Food and Recipes Party Food and Drink 30 Quick & Easy Main Dishes to Add to This Week's Meal Plan By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 15, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Jennifer Causey Even if you're short on time you can still sit down to a comforting home-cooked dinner any night of the week. The key is choosing the right recipe. To help you get started, we gathered our best easy dinner ideas in one place. These simple but satisfying easy dinner recipes don't require much advance prep or a long cooking time, so you'll be sitting down to eat before you know it. Choose from Southern favorites like Fried Pork Chops, Smothered Chicken, and Fresh Salmon Cakes. Or try something new like Pasta with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce, Molasses-Soy Glazed Salmon, or Quesadillas al Pastor. On the hunt for a meatless Monday supper? Try our Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake. We also have several creative ground beef recipes, like our Sloppy Joe Casserole with Dinner Rolls and our Ravioli Lasagna. Whatever you choose, you're sure to find a new favorite weeknight dinner. 01 of 30 Sheet Pan Greek Chicken with Roasted Potatoes Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Tina Stamos Recipe: Sheet Pan Greek Chicken with Roasted Potatoes If you're on dish duty tonight, cook your main and sides all in one sheet pan. Two spice rack staples—cinnamon and nutmeg—give this simple chicken recipe a wonderful depth of flavor. 02 of 30 Fried Pork Chops with Peas and Potatoes Greg DuPree Recipe: Fried Pork Chops with Peas and Potatoes This speedy fried dinner has all the flavors of the classic dish without so much fat. 03 of 30 Fresh Salmon Cakes with Buttermilk Dressing Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Fresh Salmon Cakes with Buttermilk Dressing Remember the canned salmon cakes from your childhood? They're all grown up and we're serving them a homemade Buttermilk Dressing that you'll want to add to everything. 04 of 30 Supreme Pizza Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland Recipe: Supreme Pizza Fresh prepared pizza dough from the grocery store and jarred marinara make this Supreme Pizza recipe almost as easy as ordering delivery, but a whole lot more fun. 05 of 30 Fish Tacos and Topping Bar Greg DuPree Recipe: Fish Tacos and Topping Bar A new twist for taco Tuesday, this recipes amps up the fun for family meals with a simple topping bar for your table. 06 of 30 Shrimp with Honey-Garlic Sauce Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Christina Daley Recipe: Shrimp with Honey-Garlic Sauce It's hard to believe that this elegant supper comes together in just 15 minutes. Our secret? It's all in the sauce. 07 of 30 Pan-Seared Flank Steak with Herb Sauce Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Christina Daley Recipe: Pan-Seared Flank Steak with Herb Sauce Requiring just 30 minutes of hands-on time, this recipe proves that even a steak dinner can be weeknight friendly. 08 of 30 Ravioli Lasagna Photographer: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Kelly; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee Recipe: Ravioli Lasagna With a little help from store-bought ravioli, this 30-minute supper combines two of our Italian favorites for one cozy weeknight meal. 09 of 30 Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake This meat-free casserole is one delicious way to enjoy your veggies this week. 10 of 30 Hamburger Steak With Sweet Onion-Mushroom Gravy Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Hamburger Steak With Sweet Onion-Mushroom Gravy This ground beef recipe helps you make the most of your busy weeknights. You can make the patties ahead, then simply thaw them in the fridge overnight before using. You'll love how the gravy keeps these moist and tender, while the onion adds just the right hint of sweetness and the garlic adds that little bit of spice. Mushrooms make this burger even richer, and sop up that gravy to make your burger even better. We love ground round for this burger. So get your skillet ready to brown this burger and cover it in sweet onion-mushroom gravy. You'll love how good this burger tastes. 11 of 30 Oven-Fried Pork Chops With Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Oven-Fried Pork Chops With Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans When it comes to easy weeknight recipes, it's hard to beat a sheet pan supper. Preheat the oven and cook delicious pork chops and nutritious sides all in one dish. 12 of 30 Lemon Chicken Easy Catfish Tacos Recipe with Slaw Recipe: Lemon Chicken A reader-favorite main with a short ingredient list, this easy dish pairs well with crisp veggies and a side of rice for a delicious dinner. 13 of 30 Baked Ziti with Sausage Southern Living Recipe: Baked Ziti with Sausage Equal parts easy and cheesy, our Baked Ziti with Sausage is a guaranteed crowd pleaser that's ready in under an hour. 14 of 30 Turkey Cheeseburgers with Grilled Vidalia Onion Rings Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Turkey Cheeseburgers with Grilled Vidalia Onion Rings Dry turkey burgers are officially a thing of the past. This recipe's secret to a delicious grill every time? Grated butter, of course 15 of 30 Molasses-Soy Glazed Salmon and Vegetables Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food styling: Karen Rankin Recipe: Molasses-Soy Glazed Salmon and Vegetables Salmon, sugar snap peas, and yellow bell peppers, combine to create a good-for-you supper in just 35 minutes. Even your little ones will rave about the tangy sauce on this new weeknight standard. 16 of 30 Italian Sausage Spaghetti William Dickey Recipe: Italian Sausage Spaghetti Mix together spaghetti with sausage and peppers for a quick Italian meal that's sure to please the entire family. 17 of 30 Quesadillas al Pastor Recipe Southern Living Recipe: Quesadillas al Pastor Recipe Ready in just 30 minutes, this quesadilla recipe is the perfect crowd pleaser. For an easy side, melt a few tablespoons of butter with minced garlic and a dash of chili powder in a microwave-safe bowl; pour over boiled or grilled corn on the cob. 18 of 30 Sloppy Joe Casserole with Dinner Rolls Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist Heather Chadduck Recipe: Sloppy Joe Casserole with Dinner Rolls A ground beef casserole topped with sweet, buttery rolls is a weeknight wonder that even the pickiest eaters will request again and again. 19 of 30 Pasta with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Recipe: Pasta with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce Bring a taste of the coast to your kitchen table in just 25 minutes. We recommend using fresh shrimp, not frozen, for the best flavor. 20 of 30 Muffin Tin Meatloaf Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist Prissy Lee Recipe: Muffin Tin Meatloaf With a little help from our trusty muffin tins, we gave this nostalgic dish a weeknight update. Our rendition includes all the ingredients of Mama's favorite recipe, including Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, thyme, allspice, and—of course—ketchup 21 of 30 Snappy Smothered Chicken William Dickey Recipe: Snappy Smothered Chicken A speedy dinner is as close as your grocery store's deli. Take advantage of this delectable dish to feed your hungry brood. 22 of 30 Lemon Pork Chops with Quinoa Salad Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner Recipe: Lemon Pork Chops with Quinoa Salad Your family and guests will love these flavorful pork chops with a crunchy almond topping. It's simple to make and highly flavorful. Lemons, sugar snap peas, and garlic make it perfect for summer, and the spices make a chop so flavorful that you won't even need to marinate it prior to cooking. If you plan on serving it alongside a salad, double the vinaigrette recipe and use it to compliment the flavors found in the pork, quinoa, and snap beans. For perfectly fluffy quinoa, make sure that after simmering it, you let it stand, covered, to steam. After 10 minutes, fluff it with a fork. 23 of 30 Roasted Beef Tenderloin Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling; Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Roasted Beef Tenderloin This tender cut of beef is quick enough for everyday, but pretty enough for a party platter, too. 24 of 30 Chicken Caprese Pasta Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Chicken Caprese Pasta With a little help from a store-bought rotisserie chicken, you can turn this beloved summer salad into a hearty weeknight supper. 25 of 30 Chicken Chili Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Recipe: Chicken Chili Who says beef has to be the starring attraction in homemade chili? Use leftover chicken or pick up a rotisserie from the store and make this hearty supper with just 15 minutes of hands-on time. 26 of 30 Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Everything's better with bacon, and this pork tenderloin recipe is no exception! Go ahead and season the other tenderloin in the package with your favorite spice blend. Wrap and freeze to jump-start another meal. 27 of 30 Grilled Cajun Shrimp Kabobs with Sausage Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Grilled Cajun Shrimp Kabobs with Sausage If you're looking to get dinner on the table in a hurry, quick-cooking shrimp is your best friend. We love the cajun flavors in these crowd-pleasing kabobs. 28 of 30 Cast-Iron Chicken Piccata Greg Dupree Recipe: Cast-Iron Chicken Piccata Serve this Italian restaurant favorite in the comfort of your own home. Be sure to add the fresh ingredients like lemon juice and parsley just before serving. This will help maintain the bold flavors of this quick and easy dish. 29 of 30 Simple Salmon Croquettes William Dickey / Styling Buffy Hargett / Food Styling Angela Sellersc Recipes: Simple Salmon Croquettes No buttermilk on hand? Make your own by combining 1 cup milk with 1 Tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice. The results are the same. 30 of 30 Pasta Primavera with Shrimp Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Pasta Primavera with Shrimp Loaded with healthy vegetables, fresh shrimp, and a light sauce, this 30-minute pasta is a colorful as it is good for you. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit