Weeknight Meals Made Easy for Busy Parents

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As a parent, you’re running more routes than the starting quarterback—between football practice, cheer, the dry cleaner, and the grocery store, finding time for dinner feels like going into overtime. But don’t fumble—these quick weeknight meals will have you scoring big at the dinner table before the game clock runs out!

Easy Air Fryer Chicken Kabobs

Easy Air Fryer Chicken Kabobs
Photo credit: Kitchen Divas

Delicious air-fried chicken kebabs, marinated with a simple blend of spices and paired with fresh vegetables, are carefully skewered to create a mouthwatering meal that is sure to be a hit with everyone.
Get the Recipe: Easy Air Fryer Chicken Kabobs

Teriyaki Chicken Sub Sandwich Recipe

Mouthwatering Teriyaki Chicken Sub Sandwich Recipe
Photo credit: The Cookie Rookie

This Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich is filled with teriyaki dressing, sliced chicken breast, & a Cobb salad mix. You’re going to love this flavorful sub sandwich recipe!
Get the Recipe: Teriyaki Chicken Sub Sandwich Recipe

Easy Sesame Chicken

Easy Sesame Chicken
Photo credit: Budget Bytes

This Easy Sesame Chicken recipe is faster and tastier than takeout. Tender chicken coated in a homemade sweet, savory, and tangy sauce.
Get the Recipe: Easy Sesame Chicken

Charleston Shrimp and Grits with Crab Gravy

Charleston Shrimp And Grits With Crab Gravy
Photo credit: Not Entirely Average

This dish isn’t just a meal, it’s a celebration! Experience a symphony of flavors that’s not only spectacular to taste, but also faithful to the rich culinary history of Charleston.
Get the Recipe: Charleston Shrimp and Grits with Crab Gravy

Quick & Easy Spaghetti Bolognese

Quick & Easy Spaghetti Bolognese
Photo credit: Erren’s Kitchen

This quick and easy Spaghetti Bolognese recipe makes a meat sauce bursting with Italian flavor. It’s ready in just 30 minutes!
Get the Recipe: Quick & Easy Spaghetti Bolognese

Easy Ricotta Gnocchi

A close-up image of a bowl of gnocchi, topped with finely chopped parsley and grated cheese. The gnocchi appear soft and golden, with some pieces slightly browned. The dish is presented in a white, rectangular bowl.
Photo credit: Budget Bytes

These soft, pillowy ricotta gnocchi are easier than you’d expect. They’re fast and delicious, making them the perfect weeknight meal. Step by step photos.
Get the Recipe: Easy Ricotta Gnocchi

Juicy Lucy Burger

Juicy Lucy Burger served fresh
Photo credit: The Cookie Rookie

Stuffed with cheese for a delicious surprise, Juicy Lucy Burgers are an instant hit! These cheesy burgers are the star of any BBQ or potluck.
Get the Recipe: Juicy Lucy Burger

Cheesy Baja Chicken & Bell Pepper Skillet

Cheesy Baja Chicken & Bell Pepper Skillet
Photo credit: xoxoBella

This flavorful Baja chicken and bell pepper skillet is bursting with south-of-the-border goodness. Featuring tender chicken, crisp veggies, and a medley of Mexican spices, crowned with gooey Pepper Jack cheese, this chicken cheesesteak creation is destined to be a beloved family go-to!
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Baja Chicken & Bell Pepper Skillet

Grilled Hot Dogs

Grilled Hot Dogs at its finest
Photo credit: The Cookie Rookie

Find out how to cook hot dogs on the grill for the easiest and best dogs for BBQs and cookouts. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Get the Recipe: Grilled Hot Dogs

Savory Steak and Squash Salad

Savory Steak and Squash Salad
Photo credit: xoxoBella

This steak and squash salad with apple maple dressing and cranberries is a tasty and different choice that you can enjoy anytime. With its delicious flavors and satisfying mix of steak, squash, and greens, it’s a recipe you gotta try if you want a yummy and filling meal salad.
Get the Recipe: Savory Steak and Squash Salad

Swedish Meatballs

Swedish Meatballs
Photo credit: Salt and Lavender

Get ready for a mouthwatering experience with this Swedish meatballs recipe! Imagine tender, perfectly seasoned homemade meatballs bathed in a deliciously creamy, buttery gravy. Recreating this IKEA favorite at home is a breeze! you’ve got to try it!
Get the Recipe: Swedish Meatballs

Patty Melt

A close-up of a patty melt sandwich cut in half and stacked, showing layers of juicy ground beef patty, melted cheese, and caramelized onions between toasted bread slices. Surrounding the sandwich are pickle spears.
Photo credit: The Cookie Rookie

This Patty Melt is the perfect marriage between hamburger and a grilled cheese sandwich. A deliriously delicious and easy weeknight dinner!
Get the Recipe: Patty Melt

Loaded Greek Fries

Loaded Greek Fries
Photo credit: Kylee Cooks

Satisfy your cravings for all things Mediterranean with these loaded Greek Fries. You’ll love crispy fries combined with the flavors of the Greek isles. It’s a dish that keeps you coming back for more!
Get the Recipe: Loaded Greek Fries

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

Delicious Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes ready to be enjoyed
Photo credit: The Cookie Rookie

These Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes are one of my favorite hands-off dinners! These crockpot sloppy joes come out perfectly saucy.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

Italian Chicken Saltimbocca

Italian Chicken Saltimbocca
Photo credit: xoxoBella

This Chicken Saltimbocca recipe is a classic Italian baked chicken dish with a tasty sage saltimbocca sauce, featuring prosciutto, provolone cheese, and chicken. It’s an easy and delicious dinner option that goes great with polenta, roasted or boiled potatoes, or pasta.
Get the Recipe: Italian Chicken Saltimbocca

Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs

A bowl of rice topped with glazed meatballs sprinkled with sesame seeds and chopped green onions, accompanied by steamed broccoli. Another similar bowl is partially visible in the background. The meal is served on a light-colored table.
Photo credit: Two Peas and Their Pod

Juicy teriyaki chicken meatballs, baked to perfection and smothered in a sticky, homemade teriyaki sauce. Pair with fluffy rice and your favorite veggies for a quick and delicious 30-minute meal that hits the spot!
Get the Recipe: Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs

Buttermilk Pork Chops with Lemon Caper Sauce

A white plate holds three grilled pork chops generously covered in a creamy mushroom and caper sauce. The dish looks rich and savory, with a glossy finish on the sauce and sear marks visible on the chops. The background is a wooden table.
Photo credit: Noshing with the Nolands

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Get the Recipe: Buttermilk Pork Chops with Lemon Caper Sauce

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About Jenny deRemer

I am a Charleston, South Carolina-based culinary novice, an ardent authority on all things travel, a designer by trade, and the creator of Not Entirely Average. I have a weakness for farmers' markets, delight in adventures way off the beaten path, enjoy documenting my many moods through photography, and have been known to conquer the occasional yard sale with gusto!

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