These Dinner Ideas Are So Easy, They Practically Make Themselves

Featured Image Source

It’s dinner time again? It gets really hard to make dinner every single night. Not to mention the difficulty of satisfying the picky eaters in your family. Sometimes, ordering in seems like a brilliant option. Easy dinner ideas? Witchcraft.

While there’s no shame in Doordashing some pizza to your front porch, we want to give you ideas for some easy dinners. So turn on the crockpot, grab a glass of wine, take the apron off, and let dinner basically cook itself tonight.

First, here are some necessary materials you hopefully already have — if you don’t, trust us, they’re worth it.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

Thanks to Delish for this recipe!

Directions

1. Put the chicken breast in the crockpot and sprinkle it with taco seasoning mix. Pour 1 cup of salsa over the chicken and cover it. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6-8. 

2. Once it’s done cooking, use two forks to shred the chicken. Add the remaining cup of salsa and toss to coat.

One-Pan Salmon and Veggies

Thanks to Tasty for this recipe!

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cover a sheet pan in foil or parchment paper and spread the potatoes on the pan. Drizzle with olive oil and add salt, pepper, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Bake for 30 minutes. 

2. Make the salmon glaze. Combine salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon of thyme, 2 garlic cloves, ginger, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Mix well. 

3. Remove the potatoes from the oven and push them to one part of the pan. Place the salmon on the pan and brush both sides with the glaze. 

4. Put the asparagus on the pan and top with the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle the last tablespoon of thyme on the asparagus and potatoes as well. 

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Potato and Sous Vide Steak Bites

Thanks to Anova for this recipe!

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 129.2°F. 

2. Combine the steak and 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium zipper lock or vacuum seal bag. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique or a vacuum sealer on the dry setting. Place the bag in the water bath and set the timer for 3 ½ hours. 

3. Slice the potato into ¼-inch thick rounds. 

4. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and add the potatoes. Boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry. 

5. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water and remove the steak. Discard the cooking liquid. 

6. Heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the thyme and potatoes and fry until golden brown. Transfer to a plate. 

7. Return to the skillet and add the steak. Sear it until it’s well-browned. This should take about 30 seconds per side. Put it back on the plate and wait 5 minutes until you slice it. 

8. Serve the dish with one slice of cucumber on each potato slice. Top with Dijon mustard and a piece of steak.

Build-Your-Own BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizzas

Thanks to Tasty for this recipe!

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 

2. Arrange the baguette pieces on the baking sheets cut side up. 

3. Margherita Pizza: Spread 2 baguette pieces with tomato sauce and top with shredded mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and basil. 

4. BBQ Chicken: Spread 2 baguette pieces with the BBQ sauce and top with the shredded chicken, shredded mozzarella, and red onion. 

5. Bake until the cheese is browned and bubbling, about 10 minutes. 

6. Garnish the appropriate pizzas — Margherita with chopped basil and red pepper flakes and BBQ with green onions.

Easy Hamburger Potato Casserole

Thanks to Eating On A Dime for this recipe!

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

2. Brown your ground beef and set aside.

3. Peel and slice the potatoes and set aside. 

4. In a mixing bowl, combine cream of mushroom soup, milk, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix well and set aside. 

5. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray. Layer in the potatoes, beef, soup, and cheese. Repeat. Top it off with remaining cheese. 

6. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Sit for 10 minutes, cut, and serve.

Instant Pot Chicken Marinara with Polenta

Thanks to The Modern Proper for this recipe!

Directions

1. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon of salt and add them and the tomato sauce to your pressure cooker. Give it a quick stir to combine. 

2. Cover with the lid and turn to manual (pressure cook) mode. Cook on high for 5 minutes.

3. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes then do a quick release for any remaining pressure.

4. While the chicken is cooking, bring the chicken stock to a boil in a medium sized pot. Whisk the polenta and cook while stirring until the polenta has absorbed all the liquid. This should take about 12-14 minutes. Cover with a lid until it’s ready to serve. 

5. Use two forks to shred the thighs in the tomato sauce. Serve over polenta and enjoy!

See? Dinner is easy with these recipes! Which one are you making first? Comment below!

For More Simple Dinner Recipes, Check Out These:

Hate Cleaning Up After Dinner? These One-Pan Meals Will Make It Way Easier

Dinner Is Suddenly So Easy With These One Pot Pasta Recipes