In a recipe rut? Find yourself cooking the same thing week in, week out? We're coming to the rescue with some fabulous family dinner ideas to tempt your taste buds. There are no lengthy ingredient lists or complicated cooking methods here – just tasty meals that serve at least four and won't take too long to prepare. Choose from new twists on favourite pasta dishes, tasty pies, easy traybakes and simple one-pots, with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options in the mix.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover our collection of fail-safe dinner ideas, perfect for feeding the whole family and keeping mealtimes interesting.
When the cupboards seem bare and time really isn’t on your side, quesadillas make a brilliant dinner solution. Our quick and easy recipe is packed with leftover cooked turkey – roast chicken would work equally well – as well as guacamole, apple, tomatoes and sweetcorn. Feel free to change the fillings according to what you have available and family preferences – just make sure that there’s plenty of gooey, melty cheese.
A riot of colours, flavours and textures in a bowl, this might be a simple version of classic minestrone, but it more than delivers as a midweek meal solution. You can vary the veg depending on what you have to hand and feel free to replace the cannellini with a different type of bean. For us, the plump poached egg and slice of charred ciabatta served on the side are non-negotiables though.
This chow mein recipe from acclaimed chef Ken Hom not only puts takeaway versions to shame, but it’s also an absolute cinch to make. Featuring plump, juicy marinated prawns, crunchy beansprouts, fresh egg noodles and both soy and sesame sauces, it’s tangy, tasty and utterly satisfying. Our recipe serves two people, so simply increase the quantities as needed.
Quick, easy and delicious, these finger-licking chicken wings are a midweek marvel. Rather than being deep fried, they’re cooked in the air fryer (our recipe also includes an option for oven baking), meaning they're healthier than traditional wings and less washing up to do, too. To make them even more irresistible, the wings come coated in a Chinese-inspired sweet and sour sauce.
Irresistible really is the only word for these piled-high hot dogs. Featuring sizzling pork sausages loaded with both caramelised and crispy onions, this is the sort of dinner that midweek dreams are made of. Our recipe includes instructions for making your very own homemade ketchup to drizzle on top, but feel free to opt for a ready-made sauce. Serve these delicious dogs with a big bowl of griddled broccoli on the side (because veggies are important too) and let everyone dig in.
Get the recipe for hot dogs with caramelised onions and homemade ketchup here
Here's a trusty favourite with a clever twist – this recipe features cheese puffs in the sauce and as part of the crunchy cheese topping. They add flavour, texture and colour to this bake – and make it even more appealing to littles ones. Evaporated milk is also stirred into the cheese sauce to make it extra creamy.
When time is of the essence, here's the perfect meal, ready in 20 minutes. It's tasty, too – minced lamb is mixed with spices, chilli and fresh coriander, shaped into sausages and grilled. Bring to the table on a platter, along with mint yogurt, flatbreads or wraps and thinly sliced red onion and let everyone assemble their own kebabs.
Here's a 30-minute meal to help the family not just eat, but really enjoy, plenty of greens. In this summery pasta dish, peas, broccoli and spinach are mixed into a creamy, cheesy sauce with salty-sweet Parma Ham. The addition of garlic and fresh lemon means it really is a feast of flavour and looks fantastic too.
Get the recipe for broccoli, spinach and Parma Ham pasta here
The fiery chilli in this curry is tempered by sweetness from the coconut and pineapple, plus there's a lovely crunch from roasted, salted cashew nuts. It's quick to make and is great served with rice or flatbreads. If some of the family prefer their food with less heat, serve cooling Greek yogurt on the side.
Get the recipe for chicken, coconut and pineapple curry here
A whole side of salmon will make enough to serve six, but any leftovers are great cold the next day. Typically, salsa verde (a green, herby sauce) requires anchovies, but this one is a twist on the original, using a tin of sardines combined with parsley, capers and breadcrumbs. The salmon is served with miso-roasted onions and a pile of buttery, boiled potatoes would be lovely on the side too.
The base for this simple pizza doesn't contain yeast, so there's no rising time involved – and it tastes way better than a takeaway. The pizza starts off cooked in a frying pan, to give a crisp base, before being finished in the oven. If you have two frying pans, get everything prepared so that while one pizza is in the oven, you can start making another on the hob.
Meltingly tender chicken thighs cooked in stock and white wine with bacon, cream and mushrooms is an absolute treat of a midweek meal. It does need an hour in the oven, but the preparation is quick and easy. Serve with buttery mash and greens and everyone will be very happy indeed.
Bring some Mediterranean sunshine into your kitchen with this Greek-inspired dish. Tender chunks of lamb are cooked with spices, tomatoes and herbs, plus orzo – a small pasta shape – feta and black olives. If you can spare 30 minutes to marinate the meat, even better, or do so the day before cooking and leave in the fridge overnight.
Crispy battered prawns, chunks of pineapple, peppers and cashew nuts are all combined in this easy stir-fry, made mostly with store cupboard ingredients. It's all ready in just 35 minutes and is great served with either noodles or rice.
This rich, creamy gratin, loaded with cheese, makes a perfect veg-focused main. The combination of fennel and leeks gives an aniseed sweetness, and pleasingly the veggies retain their bite on cooking. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the delicious juices and offer a green salad on the side.
A classic fish pie is a labour of love, but this version with prawns, cod and smoked haddock is ready in around an hour. The sauce consists of a thickened stock, so there's no white sauce to make here and the crunchy ready-made filo pastry topping is simple but very effective. Serve with green vegetables and steamed new potatoes.
This fragrant, creamy coconut curry with strips of rump steak uses a shop-bought Thai curry paste, so there's no faffing around. It's all made in one pan too, cutting down on the washing up. The result is sweet, spicy and very tasty and perfect served with jasmine rice.
This one-pot spiced chicken dish with roasted vegetables uses a spatchcocked chicken – where the backbone is removed and the bird flattened – so the chicken cooks more quickly and evenly, with no chance of it drying out. It's prepared with a spice rub of paprika, onion and garlic powders. If you can, leave it with the rub for an hour or overnight in the fridge for really crispy skin.
A smart way to sneak vegetables into macaroni cheese, this recipe first sees squash roasted in olive oil and thyme to bring out its sweetness, before being stirred through the cooked macaroni and sauce. Do take care not to overcrowd the baking tray or the squash will steam and turn mushy. To add to the appeal, the cheesy breadcrumb topping gives the dish a lovely crunch.
Chicken pot pie is a meal in itself, with chunks of juicy meat, potatoes and vegetables (vary the vegetables according to what you have and what's in season). The pie takes a bit of time to cook, but you could always prepare the chicken filling the day before and using shop-bought shortcrust pastry for the lid means it's still a very achievable midweek meal.
This simple yet stunning pasta dish only calls for minimal ingredients and will be on the table in less than an hour. The deliciously easy sauce is made from roasted cherry tomatoes (roasting brings out their natural sweetness) and a generous amount of olive oil (so use the best quality oil you can). Serve with ribbons of fresh tagliatelle or pappardelle or use a dried shell-shaped pasta, which will collect the sauce.
Get the recipe for roasted tomato pasta with chilli and garlic here
Chunks of crispy, chewy fried halloumi are cooked in a lightly spiced red onion and pepper sauce in this simple vegetarian curry. The sambal – a whizzed-up combination of fresh coriander and desiccated coconut – should be sprinkled over just before serving, for maximum impact. Offer your choice of rice or flatbreads on the side.
This dish looks (and tastes) posh enough for a dinner party, yet it's on the table in 45 minutes. The combination of tender chicken, fragrant pesto, crunchy crumbs, sweet tomatoes and melted cheese is a real winner. If you can't find Taleggio, Camembert would be a good substitute.
Get the recipe for chicken with pesto, Taleggio and roasted tomatoes here
Yes really, a pasta dish for six made in just one pan! The trick is to coat the raw pasta really well in the stock and cream, so the strands don't stick together. The result is tender, al dente pasta in a creamy sauce rich with sautéed mushrooms, herbs and masses of umami flavour.
Combine two favourite comfort foods, add a touch of Indian spice and you'll have yourself a warming dinner in around an hour. You can swap the cauliflower for broccoli or use a mixture of the two. A combination of grated cheese and breadcrumbs meanwhile makes for a tasty topping with a bit of crunch and plenty of flavour.
Plantain is part of the banana family and here it's combined with chickpeas, coconut, spinach and spices to make an easy one-pot vegan dish. The recipe includes all-purpose seasoning, which is a blend of dried herbs and spices, but just omit if you don't have any in the cupboard.
Flavoured with a spice rub made from smoked paprika and ginger, this recipe produces chicken with tender meat and crispy, tasty skin. If you don’t fancy making mayo from scratch, stir watercress and ginger through a shop-bought version instead. Serve with new potatoes and steamed green beans for lovely light alternative to a traditional roast.
Get the recipe for roast chicken with ginger mayonnaise here
Sweet, buttery caramelised onions take a starring role in this upside-down pie, flavoured with smoked, plant-based Cheddar and crispy sage leaves. The puff pastry is shop-bought and the whole tart is ready in under an hour, though you will need an ovenproof, lidded frying pan to make it. This is a vegan recipe, but feel free to use dairy ingredients instead.
Perfect for midweek, this rich, creamy shortcut lasagne is ready in 35 minutes. You'll need a large, non-stick frying pan with a lid. It's simple to make, with a base sauce of cream cheese, cream and Parmesan, plus courgettes and spinach. The dried lasagne sheets are snapped into pieces and submerged in the sauce to create a cheat's layered dish that tastes fantastic.
Here's a lovely veggie version of a classic British shepherd's pie. Thanks to both dried and fresh mushrooms and yeast extract, the base has an intense, savoury flavour, with lentils adding both bulk and protein. The root vegetable mash and cheese topping is wonderfully moreish too.
This easy curry is sweet, sour and salty, rather than fiery like some Thai or Indian curries. While it takes a bit of time to cook, the preparation is quick. It freezes very well too and can be prepared ahead of time then reheated, if you prefer.
Melting cheese, ham and tomatoes are sandwiched between two sheets of shop-bought puff pastry in this easy, tasty dinner that call for just a few ingredients. With that in mind, it's important to use a strongly flavoured cheese such as Gruyère or aged Cheddar and good-quality ham. Serve with a green salad and enjoy any leftovers for lunch the next day.
These juicy burgers are ready in just 30 minutes. Fresh salmon is mixed with smoked salmon, fragrant dill and lemon and the patties are served with a zingy lemon and caper mayonnaise on the side. The recipe makes eight burgers and any extra can be frozen raw, if required.
This Scandi-style pasta is creamy and comforting, with the added bonus of being quick to make. Chunks of smoked sausage are combined with cream, mustard, paprika and capers for a sharp, spiced, rich sauce. As always, adding a little of the pasta cooking water to the sauce helps it to cling to the pasta and gives the sauce a lovely texture too.
Here a favourite side is transformed into a filling, protein-packed meal that's quick to make and easy on the pocket. The glossy cheese sauce is seasoned with nutmeg and mustard, then the dish is topped with breadcrumbs for added texture. Happily, it can be made ahead and reheated to serve.
Get the recipe for cauliflower cheese and white bean bake here
Always a winner, our meatloaf is shaped into a deep roasting tin, topped with a sticky tomato glaze and served with a tasty gravy. Using a mix of minced beef, pork and sausagemeat gives the meatloaf masses of flavour and means there are plenty of juices to make the sauce with. This moreish recipe serves six.
This tasty stir-fry is loaded with vegetables and packed with flavour from the black bean sauce, Chinese five-spice powder, ginger and garlic. It serves six and it's ready in 30 minutes – just have everything prepped and ready to go before you begin to cook.
In this recipe, whole mushrooms are cooked with vegetables, chestnuts and walnuts in a rich mushroom gravy, then covered with crisp filo pastry. Sautéing the mushrooms gives them colour and texture – just ensure both your pan and the olive oil are really hot, so the mushrooms don't become soggy.
Everyone loves an easy traybake, where the oven does all the hard work and there’s minimal prep and washing up. The flavour here comes from a homemade Cajun spice blend, but you can always save time by using a shop-bought mix. With sweet peppers, fiery chorizo, tomatoes and sweet potatoes, it’s a complete meal all made in one tin and will be a sure-fire hit with all the family.
With just 10 minutes of preparation, this is a sensational traybake with chicken fillets, aubergines and avocado baked with spicy 'nduja butter. 'Nduja is a spicy, soft sausage from the south of Italy, although you could use skinless cooking chorizo instead. Serve this tasty dish with new potatoes and a green salad.
Get the recipe for roast avocado and chicken with 'nduja butter here
Fancy something light but still flavour-packed for dinner? Look no further than a frittata. The Italian dish is similar to an omelette but is stuffed with extra ingredients and flashed under a grill to finish. Here, tender sweet potatoes, sharp feta and caramelised red onion, plus thyme, garlic and parsley, provide the perfect balance of taste and texture.
Get the recipe for sweet potato, feta and red onion frittata here
Although this recipe serves two, you could easily double it to feed a family of four – and we guarantee everyone will love it. Strips of flavourful chicken thigh fillet are marinated in turmeric, curry powder and garlic. Once cooked, the meat is drizzled in a moreish peanut butter and coconut milk sauce, which is infused with lemongrass and ginger. Pickled cucumber meanwhile provides the ideal final garnish.
Creamy kormas are usually made with chicken, but this cauli version makes a perfect midweek veggie main. The ingredients are simple and budget friendly, and our recipe also calls for natural yogurt, instead of cream, for a lighter dish. Serve with rice and flatbreads.
A classic meat lasagne takes time and effort and is not a dish for midweek cooking. This comforting veggie version is a great alternative, with five different vegetables and plenty of cheese. You'll need a deep, ovenproof sauté pan to make it and it will be ready in just 40 minutes (provided you use fresh pasta sheets).
Everyone loves an effortless traybake. Here, chicken breasts, tomatoes, onions and pumpkin (or butternut squash) are cooked in stock and balsamic vinegar with fresh herbs and garlic. You could add some small new potatoes too, if you fancy making it that bit more filling.
Bubbling, golden cheese, juicy meatballs, al dente pasta and a rich, sweet tomato sauce – what more could you ask for from a midweek meal? This is a low effort, high reward dish that screams comfort food; pop it in the middle of the table alongside a pile of garlic bread and let everyone tuck in and help themselves.
Get the recipe for baked rigatoni with meatballs here
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Last updated by Emily Shardlow-Price.