Easy Dinner Ideas You Can Make with Pantry Staples
If you are looking for easy dinner ideas for quick no-fuss weeknight meals you are in the right place! These recipes all come together quickly and are made with pantry staple ingredients. With minimal prep and minimal ingredients, you can get a well-balanced meal on the table in no time at all.
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I don’t know about you, but I can often find weeknight dinners challenging and I’m always trying to come up with new ideas to add to our weekly meal rotation. These pantry staple recipes are delicious family meals that come together quickly and easily. I know you’ll find something you love!
17 Quick & Easy Dinner Ideas – Family Dinner Recipes
These are our best healthy and easy dinner recipes – all made with minimal ingredients and prep work. Most of these dinner recipes take about 30 minutes to make from start to finish. With these essential dinner ideas on hand, you will always be able to create a delicious meal quickly and effortlessly.
Be flexible and creative when you make the recipes below. If you don’t have a couple of recipe ingredients on hand, you can most likely find a substitute and replace them or just omit them if they are not essential for the recipe. And of course, if you have a question, you are always welcome to leave a comment and I will be happy to help you.
Instant Pot Honey Sesame Chicken
Instant Pot Honey Sesame Chicken is delicious and easy, made in a sweet and savory sauce. This juicy and tender chicken recipe will become your family favorite dinner in an instant.
I love this Honey Sesame Chicken recipe not only because it’s a quick & easy Instant Pot dinner idea but also because you need only a handful of pantry staples and everyone loves it!
Baked Chicken and Potatoes
This sheet pan chicken and potatoes recipe is quick and easy, and makes a flavorful and comforting dinner your whole family will love. Perfect midweek meal to add to your rotation.
Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes: You need only a few simple ingredients for this sheet pan dinner: chicken, potatoes, onions and some spices.
Traditional Meatloaf Recipe
This traditional meatloaf recipe is classic comfort food and a huge family favorite! It’s so juicy, flavorful, and easy, topped with a delicious glaze.
This delicious Meatloaf recipe uses pantry & fridge staples like breadcrumbs, spices, onion, eggs, ground beef, ketchup, Worchestershire sauce, and milk.
Chicken Francese
Chicken Francese – gourmet dinner made in about 30 minutes – perfect tasty & easy meal for busy weeknight dinners or meal prep.
This easy Chicken Francese recipe comes together in about 30 minutes. While you are cooking the chicken, you can prepare a healthy side like cauliflower rice, green beans, spaghetti, rice, mashed potatoes, or an easy cucumber salad.
Instant Pot Goulash
This Instant Pot Goulash is a rich, hearty meal that the whole family will love! This tender and flavorful beef goulash is the perfect comfort food for cold days!
This Instant Pot Goulash recipe is one of my most favorite comfort foods! You literally need only 5 main ingredients – stew meat, peppers, onions, carrots and beef stock, and some spices. Serve it over mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower, or rice. A tasty recipe that comes together in less than 30 minutes.
Chicken Piccata
Italian Chicken Piccata – thin chicken breasts are cooked to golden and then drizzled with a light lemon garlic sauce. This family meal will win your heart not only with its bold layers of flavor but also for how simple it is to pull together. Quick and easy weeknight dinner ready in less than 30 minutes.
Chicken Piccata is a one-skillet dish that is full of bright and fresh flavors. This Italian chicken dish is perfect to serve with roasted honey glazed carrots or roasted root vegetables for a well-balanced dinner.
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
This rich and hearty Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana is comfort food at its best. It’s loaded with potatoes, sausage, onion, garlic, kale and a splash of cream. It is truly satisfying and irresistible.
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana is one of the most popular Instant Pot recipes on the blog. And not for nothing. About 300K social shares and hundreds of reviews, everyone raves how delicious and easy it is. Only 5 main ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
Tuna and White Bean Salad
Here is a tasty way to transform an ordinary canned tuna into a delicious meal. This Tuna White Bean Salad is great for potlucks, perfect for a light lunch, and even an appetizer. It tastes wonderful with some gluten-free scoops.
This Tuna and White Bean Salad recipe is a true pantry staple – canned tuna, canned beans, red onion, spices, and lemon juice. Simple ingredients and big on flavor!
Easy Creamy Chicken Marsala
This Easy Creamy Chicken Marsala is cooked in a delicious creamy mushroom sauce. Made entirely in one skillet and it takes only about 30 minutes to make.
Everyone will be raving about this delicious Chicken Marsala – and the best part is you need only chicken, onion, mushrooms, and a few pantry & fridge staples. It’s easy, satisfying and comes together in minutes. You can omit the prosciutto. Serve it over your favorite side dish.
Sweet Potato Hash with Sausage & Eggs
Sweet potato hash with sausage and eggs is the perfect brunch recipe. Great breakfast-for-dinner recipe. Only 30 minutes, and amazingly delicious!
This Sweet Potato Hash with Sausage and Eggs is one of my go-to recipes for easy & simple dinners. Only 4 main ingredients (ground Italian sausage (or beef), sweet potatoes, onion, and eggs). Super easy and very delicious!
Easy Mongolian Beef
Authentic Mongolian Beef recipe made healthy. It’s very easy to prepare and takes only about 5 minutes to cook and 20 minutes to marinate the steak.
For this Mongolian Beef recipe, you need only flank steak and a few condiments from your pantry. You can serve it over rice, mashed potatoes, or whatever you have available. Restaurant quality dinner made with a few simple ingredients.
Honey Sriracha Salmon
Honey Sriracha Salmon is a super easy and healthy recipe that is packed full of flavor. Ready to serve in less than 30 minutes, it’s an easy weeknight dinner recipe.
When I am in a hurry, I love to make baked salmon with a side of vegetables and rice (or potatoes). This honey sriracha salmon is amazing but if you want to make salmon that is not spicy, try this Maple Dijon Glazed Salmon. – so much flavor!
Mediterranean Tuna Salad
This delicious Mediterranean Tuna Salad is packed with healthy ingredients like tuna, olives, tomatoes, and cucumbers. It’s a perfect summer lunch or light dinner option!
Again, another delicious tuna salad recipe – Mediterranean Tuna Salad – canned tuna and canned garbanzo beans are the star of the recipe. You can substitute the vegetables in the recipe with whatever you have on hand. It’s filling and tasty!
Spicy Chicken Fried Rice
Spicy Chicken Fried Rice is an easy lunch or dinner idea. Takes only 30 minutes to make and I share my tips for perfect chicken fried rice.
This Spicy Chicken Fried Rice is a great recipe to use leftover rice, chicken, and veggies. It’s mildly spicy but if you prefer you can omit the spicy sauce.
Easy Chicken Paprikash
This easy chicken paprikash is comfort food at its best! A rich and creamy sauce flavored with sweet Hungarian paprika
This Chicken Paprikash recipe is a great chicken & pasta recipe. Add some fresh peppers and onions, and you have a delicious and easy meal your whole family will love!
Honey Chipotle Chicken
Easy and delicious Honey Chipotle Chicken tossed in a sweet and spicy honey chipotle sauce that is so good! Quick 30-minute dinner.
This Honey Chipotle Recipe is great served with a side or over some greens as a salad. Serve it with your favorite sides, or over some greens as a salad (also add some nuts, a simple dressing, and some veggies)
Chicken Caprese
Grilled Chicken Caprese is a tasty and quick weeknight meal, ready in less than 30 minutes. Plus, it’s low in carbs, gluten-free, and grain-free.
This grilled chicken Caprese meal takes less than 30 minutes to make and you end up with such juicy and flavorful chicken. You can plate it over rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice or serve it only with the tomato relish. It’s a perfect and light weeknight dinner idea!