If it’s 6 o’clock and you’ve stared at the fridge (and pantry) wondering “what should I make for dinner tonight,” you’re not alone.
I’ve made a list of easy recipes you can whip up in under 30 minutes with staple ingredients many of us have on hand in our fridge, pantry, and even freezer nearly all the time. Links to all the recipes are below.
Don’t want a recipe and just want t a little visual inspo? Watch this video:
Easy Dinner Ideas for Families to Make Tonight
If you forgot to thaw out chicken (again) and don’t trust the method for baking frozen chicken you still have plenty of easy dinner ideas that families love you can make tonight. In no particular order:
You can always keep cooked ground beef in the freezer for quick meals. Use this method for cooking ground beef in the slow cooker in bulk and have it ready to go.
Always finding yourself strapped for what to make for dinner tonight? Download a free sample of my weekly family meal plan here.
Family Dinner Ideas for Tonight | Baked Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef, chicken, or black beans, seasoned and cooked
- 1 ½ cups cheese
- 1 cup fresh salsa
- 1 cup guacamole
- ½ cup sour cream
- shredded lettuce
- 12 hard taco shells
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F and position your oven rack in the middle of the oven (if it’s too high your tacos could get too toasty).
- Cook your meat or beans with homemade taco seasoning on a skillet over medium heat. Once cooked, turn off heat and set aside.
- On an oven safe baking dish, line up 12-14 hard taco shells. Stand the taco shells up so they are easier to fill. I can usually fit 14 tacos in one 9×13 inch pan. Fill with cooked meat and top with cheese.
- Place your taco platter in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
- This is where I gather the kids, get them to wash their hands, and get everything else ready for the table.
- After 10 minutes, the taco shells should be crispy and ready to be removed from the oven. Begin stuffing your tacos with the remaining ingredients assembly line style: add shredded lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, guacamole, more cheese, and sour cream. Once you stuff the remaining tacos with the toppings your family likes, take the entire platter to the table (use pot holders). Distribute tacos and enjoy your hot tacos together!
Nutrition
More Family Dinner Recipes for Tonight
I’m all about cooking with what you have on hand, so if you’re looking for something starting a specific ingredient, I have you covered in the posts below. Be sure to click over for the recipe you need today or pin the posts to save for the next time you are standing in front of the fridge trying to come up with a dinner idea for tonight.
Chicken Dinner ideas – Quick, easy and delicious meals using chicken breasts, thighs, drumsticks or even the whole bird!
Dinner Ideas with Ground Beef – Wondering what to make with that pound of ground beef you have thawing the fridge? Here’s a collection of family favorite recipes to try.
Shrimp Dinner Ideas – 10 amazing kid-friendly recipes made with shrimp. Plus, a few tips for cooking shrimp so they come out perfect every single time.
Lillie
Epiiiiic dinners
Laurie Rasor
Thanks for these dinner ideas. Have A Good Day
Joanna Jones-Heron
I made the American Goulash dinner idea and my family LOVED it. thanks for the suggestions, this post is now my go-to for family-friendly recipe ideas.
Camber
The quesadillas are a great idea and I can’t wait to try the American Goulash!
Jillian Leslie
This is so easy and absolutely delicious! Thanks, Laura!