just mashed up avocados, salt, and a squeeze of lime
- Shredded lettuce
- Chopped cilantro
4. White chicken chili: This is probably the most “out there” of the recipes on this list but it has been in my rotation for years. It comes together so quickly when I use a rotisserie chicken and I could make it in my sleep! They usually add lots of tortilla chips and cheese but whatever works, man!
5. Sesame crusted salmon: Ok my kids don’t actually eat this but it’s such and easy one to make kid-friendly. I do two pieces of the salmon wiht the sesame crust and then two pieces just with salt and pepper. I don’t use any of the sauce and plate the plain salmon with white rice and pesto with some of the sliced cucumbers on the side.
6. Chicken parm: Another one of my favorite comfort meals but never in a million years did I think my kids would actually eat it too. But this recipe is crispy, saucy, cheesy… basically all the kid-friendly food groups. I keep the chicken cutlets thin so it’s not too “chicken-y” and I serve it with pasta because it guarantees they’ll eat something. But 9 times out of 10 they go for the chicken and even ask for seconds!
Ingredients:
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 2 eggs, beaten, salted
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (Italian-seasoned if you have them), salted
- ½ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Marinara sauce
- 1–1½ cups shredded mozzarella
- Olive oil
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 425.
- Pat the chicken dry and beat it between two pieces of plastic wrap until it is about ¼ inch thin (or buy thin sliced chicken to save time)
- Dip each piece of chicken in the eggs and then in the breadcrumbs. Place on a plate and move to the stove when you’re finished.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and pour enough olive oil to coat the entire pan
- Fry the chicken until golden brown on each side, about 4-5 minutes per side, working in batches if you need to.
- Place the cooked chicken on a paper towel to drain some of the oil
- In a baking dish, spread a thin layer of marinara sauce
- Place the chicken on top and top with as much sauce as you like
- Top with mozzarella and more parmesan
- Bake for 5-7 minutes, until the cheese is nice and melty
