These easy weeknight family dinners will save you when you don’t know what to make. All kid-friendly, relatively healthy and delicious, they’re going to be on regular rotation. They are at our house! (all recipes have dairy-free and gluten-free options in the notes)
Sausage and Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner with Texas Roadhouse Rice
Ingredients
- 1 lb sausage of choice, cubed into 1" slices
- 3-4 cups washed veggies, cut into 2" pieces broccoli, onion, bell peppers, mushrooms are all great options
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 tsp all-purpose seasoning
- 2 tbsp balsamic glaze optional, but adds such great flavor
Texas Roadhouse Rice
- 2 cups white rice
- 1/2 cup butter could sub 1/4 cup olive oil for part of the butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne omit if you don't like heat
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 4 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment.
- To large bowl, add prepared veggies and meat. Drizzle with olive oil and all-purpose seasoning. Drizzle with balsamic glazed (if using) and toss.
- Turn contents of bowl out onto lined baking sheet and spread out evenly.
- Bake 22-25 minutes or until veggies are tender and browned and meat is cooked, turning halfway through the cooking time.
Texas Roadhouse Rice
- Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Saute rice for 5 minutes.
- Add onions & cook 3 minutes. Add the seasonings, except the broth. Stir well.
- Add broth & simmer for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat & let simmer for 12-15 minutes or till the liquid has absorbed.
Notes
*To make this rice dairy-free: I used 1/4 cup Miyoko’s Vegan Butter and 1/4 cup olive oil instead of regular butter
Burger-Loaded Salad with Oven-Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 head romaine lettuce, washed, dry & chopped
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
- 1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 4 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp dill relish
Oven-Roasted Potatoes
- 5 medium russet potatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- all-purpose seasoning or seasoning salt
Instructions
- In medium pan, brown ground beef over medium-high heat. Drain grease into can or bowl to discard later. Add spices to meat and stir.
- In large salad bowl, add chopped lettuce & top with cooked meat & burger toppings.
- In small bowl, mix together dressing ingredients. Drizzle salad with dressing and enjoy.
Oven-Roasted Potatoes
- Before beginning salad, preheat oven to 425F. Line baking sheet with parchment or foil.
- Peel potatoes, rinse and pat dry. Cut into 1 1/2-2" cubes.
- Add to medium bowl & drizzle with olive oil & sprinkle with seasoning. Toss. Put on parchment lined tray.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden on both sides, turning halfway through cooking time.
Easy Breakfast Burritos
Ingredients
- 6 10" flour tortillas I like tortilla land uncooked tortillas
- 12 large eggs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning
- 2 cups hash brown potatoes, cooked
- 1 lb ground pork sausage
- cheddar cheese
- salsa
- guacamole
Instructions
- Cook hash browns according to package instructions.
- Heat a medium frying pan over medium-low heat. Add olive oil. Once hot, add eggs and scramble until cooked the way you like them
- In a large pan, heat to medium and add sausage. Cook until no longer pink or about 10 minutes. Drain grease.
- To your sausage, add the scrambled eggs, the cooked hash browns and taco seasoning.
- Warm your tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds (or cook them according to package if you're using tortilla land brand). Top with 1/4-1/3 cup of your filling and top cheese, salsa and guacamole.
Notes
*To make this recipe gluten-free & dairy-free, use corn tortillas or almond flour tortillas and vegan cheese. We like Trader Joe’s Almondmilk Mozzarella
*Serve with fruit
Spaghetti and Homemade Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 box spaghetti noodles we like the whole wheat kind
- 1 16 oz spaghetti sauce
- 1/2 cup chopped veggies use what you have in your fridge (zucchini, green beans, mushrooms, carrots, peppers, onions, etc)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.
- In medium bowl, add meat, breadcrumbs, seasonings, eggs, salt and water. Mix well and form into 2" balls and place on lined tray.
- Bake 15-18 minutes or until no longer pink.
- Cook pasta according to package. Drain.
- Chop veggies. In medium pan, add oil and heat and then sauté veggies for 5 minutes. Add sauce and heat.
- Top pasta with meatballs, sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Notes
*Serve with salad or green veggie
*To make this recipe gluten-free & dairy-free: Use ground oats instead of breadcrumbs. Use Ronzoni brand gluten-free spaghetti noodles. I use Follow Your Heart branch dairy-free parmesan cheese.
5 Ingredient Black Bean Soup with Quesadillas
Ingredients
Black Bean Soup
- 3 15 oz cans black beans (with liquid)
- 2 1/2 cups salsa
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 clove garlic, minced
Quesadillas
- 12 10" flour tortillas
- 3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
Soup
- In medium pot, add all soup ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Serve topped with sour cream, avocado slices and/or a squeeze of lime
Quesadillas
- Brown tortillas on either side. Over low heat, place one tortilla in the pan & evenly sprinkle a layer of cheese over it, then cover with another tortilla. Place lid on pan and cook for 2-3 minutes & then flip and cook for another minute or two on the other side.
- Cut into 4 wedges and serve
Notes
*To make this recipe gluten-free & dairy-free: Use corn tortillas or gluten-free tortillas. Use vegan cheese like Trader Joes Almond Milk Mozzarella.