40 family dinner recipes that are sure to go down a treat
Midweek inspiration
Mac 'n' cheese
Here's a family favourite with a clever twist – this recipe contains blitzed cheese puffs in the sauce and as part of the crunchy cheese topping. They add flavour, texture and colour to this bake. Evaporated milk is also added to the cheese sauce to make it extra creamy.
Quick lamb kebabs
When time is of the essence, here's the perfect meal, ready in 20 minutes. It's tasty too – minced lamb is mixed with spices, chilli and fresh coriander, shaped into sausages and grilled. Serve in wraps with a dollop of mint yogurt and thinly-sliced red onions.
Get the recipe for quick lamb kebabs here
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Broccoli, spinach and Parma Ham pasta
Here's a 30-minute meal to help the family eat plenty of greens. Peas, broccoli and spinach are mixed into a creamy, cheesy sauce with salty-sweet Parma Ham. Added garlic and fresh lemon mean it's a feast of flavour.
Get the recipe for broccoli, spinach and Parma Ham pasta here
Chicken, coconut and pineapple curry
The fiery chilli in this curry is tempered by the sweetness from coconut and pineapple, plus there's a lovely crunch from roasted, salted cashew nuts. It's quick to make – just serve with rice or flatbreads. If some of the family prefer their food with less heat, add Greek yogurt on the side.
Get the recipe for chicken, coconut and pineapple curry here
Salsa verde salmon
A whole side of salmon will serve six, although any leftovers are great cold in a lunchbox. Typically salsa verde (a green, herby sauce) requires anchovies, but this one is a twist on the original, using a tin of sardines combined with parsley, capers and breadcrumbs. It's all served with miso-roasted onions. We'd add some boiled potatoes too.
One-pan pizza
The base for this pizza doesn't contain yeast, so there's no rising involved and it tastes way better than a takeaway. The pizza starts off cooked in a frying pan, to give a crisp base, before being finished off in the oven. If you have two frying pans, get everything prepared so that while one is in the oven, you can start making another on the hob.
Chicken casserole
Meltingly tender chicken thighs cooked in stock and white wine with bacon, finished with cream and mushrooms, is high on our midweek favourites list. It does need an hour in the oven, but the preparation is quick and easy. It just cries out to be served with a pile of buttery mash and greens.
One-pot baked lamb orzo
Bring some Mediterranean sunshine into your kitchen with this Greek-inspired dish. Tender chunks of lamb are cooked with spices, tomatoes and herbs, plus orzo – a small pasta shape – feta and black olives. If you can spare 30 minutes to marinate the meat, even better, or do it the day before cooking.
Sweet and sour prawns
Crisp battered prawns, chunks of pineapple, peppers and cashew nuts are all combined in this easy stir-fry, made mostly with store cupboard ingredients. It's all ready in just 35 minutes. Serve with noodles or rice.
Fennel, leek and Parmesan bake
This rich, creamy gratin, loaded with cheese, makes a perfect vegetarian main. The combination of fennel and leeks gives an aniseed sweetness, and they don't go mushy on cooking. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the delicious juices and a green salad on the side.
Filo fish pie
A classic fish pie is a labour of love, but this version with prawns, cod and smoked haddock is ready in around an hour. The sauce consists of a thickened stock, so there's no cream or white sauce to make here. The topping of crunchy filo pastry is so simple and it can all be served with green vegetables and steamed new potatoes.
Thai beef curry with peanut sauce
This fragrant, creamy coconut curry with strips of rump steak uses a shop-bought Thai curry paste, so there's no faffing around. It's all made in one pan too, to cut down on the washing up. It's sweet and spicy and perfect served with jasmine rice.
Roast paprika chicken
We're huge fans of a one-pot dish, especially this recipe with roasted vegetables and spiced spatchcocked chicken. Spatchcocked means the backbone is removed and the bird is flattened so the chicken cooks more quickly and evenly, with no chance of it drying out. It's prepared with a spice rub of paprika, plus onion and garlic powders. If you can, leave the bird with the rub on for an hour or overnight in the fridge for super-crispy skin.
Butternut squash mac 'n' cheese
A smart way to sneak vegetables into macaroni cheese, this recipe sees squash roasted in olive oil and thyme first to bring out its sweetness and to add texture. Try not to overcrowd the baking sheet or the squash will steam and be mushy. The cheesy breadcrumb topping gives a lovely crunch too.
Chicken pot pie
Chicken pot pie is a meal in itself, with chunks of juicy meat, potatoes and vegetables (vary the vegetables according to what you have and what's in season). It takes a bit of time to cook but you could prepare the chicken filling the day before. As an added bonus, it uses shop-bought shortcrust pastry for the topping.
Roasted tomato pasta with chilli and garlic
This simple yet stunning pasta dish is made with minimal ingredients and will be on the table in less than an hour. The sauce is created from roasted cherry tomatoes (roasting brings out their natural sweetness) and a generous amount of olive oil (so use the best quality oil you can).
Get the recipe for roasted tomato pasta with chilli and garlic here
Halloumi curry with coconut sambal
Chunks of fried halloumi are cooked in a lightly-spiced red onion and red pepper sauce in this simple vegetarian curry. The sambal should be sprinkled over to serve: it's a whizzed-up combination of fresh coriander and desiccated coconut. Serve with rice or flatbreads.
Chicken with pesto, Taleggio and roasted tomatoes
Looking fancy enough for a dinner party, but on the table in 45 minutes. The combination of tender chicken, fragrant pesto, crunchy crumbs, sweet tomatoes and melted cheese is a winner. If you can't find Taleggio, Camembert would be a good substitute.
Get the recipe for chicken with pesto, Taleggio and roasted tomatoes here
One-pot mushroom pasta
Yes really, a pasta dish for six made in just one pan! The trick is to coat the raw pasta well in the sauce, so the strands don't stick together. The result is a creamy sauce, packed with sautéed mushrooms and herbs to go with fettuccine or spaghetti.
Macaroni and cauliflower cheese
Combine two favourite comfort foods, add a touch of Indian spice and you have a warming dinner in around an hour. You can swap the cauliflower for broccoli, or use a mixture of the two. The mixture of grated cheese and breadcrumbs makes for a tasty topping with a bit of crunch.
Plantain and chickpea curry
Plantain is part of the banana family and here it's combined with chickpeas, coconut, spinach and spices to make an easy one-pot vegan dish. The recipe includes all-purpose seasoning which is a blend of dried herbs and spices, but just omit if you don't have any in the cupboard.
Roast chicken with ginger mayonnaise
Flavoured with a spice rub of smoked paprika and ginger, this chicken recipe produces a wonderfully crisp skin. Save time by adding ginger and watercress to shop-bought mayo, rather than making it from scratch. Serve with new potatoes and buttered green beans.
Get the recipe for roast chicken with ginger mayonnaise here
Cheese and onion tarte tatin
Sweet, buttery caramelised onions take centre stage in this upside-down pie, flavoured with smoked plant-based Cheddar and crispy sage leaves. You'll need an ovenproof, lidded frying pan to make it. The puff pastry is shop-bought and the whole tart is ready in under an hour. It's a vegan recipe but feel free to use dairy ingredients instead.
One-pan spinach lasagne
Perfect for midweek, this rich, creamy shortcut lasagne is ready in 35 minutes. You'll need a large, non-stick frying pan with a lid. It's simple to make, with a base sauce of cream cheese, cream and Parmesan, plus courgettes and spinach. The dried lasagne sheets are snapped into pieces to create a cheat's layered dish and are submerged in the sauce until cooked.
Mushroom and lentil pie
Here's a lovely veggie version of a British classic. With both dried and fresh mushrooms and yeast extract, it has an intense savoury flavour. Topped with root vegetable mash and cheese, it's high in protein and filling with the addition of lentils. You can make the pie ahead then bake when you're ready to serve.
Burmese pork curry
This easy curry is sweet, sour and salty, rather than fiery like some Thai or Indian curries. It takes a bit of time to cook, but the preparation is quick. It freezes very well too, or it can be prepared ahead of time then reheated.
Italian ham and cheese pie
Melting cheese, ham and tomato are sandwiched between two sheets of shop-bought puff pastry for an easy dinner with few ingredients. It's important to use a strongly-flavoured cheese such as Gruyère or aged Cheddar, and good-quality ham. Serve with a green salad.
Salmon and dill burger
These juicy burgers are ready in just 30 minutes. Fresh salmon is mixed with smoked salmon, fresh dill and lemon, and the patties are served with a zingy lemon and caper mayonnaise on the side. The recipe makes eight burgers but any extra can be frozen raw if required.
Smoked sausage pasta
This Scandi-style pasta is creamy and comforting, and it's quick to make. Chunks of smoked sausage are combined with cream, mustard, paprika and capers for a sharp, spiced, rich sauce. As always, adding a little of the pasta cooking water to the sauce helps it stick to the pasta, due to the starch.
Cauliflower cheese and white bean bake
A favourite side is transformed into a filling, protein-packed meal which is quick and easy on the pocket. The glossy cheese sauce is seasoned with nutmeg and mustard, then the dish is topped with breadcrumbs for texture. It can be made ahead and reheated to serve.
Get the recipe for cauliflower cheese and white bean bake here
Meatloaf
Always a winner, this meatloaf is topped with a sticky tomato glaze and served with tasty gravy. Using minced beef, pork and sausagemeat gives plenty of juices to make the sauce with. It's shaped and baked in a deep roasting tin. The recipe serves six.
Chicken and prawn stir-fry
This tasty stir-fry is loaded with vegetables and packed with flavour from black bean sauce, Chinese five-spice powder, ginger and garlic. It serves six and it's ready in 30 minutes – just have everything prepped and ready to go before you begin to cook.
Mushroom pie
In this recipe, whole mushrooms are cooked with vegetables, chestnuts and walnuts in a rich mushroom gravy, then covered with crisp filo pastry. Sautéing the mushrooms gives them colour and texture – just ensure both your pan and the olive oil are really hot, so the mushrooms don't become soggy.
Spicy chicken and cashew traybake
Everyone loves an easy traybake, with minimal prep and washing up, where the oven does all the hard work. The flavour here comes from a homemade Cajun spice blend, but you can save time by buying one. With sweet peppers, fiery chorizo, tomatoes and sweet potatoes, it's a complete meal all made in one tin.
Roast avocado and chicken with 'nduja butter
With just 10 minutes of preparation, this is a next-level traybake with chicken fillets, aubergines and avocado baked with spicy 'nduja butter. 'Nduja is a spicy, soft sausage from the south of Italy, although you could use skinless cooking chorizo instead. Simply serve with some new potatoes and a green salad.
Get the recipe for roast avocado and chicken with 'nduja butter here
Sweet potato, feta and red onion frittata
Fancy something light but still flavour-packed for dinner? Look no further than a frittata. The Italian dish is similar to an omelette, but is stuffed with extra ingredients and flashed under a grill to finish. Here, tender sweet potatoes, sharp feta and caramelised red onion, plus thyme, garlic and parsley, provide the perfect balance.
Get the recipe for sweet potato, feta and red onion frittata here
Cauliflower korma
Creamy kormas are usually made with chicken, but this version makes a perfect midweek veggie main. The ingredients are simple, mostly from the store cupboard – our recipe also calls for natural yogurt, instead of cream which is often included, for a lighter dish. Serve it with rice and flatbreads.
One-pan vegetable lasagne
A classic meat lasagne is a labour of love, not a dish for midweek cooking. This veggie version is a great, comforting alternative, with five different vegetables and plenty of cheese. You'll need a deep, ovenproof sauté pan to make it, and it's ready in 40 minutes using fresh pasta sheets.
Chicken and pumpkin traybake
Everyone loves an effortless traybake. Here, chicken breasts, tomatoes, onions and pumpkin (or use butternut squash) are cooked in stock and balsamic vinegar with fresh herbs and garlic to make a great midweek meal. You could add some small new potatoes too, if you're feeding hollow-legged teenagers.
Peanut satay chicken
Although this recipe serves two, you could easily double it to feed a family of four – and we guarantee everyone will love it. Strips of chicken thigh fillet (which is a more flavourful cut) are marinated in turmeric, curry powder and garlic. Once cooked, the meat is drizzled in a moreish peanut butter and coconut milk sauce, which is infused with lemongrass and ginger.
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