Easy and Delicious Dinners For The Family
Family dinner is an important time for everyone to sit down, talk about their days, and partake in a delicious and healthy meal. Family dinners provide a great opportunity for everyone to come together, bond, and strengthen their relationships. However, meal planning can be tough, and you don't want to end up eating the same thing too many days in a row. Thankfully, there is no shortage of easy and delicious family dinner ideas that you can quickly whip up for your next family meal.
1. Lemon Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders
One dinner idea that can please even the pickiest of eaters is these lemon garlic parmesan chicken tenders. Baked, crispy, and easy to make, these will be some of the best homemade tenders you've ever had.
To get started, you'll need a few simple ingredients.
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 28 ounces chicken tenders
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Once you have all the ingredients pulled together, preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and whisk together your egg, oil, lemon juice, and garlic, with some salt and pepper to taste. When everything is mixed, dip your chicken tenders in and let them sit for about five minutes.
While your tenders are sitting, mix together your breadcrumbs and parmesan in another bowl. Once mixed, dip your tenders into the crumbs and press evenly to coat them. When your tenders are thoroughly coated, place them on your greased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes on each side. You can broil them for the last two to three minutes to make them extra crispy. If you want, you can also mix together a honey mustard sauce using a 1/2 cup of mayo, 1/4 cup of Dijon mustard, and a 1/4 cup of honey.
Once you put this down on the table your family is going to be requesting this for dinner at least once a week!
2. Quick and Easy Baked Spaghetti
Spaghetti is a dinnertime classic but this baked spaghetti takes your traditional pasta to a whole other level, and the best part is that it is quick and easy to make!
To make this delicious baked spaghetti, gather the following ingredients.
- 16 ounces of spaghetti noodles
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 24-ounce jar of marinara sauce
- 1 container of ricotta cheese
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Once you have all the ingredients, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and start boiling a pot of water for your noodles. While cooking the pasta, add a tsp of salt to the water and boil until al dente, about eight to 10 minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, start putting together the sauce by simmering it over medium heat. In a separate pan, brown your ground beef and break it into small pieces until thoroughly brown. When the meat is cooked, stir in the heated sauce and stir to mix.
Next, drain your pasta a let it sit to cool for five minutes. While cooling, mix together your ricotta cheese and Italian seasoning. In another bowl, toss together your eggs, parmesan cheese, and cooled noodles.
In your greased baking dish you can then place half of the pasta mixture, evenly distributing it as a bottom layer. Add half of the pasta sauce mix over this and smooth over the noodles before sprinkling half of the cheese atop the sauce. Repeat with the remaining half.
Once everything is layered in your dish, bake covered for 30 minutes and another 10 to 14 minutes uncovered to allow for the cheese to brown. You can let it cool for about five minutes before serving it up to your eagerly waiting family.
Dish Up The Good Times
Family dinner is one of the most important times of the day, and nothing beats serving up a delicious meal that the whole family can bond over. Both of these recipes are both delicious and easy, and they can even be reheated for an easy left-over meal on your favorite durable dinnerware.
If you're struggling to come up with your next family dinner, give both of these recipes a try and see which one will become your family's next favorite.