12 Special Sunday Night Dinner Ideas to End the Week Right

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Sunday nights shouldn’t be about stress-cooking! Treat yourself to a special meal that’s both tasty and relaxing. This collection of 12 Sunday night dinner ideas features a variety of options, from comforting classics like scalloped potatoes to one-pot dishes like chicken with a creamy dill sauce. Light some candles, pour a glass of wine, and get ready to end your week on a delicious and satisfying note!

Dill Chicken Recipe

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Chicken in a pan with sauce and dill.
Image Credit: Jacqueline Piper for Pipercooks

This easy chicken dinner is a one pan dish that comes together in less than 30 minutes. Perfectly paired with mashed potatoes and carrots, this recipe features chicken cooked in a creamy dill sauce, using simple ingredients.

Get the recipe: Dill Chicken Recipe

Scalloped Potatoes

A plate with sliced potatoes in a creamy sauce topped with green onions.
Image Credit: Erika Piper for The Veggie Yaya

Craving classic comfort food without the dairy? This Vegan Scalloped Potato recipe is your answer! Tenderly sliced potatoes are bathed in a rich and creamy vegan white sauce, then baked to golden perfection. A sprinkle of fresh green onions adds a delightful pop of color and freshness.

Get the recipe: Scalloped Potatoes

Creamy Tomato Chicken Pasta

Pasta and chicken in a pan with red sauce, garnished with chopped fresh parsley.
Image Credit: Jacqueline Piper for Pipercooks

This creamy tomato pasta sauce is the ideal complement to seasoned, tender chicken breast, fresh spinach, and perfectly cooked linguine. It’s comforting, and comes together in 30 minutes.

Get the recipe: Creamy Tomato Chicken Pasta

Chicken Cordon Bleu Roll-ups

Close-up of a sliced chicken cordon bleu with layers of ham and melted cheese inside a breaded and fried chicken breast, garnished with greenery.
Image Credit: Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average

Craving Chicken Cordon Bleu but short on time? These roll-ups are your answer! Thin chicken breasts are stuffed with Swiss cheese and ham, then baked in a crispy Ritz cracker crumb coating!

Get the recipe: Chicken Cordon Bleu Roll-ups

Beyond Beef Meatballs

A pale yellow plate with browned meatballs arranged around a small bowl of creamy dipping sauce, garnished with herbs; blue cloth napkin underneath.
Image Credit: Jacqueline Piper for my Plant Based Bowl

Love meatballs but looking for a plant-based option? These 5-ingredient Greek-inspired beyond meatballs are bursting with flavor. Tangy feta cheese adds a delicious twist, and they can be baked or air-fried for a quick and satisfying meal!

Get the recipe: Beyond Beef Meatballs

Vegan Pierogi

Dumplings in a bowl with fired onions, green onions, sour cream, and a fork.
Image Credit: Erika Piper for The Veggie Yaya

Pierogis are a dumpling like dish, with creamy mashed potatoes (vegan-style!), wrapped in soft dough. Boil them for a quick dinner, or pan-fry with onions for a crispy twist. Freeze them too – perfect anytime vegan comfort food strikes!

Get the recipe: Vegan Pierogi

Stuffed Shells

Creamy stuffed pasta shells topped with melted cheese and garnished with chopped parsley in a skillet, serving spoon, a small bowl of the same dish beside it.
Image Credit: Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average

Calling all cheese lovers! These jumbo shells are overflowing with a four-cheese blend and bathed in a creamy white sauce with fresh herbs. It’s pure pasta perfection, and you can keep it meatless or add your favorite protein for a heartier meal. Either way, it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!

Get the recipe: Stuffed Shells

Spaghetti Casserole

A rectangular dish filled with baked spaghetti mixed with diced tomatoes, ground meat, and a layer of melted cheese on top. Strainers and a blue-patterned bowl on a wooden surface.
Image Credit: Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average

Feeling nostalgic for some classic comfort food? This baked spaghetti casserole is the answer! Choose your adventure – make it a vegetarian delight or load it up with your favorite protein. No matter what, it’s a cheesy, saucy, and satisfying dish that will warm your soul.

Get the recipe: Spaghetti Casserole

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

A wrap filled with shredded chicken, cucumber slices, diced onions, and garnished with cilantro on a wooden surface.
Image Credit: Jacqueline Piper for Pipercooks

This slow-cooker salsa chicken is the ultimate shortcut. Just toss in 3 ingredients and let your slow cooker do the work. This easy and flavorful chicken is perfect for tacos, burritos, salads, or on its own with mashed potatoes.

Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

Teriyaki Tofu Bowl

A ceramic bowl with white rice, pieces of tofu in dark sauce, sesame seeds sprinkled on top. Chopsticks rest on the side.
Image Credit: Erika Piper for The Veggie Yaya

Dinner in a flash! This Teriyaki Tofu Bowl features crispy tofu bathed in a homemade teriyaki glaze, all served over fluffy rice. Vegan, loaded with flavor, and ready in under 20 minutes!

Get the recipe: Teriyaki Tofu Bowl

Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes

A plate of grilled smashed potatoes garnished with cilantro, accompanied by a small bowl of dipping sauce.
Image Credit: Jacqueline Piper for Pipercooks

Air fryer smashed potatoes are ready in 30 minutes! 5 ingredients create great flavor while the air fryer helps achieve perfect smashed potatoes with a delightful contrast: crispy on the outside, fluffy and soft on the inside. Make the most of ingredients like Dijon mustard and thyme to add bold flavor, making this a side dish that’s both easy and impressive.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes

Pot Pie with Jackfruit

A cast iron skillet with potato mixture topped with browned biscuits.
Image Credit: Jacqueline Piper for PiperCooks

This plant-based twist on a classic delivers all the nostalgic comfort, with hearty veggies simmered in a rich broth and topped with fluffy vegan biscuits. Jackfruit pot pie is a flavor explosion that’s perfect for vegans, vegetarians, and anyone who loves delicious food! Topped with soft and flaky biscuits, it’s a complete meal that will satisfy everyone at the table, vegan or not!

Get the recipe: Pot Pie with Jackfruit

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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