6 Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes for a Busy Weeknight

A busy week can tire a person, and all you want to do on weekends is relax and rest. Weekends not only call for sleeping but also for treating yourself to lovely things like spa trips, long showers, and delicious meals.  When trying to save time, many people opt for a takeaway, but a healthy homemade dinner is far better than overspending. Here are six quick dinner recipes that are not only tasty but also take only 15 minutes to get ready.

Easy Weeknight Meals For Vegetarians

Eating vegetarian food doesn't have to be complicated or restrictive. Here are some flavor-packed, nutritious dishes with easy dinner recipes for vegetarians or anyone wanting to incorporate more plant-based foods.

Vegetarian Mac And Cheese

Mac n Cheese is the ultimate comfort food; It’s only right to make a vegan version of the dish to satisfy your food craving while you eat with the family or enjoy your favorite movie with a mouth-watering dinner. Vegan Mac and Cheese is very easy to cook; here is what you gotta do. 

For the cheese sauce part, simmer potatoes and sweet potatoes until soft. Add sea salt, garlic, cashews, nutritional yeast, onion powder, then some apple cider vinegar, water, and olive oil. Make a puree for that cheese-like creamy texture. In a different pot, boil your pasta and pour the sauce over it. Toss it together, and your vegan mac and cheese is ready. You can top it with pickled jalapeno or bacon bits to add more flavor to your dinner.

Potato Soup

One of the easy dinner recipes is potato soup. It is so good if you feel cold or just trying to cook something comforting and filling. Usually, potato soup has bacon chunks, but who needs bacon when you can add a rich, smoky flavor with paprika?

For this recipe, stir-fry some garlic and green onions in a pot, add small cubes of potato and vegetable broth, salt, vinegar, and pepper, boil it, and make sure the potato cubes are small so that it cook properly. At this point, you can either add corn flour, heavy cream, or plant-based protein, such as pureed white beans. When the soup is cooked, take half of the potatoes out and mash the remaining potatoes. Once the puree is ready, add those half potatoes back in and the smoked paprika, and your delicious soup is ready.

Chilli Oil Noodles

If you are a fan of Chinese and Asian cuisine, then you need to try this extremely easy noodle recipe. For this meal, all you need is a good spice tolerance, chili oil, and egg noodles. There are two ways of making chili oil noodles; let's find out

For the first method, boil noodles, put them in a bowl ( avoid plastic bowls), and add chili flakes, sesame seeds, chopped garlic (you can also use garlic powder), and chopped green onion. Pour hot oil on top and toss the bowl; your noodles are ready. The second trick is to make chili oil separately, put it in your boiled noodle bowl, and toss it. This way, you can also make and preserve chili oil for later. 

Easy Dinner Recipes For Meat Lovers

Now that we have discussed some fun vegetarian options, here are some quick dinner recipes for people who love taking in proteins. These fast dinner ideas are not only great for weekend meals but also serve as good dishes for friend and family gatherings.

Cheesy Chicken Fajita Casserole

One easy-to-make chicken recipe is Fajita Casserole. It takes fewer ingredients and takes around 15 minutes to prepare. If you want to satisfy your taste buds, the creamy goodness of cheese and the spicy flavor of fajita seasoning make this dish the right choice for you. Here is how to make it.

Take chicken breasts and slit them in half. Now add fajita seasoning, salt, and olive oil, and keep it to marinate. Take a pan and add some oil, put onion cubes in it, and cook it til golden brown. Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook them from both sides for a while. For more flavor and texture, add slices of bell peppers ( different color bell peppers if you like) on top of the chicken pieces. Cook them for a while till the peppers are a little softer, then shred cheddar cheese on top and let it melt, and here you go, your cheesy chicken fajita casserole is ready.

Mongolian Beef

Mongolian Beef is a tasty option for people who like steaks and beef dishes. This recipe takes about 20 minutes to make and turns out very delicious. You can eat this with mashed potatoes, rice, or ramen. Here is how to make it.

First, cut your steak into small pieces and flatten them with a meat pounder. Coat these small steak pieces with corn flour and let them sit for 15 minutes. Shallow fry them in a pan, and once the beef is cooked, take the steak pieces out. In the remaining oil, saute some chopped garlic and then put soy sauce, brown sugar, and water in it. Fold the steak pieces back in and cook it for a few minutes till the sauce thickens. Once the steak is ready, garnish it with green onions, and your Mongolian beef is ready.

Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken is a rich and creamy dish perfect for those who love flavorful Indian cuisine. This easy dinner recipe takes about 20 minutes to prepare and pairs well with naan, rice, or roti. Here is how to make it.

First, cut the boneless chicken into smaller portions and evenly mix it with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, and salt. Allow it to rest for a period of no less than 15 minutes. Heat butter in a pan, then add your marinated chicken, allowing it to cook until it turns golden brown. Once done, remove the chicken and in the same pan, add chopped onions, tomatoes, and cashew nuts. Blend it all together until smooth then put it back into the pan. Mix it with butter, cream, garam masala, and for added sweetness, a dash of honey. Fold in the chicken and let it simmer for a few minutes to thicken the sauce. Finally, garnish with cilantro, and you have Butter Chicken.

Family dinners are a great opportunity to catch up and build bonds with your family. To make mealtime enjoyable and rewarding, why not give these easy and breezy delicious recipes a try on the next weekend? From cozy little classics to new and exciting tastes to quick, effortless meals, these recipes can cater to any meal need and make it memorable. Let the goodness of food unite everyone, and if you want, let the burden of the week fade away by indulging in these tasty meals. Enjoy family dinners filled with peace, love, laughter, and most importantly, happiness.

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