As summer comes to a close, life can quickly become a whirlwind and cooking dinner every night sometimes feels like an impossible task. I’ve compiled some of my favorite easy, low prep dinner ideas for the back-to-school season that will ease some of the stress of cooking and/or meal prepping.
This list includes over 18 recipes that require little preparation: crockpot meals, sheet pan dinners, or meals that can be cooked quickly in less than 30 minutes. With a kindergartener at home and multiple jobs on my plate, I know firsthand how challenging cooking dinner can be. So, even though this post is a bit self-serving, I believe these recipes and tips will be useful for others too.
If anything, this is a good reminder that prioritizing home-cooked meals doesn’t have to be complex. Look for recipes that are easy and will work for your lifestyle.
My Favorite Tips for Meal Preparation
I am all about taking shortcuts when needed. My favorite meal prep strategy these days is component cooking. Instead of making just one cup of rice or quinoa – make the whole bag and store it for later. This not only reduces food waste, but eliminates a cooking component the next time you need it for dinner. For more ideas, read my post on Component Cooking.
Many of these recipes utilize already cooked or shredded chicken. Buy a rotisserie chicken and have it on hand for quick and easy dinners, or batch cook some chicken at the start of the week. Freeze or store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Frozen and canned ingredients can be just as healthy as fresh! Read food labels and select the lower sodium options.
Tasty, Easy Dinners to Make This Fall
These recipes are a reminder that cooking dinner most nights of the week doesn’t have to be hard or elaborate. It can be as simple as throwing chicken and veggies on a sheet pan or microwaving frozen or shelf-stable rice.
1. Sheet Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Cauliflower (Lauren Fit Foodie)
It’s hard to beat the convenience of a sheet pan dinner! Chicken and cauliflower are cooked perfectly in just 30 minutes with the simple yet delicious flavors of honey and garlic. Use this recipe for effortless high protein meal prep, too.
Also try:
— Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas (Yum in the Kitchen)
— Sausage and Potatoes Sheet Pan Dinner (Fox and Briar)
— Sheet Pan Maple Salmon (The Salty Marshmallow)
2. Pork Tenderloin Sheet Pan Dinner (Freezer Meals 101)
Another super simple sheet pan dinner with juicy pork tenderloin, roasted carrots and potatoes. This recipe can be made-ahead, frozen and thawed the night before to save you some time on a busy weeknight! Throw it in the oven while you’re working on homework with your kids or cleaning up the house.
3. Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Tortellini (Cinnamon and Sage)
A creamy, flavor-packed meal where the crockpot does all the work. Chicken is combined in a slow cooker with sun-dried tomatoes, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, spinach and tortellini.
4. Slow Cooker Asian Pork with Peppers (From Valerie’s Kitchen)
An Asian-inspired pork with peppers just 15 minutes of prep and the cooking is all done in the slow cooker. Serve over rice that you’ve already prepared from a previous night and it’s a perfectly well-balanced, low maintenance meal for a busy night.
5. Bisquick Chicken Pot Pie (The Feathered Nester)
This is chicken pot pie but made easy! You’ll need already cooked and shredded chicken (try a rotisserie chicken for ease), frozen veggies and a box of Bisquick for an easy crust. The prep can be done in just 10 minutes. Throw it in the oven to cook, and that’s it! This recipe makes great leftovers, too.
6. Easy Ground Beef and Broccoli (Wholesome Made Easy)
This easy beef and broccoli cooks in one pan in just 25 minutes. The homemade stir-fry sauce rivals the popular take-out version and is packed with flavor! This is a good meal to utilize leftover rice on the side as the cooking time does not include rice.
7. Easy Ground Beef Tacos (Flavor the Moments)
These Ground Beef Tacos are an easy dinner for any night of the week. They’re filled with flavorful seasoned ground beef, topped with fresh veggies and grated cheese, and they’re ready in 20 minutes! If you’re up to it, plan to make double the ground beef required for this recipe and freeze the rest for future tacos!
8. Inside Out Egg Rolls (Fit as a Mama Bear)
A delicious blend of savory and umami flavors, these inside out egg rolls are a 25-minute variation on the classic recipe. It’s lighter, faster, and made in just one skillet to make busy weeknights easier. You’ll fall in love with this unstuffed egg roll recipe in no time.
9. Simple Chicken a la King (An Edible Mosaic)
Transform your rotisserie chicken into a restaurant style meal with this simple chicken a la king recipe! This is a picky eater approved, rich, creamy comfort meal. The actual cooking time is just 20 minutes. Serve over rice or pasta.
10. Instant Pot Veggie Chili (Joyful Balance Online)
This Instant Pot Veggie Chili is completely vegan and perfect for busy weeknights & meal prep! Enjoy it with some Fritos – or add your toppings of choice! If you have an Instant Pot, this is an easy option for a Meatless Monday!
11. Creamy Chicken Calzones (On My Kid’s Plate)
Creamy chicken calzones are made with pizza dough, stuffed with tender chicken and have gooey cheese in every bite. This delicious dinner recipe is a hit for the whole family, and so easy to customize. Incorporate chopped bell peppers or sun-dried tomatoes to sneak in some veggies.
12. Chicken Ramen Salad (The Dinner Bell)
A salad that’s a whole meal in one bowl and the crunchy noodles make this one kid approved! Ramen and slivered almonds are toasted, then combined with cooked ground chicken and a flavorful dressing. Using a pre-chopped coleslaw mix makes this meal quick and stress-free!
I have made this recipe before, and it stores well in the fridge for days! Somehow, it tastes even better the next day.
13. Mexican Chili
A one pan chili with Mexican-inspired flavors! This recipe utilizes a combination of canned goods and fresh ingredients. It’s topped with fresh avocado and shredded cheese to help cool down the spice. Ready in less than 30 minutes and one of my favorite lazy weeknight meals!
14. Lazy Lasagna Casserole (From Valerie’s Kitchen)
An “easier” lasagna recipe where the pasta is combined with the sauce and meat, then layered with a ricotta cheese mixture. After a little bit of layering, it’s baked in the oven until it’s cheesy perfection. This recipe can even be prepped (or even frozen) in advance and popped into the oven on a busier night.
15. Buffalo Chicken Crockpot Pasta
A unique, high protein crockpot meal utilizing a whipped cottage cheese and buffalo sauce. It’s simple with just a few ingredients, yet creamy and packed with that delicious buffalo flavor. This recipe needs to be cooked on low for 4-6 hours so the cottage cheese doesn’t curdle. The noodles can be added in during the last half hour. One serving has 44 grams of protein!
16. Mediterranean Chicken and Cucumber Salad
If you have some leftover chicken, this refreshing Mediterranean salad comes together in under 15 minutes. Cucumber, tomatoes, and avocados are diced small and combined with chopped walnuts, chickpeas, feta cheese and chicken for the perfect combination of flavors! This recipe even uses Olive Garden Italian Dressing for convenience.
17. Chicken Burrito Casserole (Haute & Healthy Living)
This super flavorful chicken burrito casserole is so easy to prep in a casserole dish – and makes 8 servings! Store the leftovers for healthy lunches for the week, or freeze in individual containers for future lunches. I’ve made this recipe and I will be making it again and again this fall and winter.
Related Posts to Make Eating Healthy Easier
Take 10 minutes out of your week to come up with some really easy dinner recipes to make to prioritize more home-cooked meals – but in a realistic way. Keep these recipes on hand and look for more easy crockpot meals, one pan casseroles, or sheet pan dinners.
Check out these posts for what I think are helpful ideas to also prioritize healthy, easy meals:
— 20+ Overnight Oats Variations -> Easy, healthy breakfast meal prep
— Power Bowl Recipes: The Ultimate Throw Together Meal
— Easy, Quick Lunches with 30 Grams of Protein
— Lazy Sunday Dinner Recipes
— Healthy, High Protein Convenience Meals
