37 Family Dinner Ideas You’ll Make on Repeat
The good news about “family-friendly” dinners? They can be whatever you want them to be. Loaded sweet potato wedges eaten straight from the sheet pan? Absolutely. A dose of nostalgia by way of movie-night sloppy Joes, updated with a fiery kick of gochujang? No question about it. These are dinners for cautious eaters and adventurous ones alike—some familiar, some a little unexpected, and all worth bringing to the table.
Whether tonight calls for a cozy soup (that you can set and forget in your Instant Pot) or easy fish tacos (we have a hunch they’ll become part of your regular weeknight dinner rotation), we’ve got plenty of ideas to keep dinner interesting all year long.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Catherine Campbell Pearson1/37Easy Fish Tacos With Spicy Sauce
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua2/37Cozy and Quick White Chicken Chili
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht3/37Cottage Cheese Lasagna
High-protein cottage cheese replaces often-pricier ricotta in this thrifty-ish spin on a familiar family favorite. More shocking: mozzarella is out too, in favor of tangy super-melter Fontina.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams4/37Sheet-Pan Pepperoni Pasta
If your family loves pepperoni pizza, they’ll love this baked pasta, which hits all the saucy, spicy, cheesy notes with no takeout required. Roasting the sauce on a sheet pan concentrates its flavor before everything gets a blanket of cheese.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht5/37Spicy Salmon Roll Bowl
All the appeal of a spicy salmon roll, reassembled as a family-friendly bowl. Pickled cucumber and spicy mayo accompany crackly, broiled salmon cubes for a dinner that’s as fun to eat as it is easy to customize.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie6/37Gochujang Sloppy Joes
Photograph by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness7/37Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Think chicken pot pie, but in cozy soup form. Complete with crackly, buttery shards of puff pastry you can tear and share, this family meal practically demands a crowd around the table.
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Thu Buser, and Prop Styling by Christina Allen8/37Jalapeño Popper Skillet Tacos
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca9/37BBQ Mushroom Pizza
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua10/37Zhug-Marinated Chicken Thighs
Store-bought zhug, a Yemeni-spiced cilantro sauce, and your broiler are the shortcuts to juicy, charred, baked chicken without a grill. It’s an easy, low-fuss dinner that delivers big flavor.
Photography by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Christina Allen11/37Beefy Cheesy Sweet Potatoes With Kimchi
Somewhere between nachos and loaded potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes get topped with spiced ground beef and briny kimchi for a main dish that’s complete enough to enjoy straight off the sheet pan.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness12/37Falafel-Spiced Turkey Burgers
Genuinely juicy, supremely crispy, flavored like falafel, and browned in a skillet for ultimate ease. Serve them with your favorite burger toppings for an easy family dinner.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman13/37BA’s Best Baked Ziti
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro14/37Stuffed Poblanos With Beans and Greens
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Alex Massillion, Food Styling by Thu Buser15/37Sheet-Pan Shawarma-Spiced Chicken
Laura Murray16/37Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp cooked in garlicky, lemony butter is bound to be delicious. Serve it with crusty bread or toss it with pasta for a cozy weeknight meal the whole family will love.
Photograph by Elizabeth Coetzee, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht17/37Crispy Tofu With Peanut Sauce
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, prop styling by Emma Ringness18/37Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
Canned pumpkin is good for way more than sweets. Here, lemon, Parmesan, and chile flakes turn it into a creamy, savory sauce that comes together while the pasta boils.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams20/37Chicken Meatballs With Sesame Green Beans
Tender soy-glazed chicken meatballs and crisp sesame green beans make a balanced family dinner that needs little else than a pot of rice.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni21/37Ravioli and Mushroom Skillet
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Micah Morton, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro22/37Easy-to-Love Chicken Thighs and Couscous
Photo by Marcus Nilsson, Food Styling by Frances Boswell, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson23/37Sweet-and-Saucy Pork Chops
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Gerri K. Williams24/37Almost Alfredo Broccoli and Chickpeas
Canned chickpeas and frozen broccoli keep this one-skillet dinner fast and thrifty, while cream cheese delivers on the faux pasta Alfredo front.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley25/37Ginger Fried Rice
Leftover rice meets plenty of fresh ginger, soy sauce, and eggs in this satisfying 20-minute dinner. The key is starting with cold, cooked rice, which crisps up beautifully in a hot skillet.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie26/37Baked Tomato Feta Pasta
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, and Prop Styling by Emma Ringness28/37Grilled Salmon With Dill Chimichurri
Photograph by Isa Zapata29/37Spring Orzotto
Much faster to make than risotto, this lemony, bright orzotto gets its herby savoriness from a pantry savior: store-bought jarred pesto.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Sean Dooley, prop styling by Gerri Williams30/37Spinach-Artichoke-Dip Pasta
Photograph by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi31/37Basil Chicken Stir-Fry
So tired you’re considering takeout? Try this simple, speedy stir-fry instead—it comes together in 25 minutes but tastes restaurant-quality.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca32/37Sheet-Pan Gnocchi With Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Sean Dooley, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi33/37Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens34/37Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
Let your Instant Pot handle this warm, spicy, protein-packed, family-friendly dinner idea. Top it with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of pickled onions, and whatever else floats your fancy.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Linden Elstran35/37Chicken and Cabbage Stir-Fry
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Christine Keely37/37Green Goddess Harvest Salad
