Quick and Easy Family Dinners: Recipes for Busy Parents (That Your Kids Will Actually Eat!)

With back-to-school season in full swing, many families are shifting their focus to quick and easy family dinner recipes.

If you’re like me, you’re thinking about transitioning to the fall schedule with a change of routine, going to bed and waking up earlier and extracurricular activities. Another shift for many families is more concentration on meal planning and meal preparation. With many activities during the school year for my family of five, we plan dinners ahead, with a focus on easy, simple and nutritious meals. This helps us minimize dining out frequently and ensures everyone gets the nutrients we need.

Here are 5 of my favorite quick and easy family dinner ideas to prepare on busy weeknights.

1. Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

This is a family fave and staple because everything cooks perfectly together. You just need three main ingredients, plus spices and garnishes of choice, and it’s ready in less than 25 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef or turkey
• ½ pound spaghetti
• 24-ounce jar marinara sauce
• 3 teaspoons seasonings of choice (like Italian seasoning and/or a combination of basil, oregano, garlic powder and black pepper)
• Garnishes like parmesan cheese and parsley

Directions:

1. Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When hot, add oil and ground beef or turkey.
2. Stir occasionally until cooked through.
3. Add seasonings and stir until combined.
4. Place spaghetti noodles on top (breaking noodles in half as needed to fit).
5. Pour the marinara sauce over the noodles. Do not stir.
6. Press the pressure cook or manual button and set for 7 minutes. (For al dente noodles, set for 6 minutes).
7. When the cooking cycle is finished, press quick release.
8. Stir well and let sit until thickened. If it’s too watery, place the lid back on and let sit until liquid is absorbed.
9. Add garnishes.
10. Serve with a salad kit as a side.

 

2. Air Fryer Taquitos

These are so tasty and a great option for Taco Tuesday with a twist. Plus, they are customizable with your tortillas, protein and fixings of choice. You can also make them meatless with beans in place of the meat.  We love adding diced bell peppers.

Ingredients:

• 4 tortillas of choice
• 1 cup prepared protein of choice (like chicken, steak or beans)
• Mix-ins of choice, like cheese or diced bell peppers
• Cooking spray
• Garnishes like salsa, guacamole or avocado

Directions:

1. Divide the protein among the 4 tortillas, placing down the middle. Add mix-ins as desired.
2. Roll into a taquito.
3. Place taquitos in a single layer in the air fryer, ensuring they are not touching. Mist with cooking spray.
4. Cook at 400 degrees for 6 to 14 minutes, depending on how crispy you like them.
5. Serve with preferred garnishes.

 

3. Grab-and-go Rotisserie Chicken 

This is our go-to meal for hectic evenings or when we simply don’t feel like cooking. It’s easy, quick, delicious and nutritious.

Ingredients:

• Rotisserie chicken, removed from the bone
• Salad kit or steamable veggie
• Steamable brown rice or quinoa

Directions:

1. Prepare salad kit or steamable veggie according to package instructions.
2. Prepare steamable brown rice or quinoa according to package instructions.
3. Plate chicken, salad or veggie, and brown rice or quinoa, and enjoy!

 

4. Sweet Potato Ground Turkey Skillet

This is a fall favorite. I purchase cubed sweet potatoes to make the process as simple as possible. Butternut squash works, too.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 2 teaspoons spices of choice (like garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, chili powder)
• 10-15 ounce package cubed sweet potatoes (or butternut squash)
• 10-15 ounce package diced bell peppers and onions
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Add oil to skillet, heat to medium high and add turkey. Break into small pieces, stirring occasionally until cooked through.
2. Add spices and diced bell peppers and onions; cook until onion is soft and translucent, stirring occasionally.
3. Add ½ cup water and cubed sweet potatoes.
4. Cover and cook for 6-8 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender.
5. Uncover and add mozzarella and cilantro.
6. Serve with a side salad.

 

5. Customizable Sheet Pan Meal 

Sheet pan meals are perfect for busy families because everything cooks on one pan! I love pairing chicken with Brussels sprouts, but you can include a combination of broccoli, potatoes, carrots, and apples or grapes. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the finished pan for extra flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, stems removed, cut in half or quarters
• 2 teaspoons seasonings of choice (like garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper)
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Toss chicken and Brussels sprouts (or veggies/fruits of choice) with olive oil and then with seasonings of choice to coat evenly. Place on rimmed baking sheet in a single, even layer.
3. Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate pan; bake for another 5-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and sprouts are tender.
4. Remove pan from oven and drizzle on balsamic vinegar.

These quick and easy family dinner recipes for busy evenings are versatile and customizable, so your family can get creative with swapping out ingredients and make them over and over again with new twists. I make weekly menus to remove the guesswork from what we’re going to eat, and that also makes grocery shopping so much easier.

My biggest tip as we transition into the school year is to keep your family’s meals simple, fun and balanced. Enjoy establishing a routine and finding options that work for your family.

Umo Callins is a registered dietitian and fitness coach who specializes in wellness and sports. She owns and operates her private practice Well Rooted Health and Nutrition in Oklahoma City and co-owns 180Physique Athletics, a sports performance and sports nutrition business, with her husband, James. Umo is a proud mother of three kids. Connect with her @sassy.sports.dietician.

Find more of Umo’s quick and easy family dinner recipes here and here.