75 Easy Dinner Options for When You Don’t Know What to Cook
We know how it feels to reach the end of a long day and still have to figure out dinner. That’s why we’ve put together a collection of easy dinner ideas perfect for those evenings when you’re not quite sure what to cook. These straightforward, quick recipes are designed to ease the stress of meal planning.
They’re great for any night of the week, providing tasty options that ensure you can enjoy a delicious meal without the fuss. Whether you need something in a pinch or just want to keep things simple, these ideas have got you covered.
Easy Crockpot Steak Bites Perfect For Busy Weeknights
Enjoy the tasty goodness of our mouthwatering Crockpot Steak Bites recipe. These tender and flavorful bites are a great choice for a comforting meal.
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Set It and Forget It Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
These Crockpot Chicken Fajitas are a perfect weeknight dinner. We combine juicy chicken, colorful peppers, and a zesty seasoning mix. Just set it and forget it!
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Tuna Cakes
Tuna croquettes are simply patties or rolls of tuna and bread crumbs that are fried or baked. Easy and delicious.
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Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
Our Million Dollar Chicken Casserole is the perfect dish for a cozy night in. This creamy, cheesy chicken casserole, topped with a buttery crunch, is easy to prepare and sure to please.
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Easy Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole in the Slow Cooker
Try our Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole for a delicious dinner that everyone will love. Prep takes just 15 minutes, and your slow cooker will do the rest.
Get the Recipe: Easy Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole in the Slow Cooker
Easy Crockpot Chicken And Rice
Try this Crockpot Chicken and Rice Recipe! It’s packed with tender chicken, flavorful rice, and veggies, all cooked to perfection in your slow cooker. Perfect for busy weeknights or meal prep!
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Easy Crockpot Crack Chicken
Indulge in this Crockpot Crack Chicken recipe, featuring tender chicken, creamy Ranch, crispy bacon, and melted Cheddar. A delightful, family-friendly meal awaits!
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Hearty Bolognese You’ll Make Again and Again
Our Ultimate Bolognese Sauce recipe is rich, hearty, and easy to make. Perfect for family dinners, it’s sure to become a favorite!
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New York Strip Steak with Green Beans and Mushrooms
Indulge in the satisfaction of a flawlessly seared New York strip steak, expertly paired with seasonal vegetables, for an exquisite dining experience.
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Crock Pot Chicken Spaghetti
Discover a comforting and hassle-free meal with our Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti recipe. Perfect for a quick comfort food dinner the entire will love.
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Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Try our mouthwatering Stuffed Pepper Casserole! Perfect for feeding a hungry crowd, this recipe is quick, easy, and loved by families.
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Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
Indulge in this comforting and delicious chicken noodle soup recipe made in a Dutch oven. It’s the perfect comfort food for any occasion.
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Air Fryer Chicken Sausage and Peppers
Try our easy Air Fryer Chicken Sausage and Peppers recipe for a quick, delicious dinner that the whole family will love!
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Chicken Sausage and Peppers
Thai Red Chicken Curry
Make our flavorful Thai Red Curry Chicken recipe for a quick and tasty one-pan dinner that your whole family will enjoy. It’s both easy and delicious.
Get the Recipe: Easy Thai Red Chicken Curry
Crock Pot Beef And Noodles
Try our easy Crock Pot Beef and Noodle recipe for a satisfying and comforting meal. Perfect for chilly nights or weekends.
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Honey Garlic Chicken
Throw out the takeout menu and whip up our delicious Honey Garlic Chicken recipe. Perfect for anyone looking for a flavorful and hassle-free meal.
Get the Recipe: Honey Garlic Chicken
Easy Crock Pot Chicken And Stuffing
Indulge in comfort with this Chicken and Stuffing Crock Pot Casserole recipe. Layers of tender chicken, creamy sauce, and savory stuffing await! Easy, delicious, and satisfying.
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Smash Burger
Whip up a delicious Smash Burger in just 20 minutes! Crispy edges, juicy centers, and customizable toppings make them a family favorite.
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Easy Crock Pot Country Style Pork Ribs
Indulge in mouthwatering Crock Pot Country Style Pork Ribs, a delectable dish of tender, juicy pork that will leave you craving for more.
Get the Recipe: Easy Crock Pot Country Style Pork Ribs
Easy Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak
Easy Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak! Tender beef patties simmered in rich mushroom gravy with simple ingredients. Perfect for a weeknight dinner!
Get the Recipe: Easy Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak
Air Fryer Steak Bites
Discover why Air Fryer Steak Bites are the next must-have in your meal rotation, combining simplicity with a burst of flavor in every bite. These steak bites are a blend of tender steak marinated in a rich mixture of soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and spices, then air-fried to perfection.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Steak Bites
Easy Sesame Chicken Recipe
Try our savory Sesame Chicken recipe for a comforting and flavorful meal. Prepare it easily and enjoy the taste at home.
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15-Minute Korean Beef Bowl
Discover an easy twist on the classic Korean beef bowl recipe. This ground beef dish combines rich flavors of aromatic spices into a flavorful meal.
Get the Recipe: 15-Minute Beef Bowl
Air Fryer Salmon Recipe with a Garlic Lemon Marinade
Indulge in our simple Air Fryer Salmon recipe, perfect for busy days. Discover the scrumptious flavors of air-fried salmon.
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Air Fryer Lobster Tails
With our simple recipe, indulge in mouthwatering air-fried Lobster Tails. Enjoy tender and flavorful lobster effortlessly at home.
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Ham and Potato Casserole
Indulge in our hearty and filling ham and potato casserole, the perfect recipe for foodies craving a tasty weeknight meal.
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Easy Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
Craving crispy, juicy chicken cutlets? This easy Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets recipe delivers in just 15 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights.
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Ham and Cheese Sliders
This easy-to-make recipe combines the classic comfort of ham and cheese sliders. Perfect for foodies and anyone craving a tasty treat.
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Slow Cooker Beef Teriyaki
Slow Cooker Beef Teriyaki is comfort food with juicy beef and flavorful teriyaki sauce mixed with sweet bell peppers.
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Taco Casserole
Who doesn’t love a good taco? This Taco Casserole puts all your favorite taco flavors in one easy-to-make dish. With savory beef, crunchy tortilla chips, and a creamy layer of sour cream, this dish has all the flavors you love.
Get the Recipe: Taco Casserole
Cajun Chicken Pasta
Our easy one-pan Cajun Chicken Pasta is a surefire crowd-pleaser that delivers spicy and creamy flavors in one simple pasta dish. Made with seasoned cajun chicken, satisfying penne pasta, and smooth cream cheese, this meal is simple to make yet absolutely delicious.
Get the Recipe: Cajun Chicken Pasta
Chicken Parmesan
If you want a delicious and easy-to-make dinner the whole family will love, our Chicken Parmesan recipe is for you! Juicy, tender, crispy breaded chicken is baked perfectly in flavorful tomato sauce and topped with mozzarella and parmesan cheese!
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Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Sliders
Discover the secret to delicious Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Sliders. Juicy, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make. A family favorite.
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Shrimp Lo Mein
Savor homemade Shrimp Lo Mein in 30 minutes with this easy recipe featuring succulent shrimp, fresh veggies, and a savory sauce.
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Dirty Rice With Sausage
Dirty Rice with Sausage is a one-pot wonder that’ll satisfy even the hungriest of crowds. Ground beef, sausage, and a touch of Cajun seasoning come together in one pot for an easy, flavor-packed meal!
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Lazy Lasagna
Your family will love this delicious, rich, and cheesy Lazy Lasagna recipe. You’ll love this recipe because all you need are four simple ingredients.
Get the Recipe: Lazy Lasagna
Italian Meatball Soup With Pesto
Indulge in Italian Meatball Soup with Pesto, a perfect mix of juicy meatballs and pasta cooked to perfection, a rich broth seasoned with a pesto.
Get the Recipe: Italian Meatball Soup With Pesto
Creamy Chicken Thighs
Cast Iron Chicken Thighs is a rich, creamy, flavorful dish that’s simple to prepare, making it a perfect choice for busy weeknights.
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Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole is the ultimate comfort food and is perfect for midweek dinners. Chunks of juicy chicken, crispy bacon, and tender pasta combined with Ranch dressing and Alfredo sauce and topped with freshly shredded Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Tortellini Soup
Our Tortellini Soup is a delicious, hearty soup recipe that’s simple to whip up and perfect for busy weeknights. It’s packed with veggies, a savory broth, and rich cheese tortellini. We’ve also snuck in some fresh spinach for a little boost of protein.
Get the Recipe: Tortellini Soup
Chicken And Rice Casserole
Chicken and Rice Casserole is the perfect comfort food that is delicious and easy to make. Juicy rotisserie chicken, fluffy rice, and veggies are baked to perfection with bubbly, golden cheese on top.
Get the Recipe: Chicken And Rice Casserole
Pizza Casserole
Pizza Casserole has all the deliciousness of a pizza combined with the comfort of a hearty casserole. It’s a blend of meat, cheese, and pasta. We’ve added an extra twist and turned it into a Meatlover’s Pizza Casserole, combining sweet Italian sausage, beef, bacon, and pepperoni with gooey cheese and tender pasta.
Get the Recipe: Pizza Casserole
Goulash
If you’re looking for an easy-to-make, delicious comfort food recipe, you will love American Goulash. Perfectly cooked ground beef cooked in a deliciously spiced tomato sauce, with tender pasta, and topped with Cheddar cheese.
Get the Recipe: Goulash
Easy Shepherd’s Pie
Our easy Shepherd’s Pie is comfort food at its finest, perfect for feeding the whole family. Its hearty layers of ground beef, peas and carrots, and fluffy mashed potatoes make it a crowd-pleaser.
Get the Recipe: Easy Shepherd’s Pie
Hamburger Soup
Juicy ground beef and a medley of fresh veggies are perfectly seasoned and simmered in a flavorful tomato beef broth, then combined with pasta shells.
Get the Recipe: Hamburger Soup
Sausage And Hash Brown Casserole
This Sausage and Hash Brown Casserole is the ultimate crowd-pleaser, offering a mouthwatering mix of flavors. Think sausage, creamy cheese, and crispy hash browns—all baked to perfection.
Get the Recipe: Sausage And Hash Brown Casserole
TikTok Spaghetti
It’s the ultimate comfort food – spaghetti, meat, and cheese – transformed into a viral sensation. There’s a reason this recipe keeps going viral. It’s delicious, easy, and takes minutes to prep!
Get the Recipe: TikTok Spaghetti
Lasagna Roll-Ups
Lasagna Roll-Ups are a fun, creative, and delicious twist on traditional lasagna. A lasagna noodle is rolled around a mouth-watering cheese and meat sauce filling.
Get the Recipe: Lasagna Roll-Ups
Crack Chicken Noodle Soup
Our Crack Chicken Noodle Soup is an easy and delicious dinner your whole family will love. We combine tender chicken, velvety cheese, a blend of veggies, a hint of Ranch, and crispy bacon, creating a delicious creamy chicken soup that gives a classic chicken noodle soup a run for its money. It’s a warming, filling meal perfect for busy weeknights.
Get the Recipe: Crack Chicken Noodle Soup
Krautfleckerl
Krautfleckerl is a rich, hearty fried cabbage and bacon noodle dish with ham and bacon. Experience the warmth and comfort of a traditional German dish with this delicious fried cabbage and noodle recipe: crispy bacon, savory ham, caramelized cabbage and onions, tender pasta, and a hint of nutty Parmesan cheese.
Get the Recipe: Krautfleckerl
Lasagna Soup
Dig into a bowl of Lasagna Soup for a cozy, comforting meal that brings all classic lasagna flavors. This hearty soup features Italian sausage, pasta, and a blend of cheeses—ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan.
Get the Recipe: Lasagna Soup
Ham And Noodle Casserole
Our family loves this quick and easy, hearty Ham and Noodle Casserole (German: Nudelauflauf mit Schincken). Creamy homemade sauce, chunks of savory ham, and velvety egg noodles unite under a layer of melt-in-your-mouth Swiss cheese.
Get the Recipe: Ham And Noodle Casserole
Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
Welcome to a new spin on a classic! This Chicken Pot Pie Casserole combines the familiar taste of your favorite comfort meal with the ease of a casserole. With a handful of simple ingredients like chicken, vegetables, and biscuits, this recipe promises a satisfying and delectable dish.
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Meatball Casserole
This Cheesy Meatball Casserole is a hit at any dinner table, full of rich, hearty flavors that will make everyone come back for seconds. It’s made with juicy meatballs, a savory marinara sauce, and topped off with a layer of gooey, melted cheese.
Get the Recipe: Meatball Casserole
Big Mac Salad
Dive into this irresistible Big Mac Salad that puts a fun twist on a classic fast-food favorite right at your own home. This hearty recipe features ground beef, crisp lettuce, melty cheese, and our copycat Big Mac Sauce, bringing you all the flavors of a Big Mac without the bun!
Get the Recipe: Big Mac Salad
Sausage Lentil Soup
Spice up your winter nights with a steaming bowl of Sausage Lentil Soup! Lentils simmer in a rich beef broth with bacon, onions, and carrots, are seasoned and are finished with beef sausages. Add thick slices of crusty bread on the side and indulge in this ultimate deliciousness!
Get the Recipe: Sausage Lentil Soup
Baked Feta Pasta
This Baked Feta Pasta recipe has gone viral on TikTok. Let’s find out why! It’s an amazing, easy pasta dinner with just a few simple ingredients but is full of big flavors. Roasted ripe cherry tomatoes and salty cheese turn into this wonderfully creamy sauce that makes a delicious pasta dish.
Get the Recipe: Baked Feta Pasta
Chicken Chili
This Chicken Chili recipe is a lighter version of the classic comfort food – Chili con Carne. Perfect comfort food that will make you crave for seconds. Juicy chicken and tender white beans are simmered to perfection in a rich and flavorful broth!
Get the Recipe: Chicken Chili
Chicken Meatloaf
Chicken Meatloaf is a great alternative to a traditional beef meatloaf. We combine moist ground chicken with a rich barbecue sauce topping. The added blend of spices and panko bread crumbs ensures a texture and flavor that’s downright irresistible.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Meatloaf
Old Fashioned Potato Soup
This Old-Fashioned Potato Soup delivers a bowl full of hearty satisfaction, perfect for any meal. With russet potatoes, cheddar cheese, and bacon all working together, you’ll wonder why you didn’t make this soup sooner. Like our Loaded Sweet Potato Soup, it’s topped with crispy bacon and cheese.
Get the Recipe: Old Fashioned Potato Soup
Onion Pie
There’s something supremely comforting about a warm, savory German Onion Pie fresh out of the oven. Imagine a flaky, homemade crust filled with a scrumptious blend of caramelized onions, crispy bacon, and Swiss cheese.
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Cheese Spaetzle
You can think of Cheese Spaetzle as German Mac and Cheese. Tender homemade egg noodles are perfectly cooked in a deliciously cheesy cream sauce.
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Beef Stew
This melt-in-your-mouth Beef Stew is bursting with flavor and texture. Tender beef is simmered in a roasted garlic red wine beef broth. A medley of root vegetables is cooked with potatoes to create an incredibly hearty, filling dish!
Get the Recipe: Beef Stew
Hunter’s Schnitzel
Hunter’s Schnitzel (German: Jägerschnitzel) is the comfort food you’ve been craving, featuring crispy pork cutlets smothered in a creamy mushroom sauce.
Get the Recipe: Hunter’s Schnitzel
Beef And Bean Casserole
This quick and easy Cheesy Beef and Bean Casserole is a delicious recipe the whole family will love. Tender beef and beans are baked in a delicious tomato-based sauce and finished with gooey melted Cheddar cheese.
Get the Recipe: Beef And Bean Casserole
Mushroom Pie
This Mushroom Pie is a delicious, surprisingly easy dinner option to pull together. A hearty, vegetable-filled pastry dish ready to serve in less than an hour. A pie lover’s dream come true! It has a buttery, flaky crust and a creamy filling loaded with savory mushrooms and sweet, tender onions.
Get the Recipe: Mushroom Pie
Paprika Chicken
This Paprika Chicken recipe is a weeknight dinner winner. Tender and juicy chicken smothered in a rich and creamy paprika sauce served over tender egg noodles! Every bite is loaded with sweet, peppery, and zesty flavors.
Get the Recipe: Paprika Chicken
Shrimp And Mushroom Pasta
You won’t believe how delicious this Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta dish is. This recipe is a hit with jumbo shrimp, creamy mushroom sauce, and a splash of red wine!
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Potato Pancakes
Classic German Potato Pancakes (German: Kartoffelpuffer) are made from freshly grated potatoes fried to golden brown perfection. Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside.
Get the Recipe: Potato Pancakes
Beef Rouladen
To make these mouthwatering German Rouladen, we fill a thinly sliced steak with mustard, bacon, onion, and pickles. Braise in a red wine sauce until they are tender and irresistibly delicious.
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Chicken Cacciatore With Pasta
Chicken Cacciatore is simmered in a flavorful tomato sauce with mushrooms and peppers, and this traditional dish makes a delightful dinner.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Cacciatore With Pasta
German Chicken Schnitzel
Chicken Schnitzel is an easy twist on a classic German Schnitzel recipe. It’s got crispy on the outside and juicy chicken on the inside.
Get the Recipe: German Chicken Schnitzel
Bacon BBQ Hasselback Chicken (4 Ingredients)
Easy, flavorful BBQ Hasselback Chicken recipe with juicy chicken, tangy sauce, crispy bacon, and melted cheese.
Get the Recipe: Bacon BBQ Hasselback Chicken (4 Ingredients)
Air Fryer Biscuits
Indulge in flaky perfection with this Air Fryer Biscuits recipe. Quick, easy, and made with simple ingredients, these are a family favorite treat.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Biscuits
Pork Tenderloin With Creamy Mushroom Sauce
My favorite kinds of dinners are the ones that are easy and affordable yet taste like a million bucks. Enter Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Mushroom Sauce. Quick enough for a weeknight yet fancy enough for date night, this pork tenderloin is a meal fit for any occasion and is ready in under 30 minutes.
Get the Recipe: Pork Tenderloin With Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Maike Corbett is the founder and food blogger of Cheerful Cook, a popular recipe website featuring comfort food recipes from the US and Germany. She has been featured in numerous media outlets, including the AP Wire and MSN.