Food and Recipes Dinner 45 Spring Dinner Ideas the Whole Family Will Love By Kaitlyn Yarborough Kaitlyn Yarborough Part of the Southern Living team since 2017, Kaitlyn Yarborough is a Georgia native living in Austin, Texas, who covers a wide variety of topics for both the magazine and website, focusing on culture and lifestyle content, as well as travel in the South.She earned a B.A. in Journalism at the University of Georgia. She hopes to inspire your travel bucket list with her features on road trips through Texas Hill Country, bourbon tours in Kentucky, and the best beach getaways on the Gulf Coast. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 11, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Alison Miksch When spring is finally fully in bloom, we can't help but crave an entirely new weeknight dinner menu. It's time to trade in those warm, hearty stews for cool, fresh salads and to swap our comforting winter casseroles for easy spring skillet and sheet pan recipes. Because with the warm weather comes plenty of spring parties and outdoor adventures, which means there's no time to be stuck in the kitchen. One-dish wonders, sheet pan suppers, and quick skillet dinners—packed with fresh produce and flavorful ingredients—are the name of the game. We've rounded up our best spring dinner ideas that'll make sure you will never be short on inspiration. From casual supper recipes like our Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos and Ranch Turkey Burgers to done-up dinner recipes like our Grilled Steak with Blistered Beans and Peppers, these easy spring meals are guaranteed to make a splash. (And we even included freshened-up takes on classic comfort food, like our Zucchini Lasagna and Spring Shrimp-and-Orzo Salad with Lemon Dressing.) Get ready to take on spring with these best-ever spring dinner recipes. 01 of 45 Braised Chicken Thighs with Slow-Cooked Marinara Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Enter: the best use of your slow cooker this spring. These braised chicken thighs with marinara sauce are next-level good. 02 of 45 Ham and Noodle Casserole Jen Causey Recipe: Ham and Noodle Casserole Made with egg noodles, chopped ham, and a mix of springy vegetables, this casserole is as family-friendly as it gets. 03 of 45 Creamy Rice with Scallops Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Creamy Rice with Scallops You're going to want seconds of this creamy rice, trust us. Pair the dish with these seared scallops, and then mix it up next time with another protein. 04 of 45 Pork Chops with Tomato-Bacon Gravy Pork Chops with Tomato-Bacon Gravy We were sold at "tomato-bacon gravy." Oven-roasted pork chops just found their best new condiment. 05 of 45 Healthy Turkey Lasagna Southern Living Recipe: Healthy Turkey Lasagna This leaner take on classic beef lasagna is the weeknight casserole you'll be making all spring. 06 of 45 Grilled Steak with Blistered Beans and Peppers Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Full of buttery, herby flavor, this cast-iron steak recipe is begging to make an appearance on your table. 07 of 45 Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos with Fresh Tomato Salsa Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos with Fresh Tomato Salsa You'll wonder why taco night isn't every night once you've tasted this slow-cooker pork. 08 of 45 Sweet-and-Spicy Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Sweet-and-Spicy Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots Is there anything easier than a 30-minute sheet pan supper? We think not. 09 of 45 Easy Catfish Tacos with Slaw Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Easy Catfish Tacos with Slaw Give Taco Tuesday a Southern spin. Crispy catfish might be our new favorite tortilla topper. 10 of 45 Skillet-Toasted Gnocchi with Peas Victor Protasio Recipe: Skillet-Toasted Gnocchi with Peas Toasted in a skillet for a little outer crisp, these pillowy gnocchi bites will win you over instantly. 11 of 45 BBQ Pork Loaded Baked Potatoes Greg DuPree Recipe: BBQ Pork Loaded Baked Potatoes Your family will love this fun way to eat barbecue—and you'll love how easy and filling the recipe is. 12 of 45 Ranch Turkey Burgers Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox These turkey burgers get a tangy touch with ranch flavor. 13 of 45 Zucchini Lasagna Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Tina Stamos Recipe: Zucchini Lasagna This zucchini lasagna makes your classic recipe feel freshened-up for spring and summer. 14 of 45 Fresh Salmon Cakes with Buttermilk Dressing Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Fresh Salmon Cakes with Buttermilk Dressing These crispy salmon cakes are just what the doctor ordered, especially when Maryland crab season is still around the corner. 15 of 45 Sheet Pan Pizza with Corn, Tomatoes, and Sausage Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Pizza night just got a whole lot tastier. This sheet pan recipe is topped with fresh corn, bell peppers, plum tomatoes, and hot Italian sausage. 16 of 45 Cheesy Beef-and-Spinach Ravioli Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Cheesy Beef-and-Spinach Ravioli This cheesy skillet supper will be a new family favorite—and it comes together in just 35 minutes. 17 of 45 Cheesy Sheet Pan Pasta Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Fusilli Pasta with Spinach, Tomato, and Bacon What if we told that this easy pasta is baked on a sheet pan for optimal crunchy edges? It's a game-changer, to say the least. 18 of 45 Shrimp-Okra-and-Sausage Kebabs Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Tina Stamos Recipe: Shrimp-Okra-and-Sausage Kebabs These kebabs pack a flavorful punch. The tasty skewers are sprinkled with a Cajun seasoning blend and brushed with a mixture of lemon juice, hot sauce, and melted butter. 19 of 45 Black Bean Burgers with Comeback Sauce Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Black Bean Burgers with Comeback Sauce Step outside of the box for burger night. These burgers made from slow-cooked black beans are worth a try this season. Try our homemade Comeback Sauce Recipe, and you'll want to slather it on everything. 20 of 45 Homestyle Ground Beef Casserole Southern Living Recipe: Homestyle Ground Beef Casserole This hearty, family-friendly casserole is perfect to make ahead the weekend before a busy week. 21 of 45 Fettuccine Alfredo with Leeks and Peas Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox This classic pasta dish gets even better with crispy bacon, peas, and leeks. 22 of 45 Country Captain Chicken Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Country Captain Chicken This Lowcountry classic is flavored with various spices like curry powder, paprika, and nutmeg. Simply serve over rice for a tasty meal. 23 of 45 Skirt Steak Soft Tacos with Avocado-Corn Salsa Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Bring Tex-Mex to the next level with these steak tacos. The avocado-corn salsa makes the perfect add-on. 24 of 45 Shrimp Boil Pasta Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay. E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Shrimp Boil Pasta We combined two spring-summer staples—pasta salad and shrimp boil—into an incredibly satisfying recipe. 25 of 45 Molasses-Soy Glazed Salmon and Vegetables Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food styling: Karen Rankin Recipe: Molasses-Soy Glazed Salmon and Vegetables Quick, flavorful, and healthy, this salmon supper deserves a spot on your weeknight menu. 26 of 45 Oven-Fried Chicken Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Oven-Fried Chicken Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Because this chicken salad is so delicious you'll actually want to eat a salad for dinner. 27 of 45 Chicken Caprese Pasta Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Chicken Caprese Pasta This recipe only takes 20 minutes, which means it's perfect for busy spring nights. Dress up simple pasta and shredded chicken with blistered tomatoes, pesto sauce, and torn chunks of mozzerella. 28 of 45 Grilled Spice-Rubbed Pork Chops with Scallion-Lime Rice Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Tina Stamos Give budget-friendly pork chops a boost of extra flavor with one of our spice rubs: spicy, smoky, or herby. 29 of 45 Quick and Easy Spaghetti Bolognese Greg DuPree Recipe: Quick and Easy Spaghetti Bolognese Consider this recipe a genius makeover of a quality jarred pasta sauce and box of pasta. It's oh-so simple. 30 of 45 Pork and Bok Choy Stir-Fry Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Pork and Bok Choy Stir-Fry Satisfy any takeout cravings with this stir-fry. An aromatic sauce made with orange juice, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce is the star of the show. 31 of 45 Kickin' Orange-Glazed Chicken Greg Dupree Sweet and spicy, this orange chicken is so much more than your everyday skillet chicken. 32 of 45 Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake This cheesy, creamy casserole is what pasta dreams are made of. 33 of 45 Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder Full of bacon, potatoes, and onions, this chowder is a crowd-pleaser. All you need is a chunk of crusty bread to complete this spring meal. 34 of 45 Sheet Pan Flank Steak, Greens, and Yukon Gold Fries Greg DuPree Recipe: Sheet Pan Flank Steak, Greens, and Yukon Gold Fries This sheet pan doesn't need all the bells and whistles—just steak, potatoes, and sauteed greens. 35 of 45 Tomato Carbonara Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Tomato Carbonara Make traditional carbanara feel spring-ready by letting colorful cherry tomatoes do the work. 36 of 45 Fried Pork Chops with Peas and Potatoes Greg DuPree Recipe: Fried Pork Chops with Peas and Potatoes This recipe offers a lighter take on Southern fried pork chops—but doesn't sacrifice any of the flavor. 37 of 45 Spring Shrimp-and-Orzo Salad with Lemon Dressing Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Spring Shrimp-and-Orzo Salad with Lemon Dressing You won't find a pasta salad more fresh and bright than this shrimp-orzo creation. 38 of 45 Chicken Fricassee with Spring Vegetables Greg DuPree Recipe: Chicken Fricassee with Spring Vegetables On a cool spring evening, this combination of tender chicken thighs, fresh spring vegetables, and a velvety pan sauce hits the spot. 39 of 45 Best-Ever Crab Cakes with Green Tomato Slaw Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Best-Ever Crab Cakes with Green Tomato Slaw We don't call them "best-ever" for no reason. You won't find a crab cake more heavenly. 40 of 45 Eggplant Rollups Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele Recipe: Eggplant Rollups This lower-carb alternative to lasagna is ready to be your new spring and summer staple. 41 of 45 Brie, Fig, and Arugula Grilled Cheese Photo: Stephen DeVries, Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox It's like wrapping your favorite warmed cheese appetizer into a perfectly crisped sandwich. Sweet figs, rich and creamy brie, and peppery arugula make a tasty trio. 42 of 45 Slow-Cooker Pot Roast Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton Recipe: Slow-Cooker Pot Roast This slow-cooker pot roast is as classic and comforting as you could ever want. 43 of 45 White Cheese Calzones with Marinara Sauce Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: White Calzones with Marinara Sauce This recipe will win over your crowd on any night—get ready for requests to keep rolling in. 44 of 45 Gnocchi Gratin with Ham and Peas Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Gnocchi Gratin with Ham and Peas This gnocchi spin on a traditional gratin is totally unique. 45 of 45 Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables Alison Miksch Recipe: Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables Give cheesy baked pasta a farmers' market-inspired makeover with yellow squash, zucchini, and grape tomatoes. Was this page helpful? 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