What to Eat for Dinner?

Deciding What To Eat For Dinner can often feel like the biggest question of the day. Are you staring blankly into the refrigerator, wondering what meal you can possibly conjure up tonight? To help you navigate the nightly dinner dilemma, let’s consider what kind of evening you’re facing. Your schedule, your mood, and even the season can all play a part in inspiring the perfect dinner choice.

Quick and Easy Dinner Solutions for Busy Weeknights

When time is of the essence, and you need dinner on the table fast, quick and easy recipes are your best friend. These meals are designed for those hectic evenings when work, school, or other commitments leave you with minimal time to cook. Perfect for weeknights, these recipes prioritize speed and simplicity without sacrificing flavor or satisfaction.

Consider these speedy options when you’re short on time:

Lentils with Crispy Sausages: A hearty and flavorful dish that comes together quickly.
Burrito Bowl : Customizable and fast, burrito bowls are a family favorite.
Hatch Burgers: Elevate your burger night with these flavorful Hatch chile burgers.
Old School Chicken with Lemon and Capers : A classic, zesty chicken dish that’s ready in minutes.
Chorizo Tacos with Avocado, Slaw, and Cilanto-Lime Yogurt: Spice up your Tuesday with these vibrant tacos.
Grilled Steak Tacos with Pickled Onions and Cilantro Pesto: Quick grilling delivers delicious steak tacos.
Basic Chicken and Rice: A comforting and simple meal, perfect for any night.
Quick Miso-Glazed Salmon: Impressive flavor in a fraction of the time with miso salmon.
Sweet and Sour Mongolian Tofu Stir-fry: A vegetarian stir-fry that’s both fast and flavorful.
Chicken Sausages with Kale and Baked Beans: A complete meal with minimal fuss.
Tortilla Soup : Warm and comforting soup that’s quick to prepare.
Shrimp with Feta: A Mediterranean-inspired dish that’s light and fast.
Oven-Roasted Shrimp with Asparagus : A sheet pan dinner for easy cleanup and quick cooking.
Fried Chickpeas on Pita or Naan with Yogurt Sauce: A flavorful vegetarian option that’s ready in minutes.
Top 10 Quick Dinners : Explore even more fast dinner ideas.
Top 10 Side Dishes: Find quick sides to complement your speedy main course.

Summer Dinner Recipes to Savor the Season

When the weather heats up, heavy meals often lose their appeal. Summer dinners should be light, refreshing, and ideally feature seasonal produce. These recipes are perfect for warm evenings when you want to enjoy the flavors of summer without spending hours in a hot kitchen.

Embrace the taste of summer with these dinner ideas:

Spaghetti with Corn, Bacon, Basil: Fresh corn and basil capture the essence of summer in this pasta dish.
Salmon Salad (on the grill, please!): Grilling salmon adds a smoky flavor to this light and healthy salad.
Scallops with Corn-Bacon Hash: Sweet corn and savory bacon complement perfectly seared scallops.
Grilled Chicken For People Who Hate Grilled Chicken (yogurt-marinated): Yogurt marinade keeps grilled chicken incredibly moist and flavorful.
Grilled Vegetables with Haloumi: Halloumi cheese adds a salty, satisfying element to grilled summer vegetables.
Five Summer Salads (potato, snap pea, slaw, etc): Explore a variety of refreshing summer salads for a light and healthy meal.

No-Fuss Dinner Ideas for Picky Eaters and Hectic Nights

Sometimes, dinner needs to be simple and appeal to everyone at the table, even the pickiest eaters. These no-fuss dinner recipes are designed to minimize stress and maximize satisfaction, even when dealing with demanding family members or chaotic evenings.

Keep dinner drama-free with these easy and crowd-pleasing options:

Salmon Salad: A versatile option that can be served in various ways to please different preferences.
Deconstructed Taco Pizza (page 196, Dinner: The Playbook): A fun and customizable meal that’s always a hit.
Deconstructed Tortilla Soup (See page 159 Dinner: A Love Storyy): Allows everyone to customize their soup with their favorite toppings.
Spaghetti With or Without Clams : A flexible pasta dish that caters to both adventurous and cautious palates.
Chili-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado, and Shredded Spinach: Flavorful chicken with healthy and simple sides that are easy to adapt.

Relaxing Sunday Dinner Recipes and Weekend Cooking Projects

Sunday dinners, or any leisurely evening, offer a chance to slow down and enjoy the process of cooking. These recipes are perfect for when you have a bit more time to savor a glass of wine while preparing a more elaborate and satisfying meal.

Take your time and enjoy cooking these more involved dinner options:

Braised Pork in Adobo with Polenta: Rich and flavorful braised pork that’s perfect for a relaxed Sunday dinner.
Chicken Mole : A complex and rewarding dish for a special weekend meal project.
Vegetable Tempura Bowl (page 178, Dinner: The Playbook): A fun and interactive meal that’s perfect for a weekend gathering.
Real Deal Pad Thai: Authentic Pad Thai that’s worth the effort for a delicious homemade dinner.
Sweet and Sticky Pomegranate Chicken : Elegant and flavorful chicken with a beautiful pomegranate glaze.
Steakhouse-style Steak Salad : Bring the steakhouse experience home with this impressive salad.
Stromboli! : A crowd-pleasing and fun to make Italian stuffed bread.
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches: Perfect for a casual weekend gathering or a comforting family meal.
Minestrone: A hearty and flavorful soup that’s ideal for a cozy Sunday dinner.
Korean Short Ribs: Deliciously marinated short ribs that are perfect for a special occasion.
Fried Fish Nuggets with Chard: A satisfying and flavorful fish dish with a side of healthy greens.

Healthy and Light Dinner Choices for a Refresh

When you’re looking to balance out richer meals or simply want a lighter option, these healthy dinner recipes are perfect. Focusing on fresh ingredients and lighter cooking methods, these meals are both nutritious and satisfying.

Choose these lighter options when you want a healthy and refreshing dinner:

Mongolian Tofu Stir-fry: A light and flavorful vegetarian stir-fry packed with vegetables.
Detox Soup (Avocado-Cucumber Soup): A refreshing and healthy soup, perfect for a light meal.
Shredded Asian Chicken Salad : A vibrant and flavorful salad with lean protein and fresh vegetables.
Vegetable Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce: Light and crispy spring rolls filled with fresh vegetables.
Salmon with Brussels Sprouts and Ginger-Scallion Sauce: A balanced and flavorful meal with healthy fats and greens.
Fish “Presents” : Steamed fish with vegetables, a light and elegant dinner option.
Butternut Squash Soup with Walnuts, Chives, and Creme Fraiche (page 101, Dinner: A Love Story): A creamy and comforting soup that’s still light and healthy.
Curried Chicken Salad Sandwiches with Yogurt : A lighter take on chicken salad using yogurt instead of mayonnaise.

Pantry-Friendly Dinner Recipes When Supplies Are Low

For nights when you haven’t had time to grocery shop, pantry-friendly dinners are a lifesaver. These recipes utilize staple ingredients you likely already have on hand, making dinner possible even with a sparsely stocked refrigerator.

Make dinner from pantry staples with these resourceful recipes:

Pasta with Caramelized Onions and Spinach : Pasta, onions, and spinach are pantry staples that create a flavorful meal.
Easy Chicken Noodle Soup: A comforting soup that can be made with pantry chicken broth, noodles, and vegetables.
Fried Chickpeas on Pita or Naan with Yogurt Sauce: Chickpeas are a fantastic pantry staple for quick and flavorful meals.
Penne with Roast Tomato Sauce : Canned tomatoes form the base of this simple and satisfying pasta sauce.
Pizza with Asparagus and Onions: Use pantry pizza dough and top with versatile vegetables like onions and canned asparagus.
Beans on Toast : A simple and surprisingly satisfying meal using canned beans and bread.
Avocado BLTs : Bacon can be kept in the freezer, and avocados and bread are often on hand for a quick BLT upgrade.
Waffle Iron Grilled Cheeses : Cheese and bread are pantry staples that become extra special when grilled in a waffle iron.
Quinoa Salads with Vegetables : Quinoa and canned or frozen vegetables can be combined for a healthy pantry-based salad.

Dinner Ideas for Entertaining Guests

When you’re having people over, dinner becomes more than just sustenance – it’s an opportunity to create a welcoming and enjoyable experience. These dinner ideas are suitable for entertaining, offering a balance of flavor and presentation to impress your guests.

Find inspiration for your next dinner party here: Having People Over!

Convenient Store-Bought Dinners for Extra-Tired Nights

Let’s face it, some nights cooking just isn’t in the cards. For those evenings when you’d rather do anything else than cook, there are still healthy and feel-good store-bought options available.

Explore these convenient solutions for those extra-tired nights: Storebought dinners that you can feel good about feeding your kids.

Still searching for the perfect what to eat for dinner inspiration? Take a look at the complete DALS Archive for a vast collection of recipes to suit every taste and occasion.

Note: This page will be continually updated with seasonal dinner ideas and recipe suggestions.