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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!
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!
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.
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.
Perfectly cooked chicken in an easy, creamy garlic sauce. All on the table in less than 20 minutes!
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.
This Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Yoghurt Sauce is the ultimate easy and satisfying weeknight dinner with family-friendly, customisable toppings.
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.
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.
A wholesome, comforting classic made easier and more economical. 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.
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.
Slow-cooked Osso Buco is a flavour-packed, nourishing family-friendly dish, made with simple low-cost ingredients in just one pan. The meat is cooked with vegetables in a tomato-based sauce until fall-apart tender, then topped with a fresh parsley gremolata.
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.
Tender and juicy Baked Garlic Chicken Breast is wholesome and satisfying and perfect for quick weeknight dinners. It’s ready in under 30 minutes.
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.
This Prawn (Shrimp) Fried Rice 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.
This Quick Coconut Chicken Curry 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.
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.
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!
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.
Minced (ground) chicken, broccolini (tender-stem 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.
This Creamy Chicken and Chorizo Risoni (Orzo) 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.
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.
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!
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 less than 20 minutes, making it the perfect quick and easy weeknight dinner!
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!
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.
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 lunch box filler or party appetiser.
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.
This Baked Greek Chicken 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 lemony rice.
Delicious Beef Rissoles are the perfect quick and easy family dinner. Make a big batch to freeze, ready for a rainy day!
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.
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.
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!
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!
Creamy Bacon & 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.
Juicy Thai Beef Lettuce Cups are delicious, easy and infinitely variable. They are a great catch-all, nutritious, family-friendly meal filled with healthy veg and are made in one pan in just 20 minutes.
The perfect meal to prepare ahead of time and enjoy all week long. These Chicken Tzatziki Wraps with caramelised chicken and homemade tzatziki come together quickly, making them the perfect stress-free, easy weeknight dinner.
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.
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.
Prep this delicious and comforting One-pan Lemon Garlic Chicken and Potatoes in only 15 minutes for an easy, nourishing dinner that the whole family will enjoy!
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.
Satisfy your cravings for comfort food with this creamy, cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake. Perfect for a busy weeknight dinner or a slow weekend meal, it’s a family-friendly dish that’s quick, easy and loaded with flavour. This recipe comes together almost completely in one pan if you have an oven-safe skillet, so you won’t
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.
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.
One of our all-time family favourite recipes is this Crispy Baked Chicken Schnitzel. I love buying free-range chicken breast on special and making a batch of these delicious chicken schnitzels to freeze for a rainy day. I’ve included a few tips in the recipe to get that crispy coating evenly golden all over, while ensuring
These fast Cheesy 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.
This is quite possibly one of the most simple takeaway dishes that can very easily be replicated in the comfort of your own kitchen… and faster than you could have it delivered! This Chicken Thai Red Curry takes less than 20 minutes to cook and with simple ingredients and ease of preparation, you will want
A good bolognese sauce that simmers away for hours on the stove is one of my family’s favourite things to eat. It is the ultimate, satisfying comfort food with so much to love. It’s freezer-friendly, feeds a crowd, can be loaded with nourishing vegetables and is outrageously delicious. This One-pan Gnocchi Bolognese is a faster
Portuguese chicken burgers are a popular fast food choice, but they aren’t exactly the most nutritious meal. My version, made with crispy breaded chicken and fresh ingredients, is easy to make and tastes even better. What’s more, it’s ready in less than 20 minutes! Breading the chicken is the part that takes the longest, but
This Chicken Mushroom Pie is the meal I could eat day after day and still be disappointed when there are no leftovers. It is that good and yet so easy to make. It is the ultimate cosy meal, chock-full of mushrooms and chicken, cooked in a creamy, velvety gravy and encased in a perfectly golden
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