It can be hard to come up with something new, exciting, and delicious for dinner every night. If you’re like me, you probably find yourself falling into the same old routines that get boring pretty quickly. Hopefully, these 35 recipes can help bring a little excitement back to your table.
1. Lemon Chicken Asparagus Pasta
If you’re looking for a healthy, delicious pasta dish, this is a great option. It pairs grilled chicken and spaghetti noodles with asparagus, red peppers, and plenty of seasonings. It’s a light but flavorful meal, perfect for recreating that iconic Lady and the Tramp spaghetti moment, minus all the mess.
2. Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp scampi is one of the quickest, easiest ways to turn shrimp into a full meal. It takes 25 minutes to make, and the ingredients are pretty common. All you’ll need is linguine, butter, shrimp, parmesan, white wine, and various herbs and seasonings.
3. Tuscan Chicken
This Tuscan chicken has only seven carbs per serving, and it’s exploding with flavor! The chicken breast is tender and juicy, and the sauce is creamy and garlicky. If you enjoy sweet wine, this dish pairs wonderfully with a sparkling moscato.
4. Baked Salmon
You can whip up this nutritious, tasty baked salmon in less than 30 minutes! It’s seasoned perfectly and is so soft, it nearly melts in your mouth. It has a delightful lemon garlic flavor, and at only one carb per serving, it’s the ideal dish for keto couples.
5. Tomato Parmesan
Is there anything better on a long, cool night than hot soup? This one is thick and creamy, and it has a surprising myriad of flavors, thanks to the tomatoes, parmesan cheese, carrots, garlic, and onion. Serve it with slices of thick, hearty bread for a complete meal that’ll keep you full all night.
6. Grilled Flank Steak
Flank steak is the juiciest, tenderest cut of steak there is. Cooked this way, it’s also one of the easiest to make. The hardest part is the marinade, and it’s super easy! Make it with olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and rosemary. Let the steak marinate for a few hours. Then toss it on the grill for about 10 minutes.
7. Shrimp Alfredo
I love pasta because it’s so flavorful and so easy to make. This shrimp alfredo takes about 30 minutes to prepare and only needs eight ingredients. The alfredo sauce is rich, thick, and creamy, and the shrimp has just enough crunch to be enjoyable. If you like Olive Garden’s shrimp alfredo, this recipe will blow your mind.
8. Tomato Bocconcini Flatbread
This flatbread takes a while to rise, so make sure you have at least an hour or so to let it do its thing. It takes approximately 35 minutes to make, aside from the resting time, and it’s so beautiful! The red sauce, white mozzarella, and green leaves look so lovely together. Slice it up, and serve it with white wine.
9. Chicken and Dumplings
Sometimes you just want a thick, stick-to-your-ribs meal that reminds you of home. If your home was anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line, that meal is probably chicken and dumplings. This recipe is one of my favorites because it’s so simple but so tasty. With just a few ingredients, you can pull this together in about an hour. If you make too much, don’t worry; it freezes for up to 6 months!
10. Marry Me Chicken
If just looking at this dish doesn’t make you drool, you may need some glasses because it looks phenomenal! The chicken is tender, and you’ll combine sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, and parmesan cheese for an irresistible, creamy sauce that smells as amazing as it tastes.
11. Caprese Chicken Skillet
This skillet meal takes Caprese salad to a whole new level. With boneless chicken breasts, red onions, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, fresh basil, and more, it’s the perfect summer dinner. Be sure not to skimp on the sauce. The balsamic vinegar and honey mixture adds a tremendous amount of flavor.
12. Roasted Vegetable Salad with Sauce
If you’re looking for a colorful, beautiful, vegetarian-friendly dish, try this roasted vegetable salad. You can tweak the recipe to add your favorite veggies or stick with potatoes, carrots, cabbage, broccolini, and red bell peppers. The green sauce uses avocados, parsley, and a few other things. Together, it’s delicious.
13. Scalloped Potatoes
They must just be a side dish, but these scalloped potatoes will be the star of the table. They require few ingredients – only potatoes, onions, flour, butter, milk, salt, and pepper. I also like to top mine with cheese, garlic, and scallops.
14. Caprese Grilled Filet Mignon (Filet Mignon with Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Basil)
These filet mignons are juicy, cheesy, and perfectly seasoned. Topped with tomato, basil leaves, and mozzarella, they’re five-star restaurant quality. Drizzle the whole thing with some balsamic vinaigrette, and it’s ready to enjoy.
15. Lemon Pepper Chicken
Lemon pepper chicken may not be as exotic as some recipes, but it’s an easy favorite. People like it because it’s so convenient to make. Aside from the chicken, all you need is lemon juice, olive oil, and various seasonings. Prep takes 5 minutes, tops. Bake the chicken for another 30 minutes, then serve it with a side salad.
16. Roasted Vegetables
If you’re looking for the perfect side dish, these roasted vegetables are a great choice. They take a little time to prepare, but they’re worth it. You can use whatever veggies you like, but I tend to stick pretty closely to the recipe. The dressing is incredible; it’s more zesty than sweet, but it’s not so tart that it takes away from the earthiness of the vegetables.
17. Smoked Salmon Pasta
This pasta contains everything you could want in a tasty, hearty dinner – salmon, pasta, cherry tomatoes, and artichoke hearts. You’ll also love the overall smoky, garlicky flavor and the creaminess of the sauce.
18. Vegetable Pasta
Single-pot vegetable pasta is another fabulous option if you need a vegetarian-friendly dinner. No matter what vegetables you use, the final product is full of tomatoey and cheesy yumminess. There’s also garlic, onions, and pepper flakes for a nice kick. Don’t forget the Italian seasoning; that’s what gives it that fantastic smell and taste.
19. Tomato Mexican Rice
This variation on traditional Mexican rice includes tomatoes, garlic, onions, cumin, and chicken broth. It changes the flavor to something a bit more full-flavored and rich. Sprinkle a little lime or lemon juice over it if you like a little zest in your rice.
20. Steak and Potatoes Skillet
Anything with garlic butter on it is usually delicious, and this simple steak and potatoes meal is no exception. The potatoes are crispy, buttery, and covered in garlic. The steak is tender, juicy, and contains a mouthful of flavor in every bite. Plus, this classic dish is just hard to beat.
21. Garlic Butter Shrimp
While we’re on the subject of praising garlic butter, let’s not forget about this superb garlic butter shrimp. It’s just as tasty as the steak and potatoes but has fewer carbs and calories!
22. No-Peek Chicken
If you’re looking for a simple, light meal you can enjoy without too much work, no-peek chicken is ideal. It’s just creamy chicken and rice, and you can whip it up in about 10 minutes. Then, pop it in the oven for about 90 minutes and focus on more important things while it cooks. This meal is one that pretty much makes itself.
23. Tomato Pasta with Butter Sauce
With or without the toasted bread crumbles, this pasta is terrific. It’s a simple, flavorful pasta that tastes like something you’d eat in an Italian grandmother’s kitchen. It may be a little drier than you’re used to, especially with the bread crumbles, but that doesn’t diminish its flavor or yumminess in the least.
24. Chicken Fried Rice
If you want yummy Asian takeout without having to pay takeout prices, use this recipe. It tastes just as good as anything you’d get from the local Chinese restaurant, and it costs half as much! The rice is quick and easy to make, but you should have everything cut and measured beforehand; otherwise, your stir fry might burn. Pro-tip: If you enjoy crunchiness, add some canned water chestnuts, as well.
25. Cheeseburger Meatloaf Recipe
This recipe transforms meatloaf. It’s a cheesier, juicier, and more tender version of the meatloaf your mom and grandmother used to make. It’s genuinely meatloaf for people who hate meatloaf.
26. Chicken Piccata
Chicken piccata is a simple, 30-minute way to add an Italian flair to chicken breast. The white wine, lemon, and butter give the chicken a tender, succulent texture, and the capers and parsley provide it with a unique flavor you won’t soon forget. Plate it on a bed of rice or serve it with roasted veggies. Either way, it’s sure to be a hit.
27. Pasta With Meatballs And Tomato Sauce
The secret to this wonderful pasta is in the homemade meatballs, which are thick, well-seasoned, and mouth-watering. The sauce isn’t bad either. You can pair the sauce and meatballs with whatever pasta you like best. I’m a traditionalist; I use spaghetti.
28. Alfredo Pasta Sauce
This sauce is rich, creamy, and full of butter, milk, and cheese. It’s one of the best homemade alfredo recipes I’ve ever used. No matter what pasta you pair this with, it’s bound to be delicious.
29. Garlic Butter Rice
This mild side dish goes well with most proteins, but I think it works best with baked chicken or fish. It takes about 20 minutes to prepare, and you should have most of the ingredients in your kitchen already.
30. Greek Lemon Garlic Chicken Salad
This dish is gorgeous and full of flavor; my only problem with it is that it’s almost too lovely to eat. It takes a little work to pull together, but it’s 100% worth it, especially if you’re making it to make a good impression. The recipe says you can use store-bought tzatziki, but the homemade version has a better, fuller flavor.
31. Garlic Mushrooms
Garlic mushrooms are a popular side dish, especially when served with steak. However, these are so good, you’ll make them just to eat by themselves. Be sure you find mushrooms that are similar in size so that they cook evenly.
32. Browned Butter Lemon Pasta
This pasta is light, zesty, and lovely, especially if you take the time to make the pretty almond flowers on top. It’s different than most pasta you’re probably used to, and its flavor is hard to describe. Suffice it to say, it’s wonderful, and you can make it in less than half an hour.
33. Condensed Milk Bread
I only added a single bread recipe to this list because it’s the only one you’ll need. Seriously. Eating condensed milk bread is like eating clouds; it’s that soft. It’s also delicious and buttery, and the glaze adds a hint of sweetness. It takes some effort on your part to make it, but you’ll be glad you did.
34. Cinnamon Raisin Rice Pudding
No dinner for two is complete without a tasty, sweet dessert to end the meal. This single-pot rice pudding is a great one because it tastes terrific and is easy to make. Who wants to spend a ton of time making dessert after working hard on dinner? All you’ll need is milk, medium-grain rice, cinnamon, granulated sugar, raisins, vanilla extract, and about 20 minutes of free time. It’s that simple.
35. Jamaican Banana Bread
Spiked with rum and topped with buttery caramel frosting, pecans, and coconut, Jamaican banana bread is another excellent dessert option. The rum and coconut give it a uniquely tropical flavor, and the bananas add a fruity sweetness of which any banana-lover would approve. It’s dense and filling, though, so it’s best when served after a light meal.
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