When it comes to feeding the family, finding dinner ideas that are both easy to prepare and loved by everyone can feel like a challenge. That’s why I’ve put together this collection of 50 family-friendly dinner ideas, filled with recipes that are tried and true favourites in our home. From comforting classics like Cottage Pie and Slow-cooker Lamb Shoulder to fun, flavour-packed meals like Big Mac Tacos and Chicken Shawarma, there’s something for every craving and occasion. You’ll find recipes that are quick to make on busy weeknights, like Creamy Garlic Chicken or Stir-fried Beef with Flat Rice Noodles, as well as dishes perfect for Sunday roasts or family gatherings, like Osso Buco and Greek Slow-roasted Lamb Shoulder Tacos.
Whether you’re looking for one-pan wonders, slow-cooker gems, or deliciously cheesy bakes, this collection covers it all. These meals are easy to follow, use simple, accessible ingredients, and are designed with busy families in mind. So, get ready to explore these 50 delicious dinner ideas that will make meal planning a breeze and ensure everyone leaves the table happy!
1
Spring Roll Bowls
The classic flavours of spring rolls … in a bowl! These quick and easy Spring Roll Bowls are packed with vegetables and come together so quickly, perfect for busy weeknights when you want to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible. Serves 4 with loads of leftovers!
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2
Slow-cooker Lamb Shoulder
This Slow-cooker Lamb Shoulder recipe is fall-apart tender, juicy and perfect for those days when you need a set-and-forget meal. With crispy potatoes and a rich gravy, it’s a comforting, family-friendly meal that takes minimal effort.
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3
Loaded Burger Bowls
These Loaded Burger Bowls are perfect for nights when energy levels are low and you need dinner on the table fast! They are delicious, easily customisable and the whole family will love them as they are bursting with the familiar, delicious flavours of a juicy cheeseburger.
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4
Creamy Garlic Chicken
Perfectly cooked chicken in an easy, creamy garlic sauce. Creamy Garlic Chicken is on the table in less than 20 minutes!
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5
Black Pepper Beef
Tender and juicy Black Pepper Beef in a glossy, delicious sauce, is perfect for a family dinner any night of the week. Serve with rice and steamed greens.
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6
Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Yoghurt Sauce
This Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Yoghurt Sauce is the ultimate easy and satisfying weeknight dinner with family-friendly, customisable toppings.
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7
Easy Sweet and Sour Pork
This Easy Sweet and Sour Pork recipe is the perfect homemade version of your favourite takeout! Tender pork pieces are fried to golden perfection, then tossed in a tangy, sweet and slightly sour sauce along with capsicum (bell pepper) and juicy pineapple. Serve it over jasmine rice for a quick, easy, and budget-friendly meal that your family will love.
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8
Quick Creamy Miso Chicken Ramen
This Quick Creamy Miso Chicken Ramen is a flavour-packed and comforting dish perfect for busy weeknights. It’s made with economical minced (ground) chicken, a rich miso-flavoured broth, and is ready in just 20 minutes.
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9
Easy Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken
A wholesome, comforting classic made easier and more economical. Easy Roasted Garlic Butter Chicken uses thigh cutlets, rather than a whole chicken, but the result is still the satisfyingly tender, juicy roasted chicken with crispy golden skin that we all love.
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10
Filipino Stir-fried Noodles and Chicken
You’ll be amazed by the gorgeous depth of flavour of this easy, simple, economical dish. Filipino Stir-fried Noodles and Chicken is a one-pan wonder, just as suitable for weeknight family meals or entertaining a crowd.
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11
Slow-cooked Osso Buco
Slow-cooked Osso Buco is a flavour-packed, nourishing family-friendly dish, made with simple low-cost ingredients in just one pan. The beef is cooked with vegetables in a tomato-based sauce until fall-apart tender, then topped with a fresh parsley gremolata.
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12
One-pan Cheesy Beef Enchiladas
These One-pan Cheesy Beef Enchiladas are a comforting, family-friendly dinner that’s easy to make and packed with flavour. Just like the classic – but easier! Seasoned beef, capsicum (bell pepper) and black beans are cooked in a delicious rich sauce, before tortillas are folded through the sauce, topped with melty cheese, then baked until golden.
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13
Baked Garlic Chicken Breast
Tender and juicy Baked Garlic Chicken Breast is wholesome and satisfying and perfect for quick weeknight dinners. It’s ready in under 30 minutes.
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14
BBQ Chicken Flatbreads
These BBQ Chicken Flatbreads are a quick, delicious, and versatile meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights. Topped with tender, juicy chicken, melty cheese and a tangy BBQ sauce, these flatbreads are perfect for any night of the week.
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15
Prawn (Shrimp) Fried Rice
This Prawn (Shrimp) Fried Rice recipe is a quick and flavorful dish perfect for busy weeknights. It’s loaded with juicy prawns, frozen vegetables (easy!) and fluffy rice, all stir-fried together with savoury seasonings. This one-pan meal comes together in just 20 minutes, making it a great option for a quick dinner that the whole family will love.
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16
Quick Coconut Chicken Curry
This Quick Coconut Chicken Curry recipe is comforting and flavourful, perfect for cosy family dinners any night of the week. Tender chicken pieces are simmered in a rich, coconut-based curry sauce, before being topped with yoghurt and mango chutney. It is freezer-friendly and is delicious served with basmati rice and naan bread.
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17
Sausages with Homemade Onion Gravy
Sausages with Homemade Onion Gravy is the ultimate comfort meal, perfect for busy weeknights. It combines juicy sausages with a rich onion gravy and is on the table in less than 20 minutes.
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18
Loaded Veggie Nachos
In just 25 minutes you can have these nutritious and colourful Loaded Veggie Nachos on the table, brimming with family-friendly Mexican flavours. The dish is low-stress but high-fun!
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19
Garlic Butter Prawn (Shrimp) Linguine
This Garlic Butter Prawn (Shrimp) Linguine recipe is an impressive meal for any night of the week, with perfectly cooked prawns and a garlicky, buttery sauce, all ready in under 20 minutes.
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20
Chicken and Thai basil stir-fry with noodles
Minced (ground) chicken, broccolini (tenderstem broccoli), Thai basil and a few pantry staples come together in this Chicken and Thai Basil Noodle Stir-fry to create a delicious, quick and easy weeknight dinner.
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21
Creamy Chicken and Chorizo Risoni (Orzo)
This Creamy Chicken and Chorizo Risoni (Orzo) recipe is a fuss-free weeknight dinner, all made in the one pan with a rich, creamy sauce flavoured with smoky chorizo. It is on the table in less than 30 minutes.
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22
Honey Soy Glazed Salmon
Honey Soy Glazed Salmon, in a restaurant-quality sticky, sweet glaze, is on the table in less than 15 minutes, making it a fantastic weeknight dinner option.
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23
Creamy Sausage Pasta
Comforting Creamy Sausage Pasta is a delicious, flavour-packed weeknight dinner, which is on the table in less than 20 minutes. This version uses fresh lasagne strips to create thick, indulgent pasta in a luscious sauce, fast!
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24
Stir-fried Pork and Green Beans
Thanks to a few clever shortcuts, this delicious Stir-fried Pork and Green Beans recipe, complete with egg fried rice and steamed dumplings, is on the table in under 20 minutes, making it the perfect quick and easy weeknight dinner!
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25
Crispy Chicken Burgers with Honey Mustard Coleslaw
Your family will love these Crispy Chicken Burgers with Honey Mustard Coleslaw, featuring buttermilk-marinated chicken breast in a seasoned crust, paired with honey mustard slaw, pickles and melty cheese. Affordable and flavourful, they beat takeout any night of the week!
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26
Big Mac Tacos
These Big Mac Tacos are quick and easy to make and are a family favourite! Load them up with loads of salad for a fun, quick and easy dinner.
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27
Spinach and Feta Triangles
These family-friendly Spinach and Feta Triangles are perfect for busy weeknights or entertaining. They can be enjoyed warm or cold, making them an ideal lunchbox filler or party appetiser.
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28
Cottage Pie
Cottage Pie is my go-to dinner when I need something delicious, nourishing and comforting to serve the family at the end of a busy day. My version of this classic recipe is loaded with extra vegetables.
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29
Baked Greek Chicken
This Baked Greek Chicken recipe is a delicious, comforting and fuss-free weeknight dinner. The chicken is marinated briefly before being roasted to perfection, then served with a cucumber, tomato and mint salad and tzatziki on a bed of lemon and dill rice.
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30
Juicy Beef Rissoles
This Delicious Beef Rissoles recipe is the perfect quick and easy family dinner. Make a big batch to freeze, ready for a rainy day!
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31
Sticky Soy Chicken Wings
These addictive Sticky Soy Chicken Wings are economical, easy to prepare and are just as good for serving as party appetisers as they are for wholesome family dinners.
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32
Greek Slow-roasted Lamb Shoulder Tacos
In these Greek Slow-roasted Lamb Shoulder Tacos, fuss-free, juicy and fall-apart slow-cooked lamb shoulder is stuffed into tortillas or flatbreads along with a Greek salad and homemade tzatziki.
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33
Golden Beef Pot Pies
Simple, low-cost Golden Beef Pot Pies are filled with a rich and hearty beef and vegetable filling and topped with crispy golden puff pastry. Just as delicious as traditional slow-cooked pies, but quicker and stress-free!
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34
Slow-cooked Beef Ragu
Slow-cooked Beef Ragu is an economical but delicious meal, made with simple, economical ingredients. Just 10 minutes of prep, then let the stove do the rest of the work!
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35
Creamy Mushroom and Bacon Fettuccine
Creamy Bacon and Mushroom Fettuccine is stress-free to make, uses just a few low-cost ingredients, and can be on the table in 20 minutes. This homemade family favourite is comfort food at its finest.
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36
Juicy Thai Beef Lettuce Cups
Juicy Thai Beef Lettuce Cups are delicious, easy and infinitely variable. They are a great catch-all, nutritious, family-friendly meal filled with healthy veggies and are made in one pan in just 20 minutes.
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37
Lemon and Oregano Chicken Tzatziki Wraps
The perfect meal to prepare ahead of time and enjoy all week long. These Lemon and Oregano Chicken Tzatziki Wraps with caramelised chicken and homemade tzatziki come together quickly, making them the perfect stress-free, easy weeknight dinner.
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38
Spinach and Ricotta Tortellini with Creamy Tomato Sauce
You only need simple ingredients, one pan and 15 minutes to have this easy but gorgeous Spinach and Ricotta Tortellini with Creamy Tomato Sauce on the table. Vegetarian tortellini is transformed into a fulfilling family meal with a comforting creamy, cheesy and tomatoey sauce.
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39
Juicy Homemade Beef Burgers
Juicy Homemade Beef Burgers are a quick and easy, meal-in-a-bun favourite with kids and adults alike. You can prep and cook them in under 25 minutes in one pan, using simple, low-cost ingredients, which you can mix and match to suit all palates.
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40
One-pan Lemon Garlic Chicken and Potatoes
Prep this delicious and comforting One-pan Lemon Garlic Chicken and Potatoes recipe in only 15 minutes for an easy, nourishing dinner that the whole family will enjoy!
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41
Creamy Lemon Chicken Risoni (Orzo)
This Creamy Lemon Chicken Risoni (Orzo), comes together in just over 30 minutes, all cooked in the one pan with minimal prep and washing up! It’s comforting, delicious and makes the perfect weeknight meal.
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42
Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake
This warming and satisfying Chicken and Broccoli Pasta bake is the ideal easy and nutritious family meal for busy weeknights.
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43
Stir-fried Beef with Flat Rice Noodles
Deliciously tender beef and rice noodles come together in a flavourful soy-based sauce, all in less than 20 minutes, making Stir-fried Beef with Flat Rice Noodles perfect for busy weeknight dinners.
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44
Nachos Beef Folded Wraps
Nachos Beef Folded Wraps are a fun and delicious twist on traditional nachos. They combine all the flavours you love in nachos – seasoned beef, melty cheese and crunchy corn chips – wrapped up in a soft tortilla for a quick and easy meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights.
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45
Crispy Baked Chicken Schnitzel
These Crispy Baked Chicken Schnitzels are baked in the oven, resulting in an amazingly crunchy coating. They are also a lot healthier as there is no deep-frying. I like to have these on hand in the freezer for rainy days.
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46
Black Bean Burritos
These fast Black Bean Burritos are packed with Tex-Mex/Mexican-inspired flavours and are made with wholesome, budget-friendly ingredients. The black bean filling is freezer-friendly, making these burritos perfect for meal prep. The tortillas are served with a creamy avocado dip for the perfect weeknight family dinner.
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47
Chicken Thai Red Curry
You can easily make this amazing Chicken Thai Red Curry recipe in your own home in less time than it would take your local takeout to deliver!
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48
One-pan Gnocchi Bolognese
In this hearty One-pan Gnocchi Bolognese you cook the pasta in the sauce all in one pan, which means minimal clean-up!
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49
Portuguese Chicken Burger
Here's a healthier, homemade version of the ever-popular Portuguese Chicken Burger. Crumbed chicken is cooked to golden perfection, then served in buns with cheese, mayo and your favourite fresh toppings. And it's all done in 20 minutes!
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50
Chicken Mushroom Pie
This Chicken Mushroom Pie recipe is the ultimate comforting and satisfying family-friendly meal. It is perfect for chilly days.
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