60 Tasty, Easy Family Dinner Ideas to Satisfy Your Whole Crew

There are 365 days in a year, and a limited number of times you’re willing to tolerate frozen fish fingers and tots for dinner (though these can certainly be a godsend). So what is a time- and idea-strapped home cook to do? Don’t stress: We’ve rounded up all the family-friendly, nutritious and easy-to-prep recipes you’ll need for months of weeknight meals. Here are our favorite fresh, fail-proof family dinner ideas.

When building out our list, we started with the tried-and-true basics: Think chicken fajitas, tuna melts and spaghetti and meatballs. Then, we sprinkled in a few surprises, like a Thai steak salad with crisp pears and fish sauce dressing; a sheet pan gnocchi; and a sweet-and-sticky stir fried tofu bowl. Since we know that “family dinner” can mean a lot of things to a lot of people, we gave you as diverse a range of meals as we could. That means we’ve got plenty of vegan and vegetarian recipes, along with heavier fare like beef stroganoff and steak with fingerling fries.

Nervous about making time? We’ve got lots of meal prep tips for you. First, wash and dry all of your fresh produce ahead of time to save you a little time on a hectic weeknight. You can also chop heartier veg ahead of time, such as root vegetables and kale. Second, do a little meal planning ahead of time, so you can shop for what you need: This will help you limit food waste, as well as saving some of the mental labor involved with picking a recipe. And finally, clean as you go! With these tips — and a few trusty recipes in your back pocket — you’ve got weeknight dinner success in the bag.