Weeknights can be one of the busiest times of the week. With work, school, and sports, it can be hard to fit in a delicious and nutritious dinner into the chaos. These easy and tasty recipes are the perfect thing to make sure everyone eats something healthy and tasty on even the busiest weeknights.
The Benefits of Home-Cooked Dinners
When you have a busy weeknight, take-out can seem like the only option. However, there are some real advantages to cooking dinner at home.
• Health: Home cooked meals tend to be healthier than take-out. You can control the calorie count and the ingredients that you put into the food, as well as replacing unhealthy fats with healthier alternatives.
• Money: Home cooked meals are often way cheaper than their take-out counterparts, especially if you bulk up the ingredients to make extras that can be frozen and used later.
• Time: Despite the busy weeknights, it can take less time to cook dinner at home than to wait for take-out to arrive.
• Quality: Home cooked food is almost always fresher and higher quality than take-out food, and you can customize it however you like.
Quick and Easy Ingredients for Busy Weeknights
One of the things that can make a quick and nutritious dinner so difficult is having the right ingredients. Here are some staples that are easy to keep on hand and use for delicious meals on even the busiest weeknights.
• Beans, lentils, and chickpeas: These items, as well as other canned legumes, are a great source of protein that can be thrown into a wide variety of recipes for added nutrition.
• Rice, quinoa, and cooked grains: All of these items come in many forms and can be cooked quickly. They make great additions to salads, and sides, and can even replace noodles in most recipes.
• Frozen vegetables: Keep a few bags of frozen vegetables in the freezer to throw into last minute meals to add nutrition and flavor.
Simple Yet Flavorful Recipes
Having the right ingredients on hand is half the battle, so having a few recipes ready to go makes dinner on busy weeknights even easier. Here are a few simply delicious recipes to get you started.
Broccoli Chicken and Rice
This dish is one of the easiest one-pot recipes out there, requiring only a few ingredients and very little prep time.
Ingredients
• 2-3 cups of cooked chicken, cubed
• 2 cups of cooked long grain rice
• 4 cups of frozen broccoli
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat.
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Add the cubed chicken and cook until lightly browned.
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Add the butter. Once melted, add in the frozen broccoli, salt and pepper to taste, and cook for 5 minutes.
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Add in the cooked rice and stir until the ingredients are well combined.
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Cover and let simmer on low for 10 minutes or until heated through.
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Serve warm and enjoy.
Vegetable Enchiladas
For a quick and easy meal, throw together some enchiladas! No need to pre-cook any ingredients, just layer everything in the pan and let the oven do the work.
Ingredients
• 2 cups of frozen vegetables, like corn, spinach, or peppers
• 8-9 small soft tortillas
• 2 cups of Mexican cheese, shredded
• 3 cups of enchilada sauce
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Cilantro, sour cream, and avocado for topping (optional)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375°F.
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Spread 1 cup of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of a 9”x13” baking dish.
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Lay four of the tortillas over the sauce.
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Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese, 1/3 of the frozen vegetables, and 1/3 of the chili powder, garlic powder, and enchilada sauce over the tortillas.
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Place another layer of four tortillas over the toppings and repeat the same step as with the first layer.
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Place the last layer of tortillas over the top and spread the remaining enchilada sauce over the top.
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Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
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Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
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Serve with cilantro, sour cream, and avocado. Enjoy!
Turkey Sloppy Joes
Craving an American classic? These turkey sloppy joes are a great way to make your weeknights easier and your dinners healthier.
Ingredients
• 1 lb of ground turkey
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of mustard
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• Hamburger buns
Instructions
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In a large skillet, brown the ground turkey and onions over medium heat.
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Once the turkey is cooked, add the bell pepper and cook until softened.
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Add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, mustard, and garlic powder.
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Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
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Serve on hamburger buns and enjoy!
With dinner prepared quickly, you can spend more time enjoying the company of your family and friends. With the right ingredients on hand and a few easy recipes to choose from, weeknights can be just as delicious as weekends—without the fuss. Share your simple and tasty dinners with the hashtag #simplydelicious so everyone can get in on the fun.
