15 Lazy Back-to-School Dinners for the Busiest Weeknights
Yes, even easier than takeout.
Between stocking up on school supplies, taking your little ones to after-school activities, and attending orientations, it’s safe to say that the back-to-school season is no joke. But when you still want to prepare a home-cooked meal for your family on busy weekdays, you need easy dinner recipes. They're just the remedy for those hectic nights and will keep your entire family nourished without a whole lot of work.
Call these lazy back-to-school dinners if you wish, but they’re the kind of back-to-school meals you can make when you just don't have the energy. These ideas come together in under an hour, and many of them take advantage of single-appliance cooking. Think: one-skillet dinners and sheet-pan meals. They not only make getting dinner on the table easier, but also reduce the number of dishes you need to wash at the end of the night.
You'll also find recipes that take advantage of shortcut ingredients and leftovers, like this pork fried rice or Ree Drummond's chicken pot pie soup, which uses a whole rotisserie chicken. No one will ever know just how easy they both were to prepare. So when you're too overwhelmed to cook, turn to these lazy back-to-school dinner recipes instead of ordering takeout. They will satisfy you and your kiddos!
Dumpling Soup
There's so much more you can do with frozen dumplings than simply heating them up. This cozy soup takes just 15 minutes to throw together. You can use chicken or veggie broth, depending on what you have on hand.
Get the Dumpling Soup recipe.
Sheet Pan Teriyaki Chicken
Sheet pan dinners are a weeknight winner—especially during the busy back-to-school season. This family-friendly version features lots of veggies and your favorite store-bought teriyaki sauce. It’ll be on the table in just 35 minutes.
Get Ree’s Sheet Pan Teriyaki Chicken recipe.
Cacio e Pepe Ravioli
Store-bought ravioli for the win! Toss it with an easy sauce featuring butter, cream, pepper, and pecorino cheese. It tastes like it came right from your favorite Italian restaurant, but it only takes 20 minutes to make.
Get Ree's Cacio e Pepe Ravioli recipe.
Shrimp and Grits
This Southern staple is totally doable on a busy weeknight—seriously. The trick is using quick-cook grits, which are mixed with not one, but three kinds of cheese and tons of butter for a bite that's just so good.
Get Ree's Shrimp and Grits recipe.
Sheet Pan Pork Chops
Another sheet pan recipe to cut down on prep and cleanup! Here, juicy pork chops roast alongside seasonal apples and onions with a tangy honey mustard topping. Serve with crispy Brussels sprouts to round out the meal.
Get Ree’s Sheet Pan Pork Chops recipe.
7-Can Soup
Don’t look any further than your pantry for this one-pot wonder. It is as easy as tossing in cans of beans, corn, tomatoes, and chili in a pot and heating it up. Then add some Velveeta for creaminess and serve.
Get Ree’s 7-Can Soup recipe.
Lemon Pasta
Between carpooling and chores, it can be a tricky task to get a family-friendly dinner on the table. That's where this 30-minute lemon pasta comes in. Bonus: It uses ingredients that you probably already have in your fridge and pantry.
Get the Lemon Pasta recipe.
Marry Me Chicken
Ree insists that even if you don't score a proposal, everyone at the table will still be more than satisfied. That's because the combination of sun-dried tomatoes, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese is irresistible.
Get Ree's Marry Me Chicken recipe.
Sheet Pan Gnocchi
When you need a low effort, high reward dinner, this sheet pan recipe will save the day. A package of refrigerated gnocchi bakes up with a bevy of colorful vegetables, tons of gooey fresh mozzarella, and fragrant basil.
Get the Sheet Pan Gnocchi recipe.
Pork Fried Rice
When you're craving the ease and comfort of takeout, but still want to enjoy a home-cooked meal, make this 30-minute fried rice. It's such a good use of leftover rice from dinner the night before.
Get Ree's Pork Fried Rice recipe.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
When you're craving a comforting slice of chicken pot pie without all of the work, make this cozy soup. It uses a whole rotisserie chicken and store-bought pie crust dough, both of which save so much time.
Get Ree's Chicken Pot Pie Soup recipe.
Hamburger Soup
Ree first developed this soup recipe on a cold night and it quickly became a favorite among her family members. Think of it as a clean out the fridge recipe featuring juicy ground beef.
Get Ree's Hamburger Soup recipe.
Coconut Chicken Curry
A can of unsweetened coconut milk and diced mangoes help to balance the spicy flavors in this quick curry recipe. It's delicious with chicken thighs, which are super forgiving.
Get the Coconut Chicken Curry recipe.
Veggie Stir-Fry
Clean out your fridge with this veggie-loaded stir-fry. It can be the main course with a side of white rice for a vegetarian-friendly dinner or you can top it off with some delicious grilled salmon or chicken.
Get Ree's Veggie Stir-Fry recipe.
Blackened Salmon with Edamame Succotash
Use end-of-summer produce or easy frozen veggies make this colorful succotash with spicy salmon. You can also make your own blackened seasoning with ease.
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