I'm Nicole. Here you’ll find easy, delicious, low-cost family dinner ideas that you can make with simple ingredients, without having to spend hours in the kitchen!
What I’ve made for dinner lately is a pretty good reflection of what I need from weeknight cooking right now: dinners that taste great, don’t take forever and, wherever possible, make life a little easier. I want proper food that everyone looks forward to, but I don’t want to spend the entire evening making it.
The Juicy Oven-baked Beef Kebabs are a perfect example – instead of shaping individual kebabs and standing over a barbecue, the seasoned beef mince is pressed straight onto a tray and baked in the oven, making them wonderfully hands-off. Dumpling Laksa is ready in less than 15 minutes and uses store-bought dumplings to turn a flavour-packed coconut broth into a seriously fast dinner. Potato Taco Bowls are always a crowd-pleaser in my house because everyone can load theirs up with the toppings they love (a small miracle when you’re feeding people with very different opinions!). Chicken with Homemade Gravy is fast enough for a weeknight but still gives you that cosy, comforting dinner feeling, while Marry Me Chicken Meatballs with Risoni keeps things moving by baking the meatballs in the oven while the creamy risoni cooks, before bringing everything together at the end.
That’s really what all of these dinners have in common: smart shortcuts, familiar ingredients, less hands-on cooking and maximum flavour, so getting something delicious on the table doesn’t have to take over your night. All 12 recipes are from my new cookbook, Simple Weeknights, available to pre-order worldwide now – created for exactly these kinds of busy nights when you still want dinner to be one of the best parts of the day.
These Baked Chicken Rissoles are quick to prep, oven-baked (no splatter), and deliver on juicy centres with crispy edges. They’re freezer-friendly, kid-approved, and flexible enough to pair with whatever sides you’ve got on hand – an easy, reliable weeknight dinner.
This Juicy Oven-baked Kebabs recipe is a quick, budget-friendly fakeaway that delivers bold flavour, and it’s easily cooked in the oven. It’s perfect for feeding a crowd or customising for fussy eaters, and the garlic yoghurt + sumac onion combo takes it over the top. Make it once and it’ll be on regular rotation.
Crispy roasted potatoes make the perfect base for this loaded taco bowl, topped with spiced beef, guac, salsa and cheese. This Loaded Potato Taco Bowl recipe is budget-friendly, freezer-friendly, and a fun way to mix up taco night without adding extra effort.
Freezer dumplings and a handful of pantry staples transform into a warming bowl of Quick Dumpling Laksa in one pan in just 20 minutes. The fragrant curry-coconut broth feels like a takeaway treat but is easy enough for weeknights. Make it when you want comfort food that doesn’t require effort.
This Street-style Soy Noodles recipe is a fast, fakeaway-style noodle dinner made with pantry sauces, tender chicken and crunchy veggies. Everything comes together in one pan in under 15 minutes – perfect for busy weeknights when you want something comforting and family-friendly without the effort.
This comforting and satisfying Chicken with Homemade Gravy recipe is as delicious as it is easy. Caramelised chicken is cooked in a creamy, flavoursome gravy in just one pan, using simple, low-cost ingredients.
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.
Sticky, sweet and savoury minced (ground) beef cooked until glossy and caramelised. Serve Peking-style Beef over rice with cool cucumber ribbons and spring onion (scallion) for a quick fakeaway dinner that’s faster (and cheaper!) than delivery.
This quick and easy Crispy Sweet Chilli Chicken recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner for when you are wanting to skip the takeaway and eat a comforting meal at home.
This One-pan Chicken and Broccoli Ramen Noodles recipe is the ultimate quick and easy dinner – ready in just 20 minutes with minimal prep and even less cleanup. The noodles cook right in the pan with the chicken and broccoli, soaking up a simple, flavour-packed sauce for a budget-friendly meal the whole family will love. It’s flexible, fuss-free and perfect for busy weeknights.
Juicy chicken meatballs meet creamy, garlicky risoni. Marry Me Chicken Meatballs with Risoni (Orzo) is quick, easy and packed with flavour – perfect for a cosy night in. Serve it with extra parmesan (because more cheese is always a good idea).
For recipes labelled ‘gluten-free’ or ‘dairy-free’, the ingredients included in the recipe are typically gluten- or dairy-free. However, it is the user’s responsibility to carefully check the ingredient panels on the specific brands of products purchased and used. Simple Home Edit cannot be held responsible for any adverse reactions.
