Top 25 easy weeknight dinners for family
Keep busy weeknights simple with our easy recipes including pasta bakes, curries, one-pots and more. See our speedy recipes, plus veggie options.
Tired of repeating the same recipes every week? Freshen up your weeknights with our easy dinner ideas for the whole family.
Discover our tried and tested staples like comforting pasta bakes, simple curries and easy one-pots. Try something new with our unique twists on classic dishes like cottage pie, lasagne and chilli.
Our recipes include chicken, beef and fish plus plenty of veggie and vegan ideas. If you're short on time see our speedy meal ideas for dinner, ready in under 20 minutes.
See our easy 7-day family meal plan to organise for the whole week or get kids involved in the kitchen with our kids’ cooking recipes.
For the ultimate selection, see our family meal recipe collection.
Weeknight dinner ideas
1) Campfire stew
Enjoy this easy stew made with gammon and plenty of veg including carrots, peppers and celery. It’s full of goodness, delivering four of your five-a-day, and can also be cooked in a slow cooker to make weeknights even easier.
2) Chicken pasta bake
This top-rated pasta bake is the perfect weeknight dinner to feed the whole family. Serve with a side of green veggies or a fresh salad.
3) Honey chicken
This family-friendly honey chicken comes together in under 30 minutes for an easy weeknight dinner. Use garlic, soy sauce, lemon and ginger to create a flavourful sauce and serve with fresh veggies and fluffy brown or white rice.
4) Easy chicken curry
Chicken curry is the ultimate crowd-pleasing dinner and this version has never been easier. Use thrifty chicken thighs and cook in a rich sauce with ground almonds, chopped tomatoes and creamy Greek yogurt. The powerful flavours come from fragrant curry paste, warming ginger and punchy garlic.
5) One-pot garlic chicken
Dig into this creamy garlic chicken dish for a comforting midweek meal. It's an easy one-pot dinner which will save on washing up. It's a versatile main that works well with a side of rice, potatoes or pasta.
6) Healthy beef stew with veggie mash
This tasty balsamic beef stew provides all five of your 5-a-day. It’s perfect for chilly winter nights and served with a comforting veggie mash.
7) Crispy sesame lemon chicken
Crispy sesame lemon chicken is a crowd-pleasing dinner sure to fill up the whole family. Make an easy sauce with storecupboard ingredients like honey, soy sauce and sesame oil. Serve with classic egg noodles or fluffy white rice and scatter with spring onion.
8) Sausage ragu
This top rated sausage ragu is sure to become a go-to weeknight dinner. Make an easy tomato sauce and combine with cooked pork sausagemeat to make a hearty ragu. Then stir through your favourite pasta and top with a generous sprinkle of shredded cheese.
9) Baked chicken breasts
These baked chicken breasts are a versatile protein that can be added to salads, wraps or on their own with side dishes for dinner. Make an easy spice mix with paprika, thyme, oregano and garlic and use to add loads of flavour.
10) Chicken & chorizo paella
This highly-rated paella swaps out the seafood for a mix of chicken breasts and sliced chorizo. This easy one-pot wonder saves on washing up for a simple weeknight solution.
11) Creamy spinach chicken
Pack in those greens with this creamy spinach chicken dinner. It makes enough to feed the whole family and can be served with pasta, rice or cooked potatoes.
12) Ravioli lasagne
Save on time by using shop-bought ravioli for this unique take on lasagne. Make a hearty tomato sauce with sausage meat and layer with wilted spinach, ravioli and a mixture of grated cheddar and mozzarella. Then simply bake for 40 minutes until bubbling and hot all the way through.
13) Creamy chicken stew
Tuck into this cosy chicken stew on a chilly winter night with the whole family. It’s an easy one-pot dish filled with peas and leeks and served with mini jacket potatoes.
14) One-pan piri piri chicken dinner
Try this one-pan piri piri chicken for a family dinner and adjust the chilli levels to suit your family’s tolerance. This top-rated recipe is gluten-free and easy to make
15) Sausage stroganoff tagliatelle
Cook large chunks of sausagemeat with sliced chestnut mushrooms until golden brown then make a rich creamy sauce with soured cream, wholegrain mustard and beef stock. This speedy dinner is ready is less than 20 minutes for busy evenings.
16) Prawn tikka masala
This low-calorie prawn tikka masala is a lighter take on a takeaway favourite. Blitz onion, ginger and garlic in a food processor, fry the onion paste and combine with curry paste and chopped tomatoes to make a sauce. Then combine with ground almonds, prawns and cream to finish up and serve with white rice.
17) Pulled BBQ aubergine & black bean burgers
Get the kids to help you prep the veg for these family-friendly burgers. These veggie buns have all the comforting textures of meat but are completely vegan.
18) Chicken & chorizo ragu
This hearty ragu is loaded with tender chicken thighs and spiced chorizo. It's a versatile one-pot that can be served with rice or pasta or even frozen for another busy weeknight.
19) Chole with cumin rice & raita
Make this flavourful chickpea curry served with creamy raita for a brilliant budget-friendly family meal. This healthy curry is gluten-free while also quick and easy for weeknights.
20) Easy chicken fajitas
Let kids build their own fajitas and topping with salad, veggies, salsa, guacamole, cheese or sour cream. Marinade sliced chicken breasts in a flavourful mix of coriander, cumin, crushed garlic, lime juice and olive oil. Then cook in a griddle pan until golden brown and serve in warm flour tortillas.
21) Chicken & bean enchiladas
This low-calorie family dinner delivers four of your five-a-day, loaded with tender chicken, red peppers and black beans. Cook the sliced chicken with peppers and onions then combine with beans, coriander and passata. Divide the mixture onto tortillas, fold, then assemble and bake.
22) Slow-cooker sausage casserole
You can use your favourite type of sausages to make this family-friendly slow-cooker casserole. Serve it over pasta, in baked potatoes or with bread. It's also freezable for low-effort meal planning.
23) Spinach & ricotta pancake bake
Try this savoury pancake bake filled with an easy tomato sauce and a rich ricotta and spinach filling. Spread a mixture of spinach and ricotta over four pancakes, fold into triangles and layer together in a traybake, covered with tomato sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese.
24) Burnt aubergine veggie chilli
This warming aubergine chilli is low fat and four of your five-a-day. Serve up this smoky spiced vegetarian supper with brown rice and all your favourite trimmings like cheese, sour cream or guacamole.
25) Lentil & sweet potato cottage pie
Serve your family our hearty meat-free pie for dinner. The rich umami sauce is made with soy and mustard powder, and pumpkin seeds add a good crunch. It's a colourful twist on a classic recipe.
Looking for more ideas? See more inspiration...
Cheap and healthy family meals
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