We are all busy and need some easy weeknight dinners to have in our back pockets! Luckily, getting a healthy dinner on the table fast can be both easy and delicious! Here are some of our favorites, plus a recipe for delicious eggplant baked pasta!
Best easy weeknight dinners
I started transitioning my family to a whole food way of eating when I was a busy new mom who was working as a full time teacher. My husband was active duty military at the time and had a wacky, unpredictable work schedule and my commute each day was gnarly with thick Southern California traffic.
So, I didn’t have a lot of time or mental steam for fussy dinners.
Easy weeknight dinners saved my sanity. And even though my daughter is now a big kid, my husband works a predictable 9-5 schedule, and I have traded my commute and preschool classroom for my kitchen and this blog as my everyday job, easy healthy dinners are still my focus each night when making dinner.
Because who has time for fussy meals? Not me and cooking is literally part of my job.
What to look for in an easy and healthy weeknight dinner?
Veggie-loaded. Dinner is not complete in my book without a healthy serving of veggies, so every easy weeknight dinner I serve up (here and in my house) incorporates vegetables in an easy and delicious way.
Quick. And the quicker the better. Most people have 30 minutes or less to throw dinner together at the end of a busy day, so these easy weeknight dinners focus on helping you spend as little time in the kitchen as possible.
Made from simple, whole food ingredients. Things that are easy to find at most grocery stores. Ingredients that are nourishing and fueling. These easy weeknight dinners have a variety of protein, everything from beans, legumes to meats and seafood. So no matter what your family’s eating style, there is something to inspire you in the kitchen!
Kitchen tools handy for making healthy easy weeknight dinners
You don’t have to have fancy kitchen gear to make quick dinners for a weeknight, but there are a few kitchen tools that certainly help make everything come together a bit easier. Here are the kitchen tools and gadgets I use time and time again to get meals on the table in a flash.
Who doesn't love a quick and easy 30-minute meal made in a skillet? This sweet potato apple sausage skillet dinner comes together super quick, is full of flavor and protein. Gluten free and easily made Paleo and Whole30 with compliant sausage
These veggie quesadillas are loaded with spinach, lentils, carrot and lots of cheese! Not only are they quick, they are loaded with flavor, veggies and protein, and are also super adaptable and the perfect healthy meal for lunch or dinner!
A Paleo twist on a classic Italian dish, this Chicken Piccata Stir-Fry is easy and quick to make! Done in about 30 minutes, it is the perfect weeknight dinner. Whole30 friendly, gluten free, dairy-free.
Easy, delicious and made from items you likely have in your freezer or pantry, this Teriyaki Broccoli Chickpea Stir Fry is going to be a new healthy dinner recipe staple.
This healthy one-skillet Teriyaki Chicken & Veggie Stir Fry is a healthy version of the classic dish. Super easy to make and so flavorful! It’s gluten free, dairy free, Whole30, Paleo and sweetened with a few dates.
This Sheet Pan Orange Tofu & Veggie recipe is full of flavor, cooks up in about 30 minutes and is a simple, delicious vegetarian dinner for those busy weeknights!
This Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies is going to be your new favorite easy dinner! Sweet potato, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and your favorite sausage all seasoned to perfection and roasted up in just 20 minutes on one pan.
Sheet Pan Veggie Fajitas are perfect meatless dinner. Cooked to perfection on sheet pans, these vegan fajitas are packed with flavor and so many veggies—peppers, cauliflower, onions, and portobello mushrooms.
This One-Sheet Roasted Garlic Salmon & Broccoli is easy, quick, and full of flavor! A complete & delicious dinner that is Whole30, gluten free, and dairy free made entirely on one sheet pan….could it get any better?
One-Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken & Summer Veggies is the perfect fast & healthy go-to for when dinner time sneaks up on you! Juicy chicken, delicious veggies, and a flavorful pesto will make this dinner a regular on your family’s meal plan.
Done in just 20 minutes, thisCreamy Broccoli Pasta is an amazing one-pot vegetarian pasta. Cooked, bite-size broccoli is tossed in a simple cheesy pasta sauce made of cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Enjoy this veggie-loaded pasta as main meal or as a pasta side dish!
This Baked Pasta with Eggplant is an easy, family-friendly pasta casserole dish with added veggies. It's vegetarian and can easily be made gluten free and dairy-free.
This Mushroom Lentil Pasta is the perfect easy dinner to cook up in no time! Hearty, vegetarian/vegan, flavorful and super budget friendly. Healthy comfort food at its finest and the perfect family dinner recipe.
This is my twist on the infamous TikTok baked feta pasta. This EASY dinner recipe is super delicious, creamy, and flavorful. The addition of cooked chickpeas gives this dish a punch of protein + spinach for some green goodness make this simple meal extra good!
This One-Pot Cheesy Butternut Squash Pasta recipe is made with lots of amazing squash and even some spinach! Perfectly cheesy and cooked up in one pot, this cozy veggie-loaded dinner is done and on the table in under 30 minutes!
Instant Pot Lentil Soup is hearty, delicious and like a hug in a bowl. This soup is easy to make and leaves you feeling so satisfied and good from the inside out. Full of veggies, your favorite broth and oh-so-good for you lentils, this dish is vegan, gluten free and your new best friend.
This veggie-loaded Instant Pot Tomato Soup is easy to make in minutes and packed with goodness! Kid-friendly and can easily be made dairy-free and vegan, this is the perfect healthy soup to make for your family!
Instant Pot Salsa Chicken is quick, easy and so delicious. Made with just 3 ingredients, it is veggie-loaded with some added spinach and cooks up in just minutes. This pressure cooker chicken is the perfect weeknight meal that is also family friendly and healthy!
This Instant Pot Black Bean Soup is the perfect healthy dinner to make any night of the week. Hearty, easy to whip up and is veggie-loaded with delicious butternut squash. Vegan and gluten free.
This Instant Pot Paleo Pumpkin Chili is packed with flavor! Pumpkin, spices, vegetables and meat combine to make a hearty and satisfying meal. Gluten free, dairy-free and sure to be a hit with the family!
Super fast to make, veggie-loaded and full of warm flavors, Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Butternut Squash Chicken Curry is the perfect dinner any night of the week! Heavenly over cauliflower rice, jasmine rice or completely on its own, this dinner will dazzle your tastebud while saving you time in the kitchen.
Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli is going to be a busy weeknight dinner game changer for you. Made with ease and speed, this dish is full of flavor and made with nothing but squeaky clean ingredients to fuel you on! Paleo, dairy-free, gluten free and even a Whole30 option.
This Baked Pasta with Eggplant is an easy, family-friendly pasta casserole dish with added veggies. Vegetarian and can easily can be made gluten free and dairy-free.
1/2cupmozzarella cheese, shredded, optional. Omit for dairy-free
2cupsloosely packed baby spinach, chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425℉.
In a casserole pan, combine chopped eggplant, onions and garlic. Drizzle the oil over the top of the veggies and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat.
Place veggies in the preheated oven a roast for 30 minutes.
While the veggies roast, cook pasta according to directions. Once it is done cooking, drain water and set pasta aside.
When veggies are done roasting, add the cooked pasta, chopped spinach, and sauce to the casserole pan. Toss to coat and smooth out into an even layer. Sprinkle with cheese and put back into the oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
