According to research, having family dinners at least four times a week positively affects child development, so try these 6 Easy Family Dinner Ideas. Family dinners have been linked to a lower risk of eating disorders, substance abuse, and obesity and increases a child’s chance of graduating from high school.
Preparing family dinners at home doesn’t have to be time-consuming or stressful — thanks to the variety of easy-to-prepare recipes today. Even if you have your hands full during the day, you can still prepare delicious, healthy dinner meals for the entire family.
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6 Easy Family Dinner Ideas
Here are six easy dinner recipes you should try ASAP:
Zucchini Linguine
Looking for ways to incorporate vegetables into your children’s meals? Then try out this zucchini linguine recipe. It only takes 30 minutes to make and requires ingredients that are probably already in your kitchen.
Cook the pasta per package directions and heat oil, garlic, and chili in a large skillet until the garlic turns golden brown. Remove the skillet from the heat and mix lemon zest, parmesan cheese, pasta water, and salt.
Toss the pasta until the sauce coats the noodles, and add the grated zucchini. The heat from the pasta will cook the zucchini, leaving the vegetable warm but crisp.
Green Curry Shrimp
If your family loves seafood, serve them this green curry shrimp at your next family dinner. This recipe uses Thai green curry pasta, which adds a lot of spice and flavor to the dish.
To start, cook rice per package directions and mix onion, lime juice, and salt in a small bowl. Heat oil in a large saucepan, add the curry paste, and cook until fragrant. Gently add coconut milk and water until it simmers.
Add shrimp to the sauce and cook for about five minutes. Serve over rice and garnish with pickled onions, cashews, and cilantro.
Marinated Pepper Pasta
This marinated pepper pasta recipe is an excellent option for vegetarian families. This recipe only takes 20 minutes to prepare and serves four.
On a baking sheet, toss onions with olive oil seasoned with salt and pepper. Roast until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cook rigatoni per package directions, drain when cooked, and then add Pecorino Romano.
Toss the pasta with onions and marinated peppers, fold in basil, drizzle with olive oil, and you’re good to go!
Seared Salmon With Charred Green Beans
Don’t be fooled by the name of this recipe. It might sound complicated to make, but it really isn’t. As long as you have 15 minutes, you can impress your family with this filling meal!
Start by heating oil in a large skillet and seasoning salmon with salt and pepper. Add the salmon to the skillet (flesh side down), and cook for about six minutes per side.
Cook green beans in another skillet, remove from heat, and mix with salt, garlic, chili, and capers. Return to medium heat and cook and serve with salmon.
Turkey Tacos
Who says you can only have tacos on Tuesdays? With this recipe, you can have tacos any day of the week and not worry about being cooped up in the kitchen for hours.
Cook onion in a large skillet and season with salt. Once tender, add garlic and cook for one minute. Add turkey and cook for about five minutes while breaking up the meat into small pieces. Season the turkey with cumin, salt, and chipotle powder, and cook for another two minutes.
Stir in tomato sauce, and simmer until thickened. Fill taco shells with turkey and top with cheddar cheese and then lettuce. You can serve the meal with lime wedges or sour cream.
Air Fryer Squash Soup
Put your air fryer into good use by preparing this recipe for your family. This recipe will only require you to toss your ingredients in an air fryer — it’s that easy!
Toss squash, carrots, onion, chili, thyme, and whole garlic cloves in a large bowl. Season with salt, transfer to an air fryer basket, and air fry at 400°F for about 30 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs once done.
Cook sliced garlic in oil using a small skillet for two minutes. Add paprika, pepitas, and salt, and cook again for another minute. Transfer to a bowl once done, and then blend everything until smooth. Serve with sour cream and crusty bread if desired.
Try These 6 Easy Family Dinner Ideas This Week!
You don’t need to change your schedule or spend long hours in the kitchen just to prepare the most appetizing meals for your family.
Follow any (or all) of the recipes we’ve mentioned here, and you’re sure to have the best family dinners even when you have limited time to cook!
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