Last Updated on November 2, 2015 by Liza Hawkins
One of the things that keeps us eating home-cooked dinners more nights than not (yes, even on busy weeknights!) is my arsenal of dishes that are easy to throw together, with simple ingredients I usually have on hand. Some dinners come together in as little as 15 minutes!
Those that take a little longer to cook usually require less prep time, which means I’m able to throw something together, toss it in the oven to bake, and then spend time with the kids (or doing whatever else is on my to-do list).
Here are 6 easy weeknight dinner ideas on heavy rotation in our house:
1. Easy Oven-Fried Chicken Thighs with Perfectly Crispy Skin
Even thought they’re baked in the oven, the skin on these chicken thighs really does get “fried chicken” crispy! The best part is, prep takes all of 5 minutes (if that), so you can throw the chicken in the oven and forgettaboutit for 50 minutes.
2. Baked Barbecue Pork Chops
These baked barbecue pork chops are super easy because I use a store-bought bottle of barbecue sauce. Although, I have to say, making your own barbecue sauce wouldn’t be that difficult either – so give it a whirl if you prefer. The whole family loves these chops!
3. Easy Spaghetti Carbonara
I first tried making this recipe after reading Garlic & Sapphires by Ruth Reichl. The recipe is so simple you’ll go nuts. And bacon? Enough said.
4. Turkey Meatloaf
Meatloaf gets a bad rap. I happen to love it, as do my kids and my husband. Like many dishes that have left a bad taste in mouths over the years, I find meatloaf is often poorly cooked and under-seasoned! Cooked properly, with enough salt and an inside filled with cheese (Mmmm….), it’s delicious! Using turkey is a twist on my traditional beef/pork/veal meatloaf.
5. Seared Salt & Pepper Shrimp over Thin Spaghetti with a Mushroom & Garlic Cream Sauce
This seared salt & pepper shrimp over thin spaghetti with a mushroom & garlic cream sauce is close to the recipe I made for my trip to NYC for the Food Network “Home Cooks” casting call. It’s also the longest recipe name EVER. Using frozen raw shrimp is one of my secrets to a quick weeknight meal – they take minutes to thaw, and less than 5 minutes to cook. TONS of uses.
6. Barbecue Pork Meatballs
These easy barbecue pork meatballs only take 30 minutes to bake (in a muffin tin!), and about 5 to prep. Another big hit in our house with the kids!
I can’t wait to try some of these! For one of my easy weeknight dinners, I use the Wegman’s brand Asian BBQ sauce with veggies, noodles and Aidells chicken teriyaki meatballs for a quick, delicious stir-fry. It would work well with your pork meatballs, and I intend to try them this week. Yum! Thanks for the inspiration!
Ooohh – Asian BBQ sauce sounds yummy! I’ll have to look for that the next time I’m at Wegmans!
We don’t have one here so I stock up when I find one. A little spicy, but delicious!
I’d have to watch the spiciness for my youngest, but I’d still be willing to give it a try!
I love getting the smoked pulled pork Costco carries. Heats up in 8 minutes and I make a barbecue sauce that takes about a half an hour start to finish.
your photography is fantastic here and making me drool!
“Making me drool” is an excellent compliment for a food blog! Thanks! 🙂
Shrimp sounds amazing!!!