Between chores, helping the kids with school work, and running them to extra curricular activities, it can be hard to get a healthy meal on the table in time for dinner. There are only so many times you can feed the family spaghetti or grilled cheese sandwiches before they revolt. If you’re looking for quick meal ideas to get you through the busy work week, check out these 20 delicious 30 minute dinner ideas that will get them racing to the table.
Mondays we need to eat by 5:00 so I can get my daughter to choir practice on time. Tuesdays we get home from scouts just in time to throw together a quick dinner. Thursdays the kids have homeschool gymnastics. Honestly, there are days I would love to have pizza delivered or grab take-out. But that’s not an option where we live. (The closest place to get food is 15 minutes away, add to that the time it takes to get the kids in the car just to drive there and back and we’re talking melt-down city before they get fed.) I’m telling you, these fast meal ideas can be a life-saver.
30 Minute Dinner Ideas
Chicken Taco Soup — There is nothing quite like a bowl of homemade soup. This yummy taco soup can be made from start to finish in 25 minutes. It’s full of chicken, veggies like corn and black beans, and can be topped off with your favorite taco fixings. A fun way to switch up those “Taco Tuesdays.”
Quick and Easy Salmon Patties — I always keep canned salmon in the pantry for this quick dinner idea my kids gobble up. Serve it with mac-n-cheese and a hot veggie and you have dinner ready in under 30 minutes.
Doritos Chicken Tenders — This is a crazy easy recipe that you can make for dinner or lunch in a matter of minutes. Plus, kids will have fun crushing up those Doritos for you.
White Chicken Chili — When the weather get cooler, there is nothing quite like a hot bowl of chili. This version will have them asking for seconds.
Cheesy Chicken Taco and Rice — If you love Mexican/Southwestern type meals, this is the meal for you. I love how easy it is to personalize it.
Skillet Chicken Mac-n-Cheese — Turn that kid-favorite into a 1 skillet meal the whole family will enjoy.
BBQ Chicken Sliders — This is a fun way to use up leftovers from that store-bought rotisserie chicken.
15 Minute Deep Dish Pizza — Faster than delivery and so fun for the kids to help make.
3 Ingredient Brown Sugar Italian Chicken — Delicious and super easy to make. Perfect during the work week.
Pizza Pasta Casserole — Combine 2 classic kid favorites into one in this yummy casserole.
Parmesan Garlic Spaghetti — Instead of that same old tomato sauce in a jar, dress up that spaghetti with this simple idea.
Easy Sausage Rice Skillet — Just 4 ingredients and one skillet and you have a tasty meal in minutes. How much easier can it get?
Skillet Lasagna — You can still have the taste of lasagna during the week, with this simple take on a Sunday classic.
Pierogie Lasagna — This is a favorite quick meal idea around our house. You can easily switch out what type of meat you use to personalize it to your tastes. (We love using Kielbasa for a bit of a change.)
Sloppy Joe French Bread Pizza — All the tangy goodness of Sloppy Joe on a crispy French bread.
Maple Mustard Chicken Thighs — Looking for a new chicken recipe? These chicken thighs are delicious, sweet, savory and super easy to make.
Chicken Parmesan — Whether you have it plain or smother it with marinara sauce and cheese, this is a tasty dish that is sure to have them cleaning their plates.
Orange Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry — Once all your ingredients are prepped, stir frying is a fast meal for any day of the week. This one looks amazing.
Pizza Bagels — Usually we reserve this as a quick hot lunch idea. But when dinner needs to be on the table in 10 minutes or less so I can drive my daughter to children’s choir on time, this one is a hit every time.
Kielbasa, Pepper, Onion, and Potato Hash — This is a simple, inexpensive, and delicious meal that can be made in just minutes.
These yummy 30 minute dinner ideas are perfect whether you’re rushing to get kids to practice on time, or you’ve lost track of time. (Please tell me I’m not the only one that realizes it’s almost dinner time and I still haven’t figured out what we’re going to eat.)
You may also like:
Jessica Foley says
I’m hungry now! 🙂 These all sound delicious. My kids can get SO picky though. We actually have 2 nights a week where we have even less than 30 mins to do everything – eat, homework etc. around activities. It’s brutal but I still try to get some healthy stuff into us. I’ll take a closer look at these recipes and see if I can’t tweak a few for my picky eaters!
#ALittleBitOfEverything
OneMommy says
Oh, I know — kids can get super picky! My daughter used to eat spaghetti; she won’t touch it now. And that is one of the quick meal staples for most families. I hope you can find something in the list that will work.
Samantha says
What a great list! Thank you! I was in need of some new (yet easy and fast) dinner ideas!
OneMommy says
Hope you find a few new ones for your line up! I know I needed some new ideas, too. Kids can get picky!