Easy Dinner Ideas & Recipes for Satisfying Family Dinners

Instructions

1. Thaw roast to room temp
2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F
3. Season roast
4. Sear in avocado oil over medium-high heat till browned all over the outside.
5. Add to your dutch oven 1 chopped onion, chopped carrots, 1 pound baby potatoes
6. Add 1 qt beef broth
7. Cover and Bake at 250 degrees F for 6 hours.

Instructions

1. Gather Marinade Ingredients.
2. In a bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients until well combined. Set aside a small portion of the marinade for brushing the kabobs during grilling.
3. Place the chicken cubes in a resealable bag or a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken, ensuring all pieces are well coated. Seal the bag or cover the dish, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight, allowing the flavors to infuse into the chicken.
4. If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for about 30 minutes to prevent burning.
5. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
6. Thread the marinated chicken, pineapple chunks, bell peppers, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and red onion wedges onto the skewers, alternating the ingredients.
7. Place the assembled kabobs on the preheated grill. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally, or until the chicken is cooked through to 165 degrees F, and the vegetables have softened with some char marks.
8. While grilling, brush the reserved marinade over the kabobs occasionally for extra flavor and moisture.
9. Once cooked, remove the kabobs from the grill and let them rest for a couple of minutes.
10. Serve the delicious grilled chicken kabobs hot. They pair well with a side of rice, a crisp salad, or some warm pita bread.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.
2. Place boneless skinless chicken breasts in a large baking dish and pour the marinade over them. Turn the chicken to coat it evenly with the marinade, and let sit for 30 minutes.
3. Add 2 tablespoons butter to a non-stick large skillet or cast iron pan and heat to medium heat.
4. Pan-sear your chicken pieces just till they are golden brown... Do not try to cook all the way in the pan. They will finish cooking in the oven.
5. Remove browned chicken breast from the hot skillet and arrange them in a single layer with asparagus in the baking dish with the marinade.
6. Bake lemon chicken with asparagus for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the asparagus is tender. Right cooking time will vary depending on your stove and chicken breasts.
7. Serve hot and enjoy!

Instructions

1.Cook chicken breasts in the instant pot with 2 cups chicken broth (or water) for 30 minutes.

2. Let chicken cool slightly.

3. Dice chicken into ½ inch squares. (It will kind of fall apart as you chop it, but that is the way you want it!)

4. Place diced chicken into mixing Bowl.

5. Dice red onion into small pieces, I like to use the food processor, and add to chicken.

6. Chop green onion, and add to chicken.

7. Chop parsley and herbs, and add to chicken.

8. Make and add dressing.

9. Bake bacon on brown paper bags till crispy, crumble and add to salad, reserve 2 tablespoons for garnishing.

10. Garnish with bacon and green onion.

Cover with plastic wrap till ready to serve.

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

1. In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, garlic, thyme, rosemary, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
2. Pat the whole chicken dry with a paper towel, and then rub the herb mixture all over the chicken, including under the skin and in the cavity.
3. Place the lemon slices inside the chicken cavity.
4. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan breast side up.
5. Pour the chicken broth into the roasting pan and cover the chicken with aluminum foil.
6. Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
7. Remove the aluminum foil and continue baking for an additional 30-45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is golden and crispy.
8. Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.
9. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot.

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried thyme, dried rosemary, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir well to create the marinade.

1. Place the chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag or a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken, ensuring each piece is well coated. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours for maximum flavor.

For Gas Grill

1. Preheat your gas grill to medium-high heat.
2. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, allowing any excess marinade to drip off. Discard the remaining marinade.
3. Place the chicken breasts on the grill grates. Grill for about 6-8 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Adjust the cooking time as needed based on the thickness of the chicken breasts.
4. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes before serving. This allows the juices to redistribute for maximum juiciness.

For Charcoal Grill

1. Light a charcoal grill and let the coals burn until they are covered with white ash. Create a two-zone fire by placing the hot coals on one side and leaving the other side without coals for indirect heat.
2. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, allowing any excess marinade to drip off. Discard the remaining marinade.
3. Place the chicken breasts over the indirect heat zone of the grill. Cover the grill and cook for about 6-8 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Adjust the cooking time as needed based on the thickness of the chicken breasts.
4. If desired, during the last few minutes of grilling, you can move the chicken directly over the hot coals to get a nice sear and char on the outside.
5. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes before serving. This allows the juices to redistribute for maximum juiciness.

Serve herbed grilled chicken breasts with green goddess salad, or strawberry salad, BBQ baked beans, pasta salad or loaded potato salad, and soft sourdough rolls!

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat.

• Add a generous pinch of salt and stir in the gemelli pasta.
• Cook according to package instructions until the pasta is al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
• Heat a heavy-based wok or non stick skillet over medium heat and add a little olive oil.

• Add the shrimp (or scallops) and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until they're cooked through and golden.
• Remove from the wok and set aside.
• In the same pan or wok, add a touch more olive oil if needed and sauté the minced garlic until fragrant.

• Pour in the heavy cream and let it simmer gently for a couple of minutes.
• Stir in the pesto sauce, grated Parmesan cheese, and half of the lemon zest and juice. Mix until well combined.
• Add the cooked gemelli pasta to the creamy pesto sauce, tossing to coat the pasta evenly.

• Use reserved pasta cooking water to adjust the sauce consistency as needed.
• Stir in the fresh basil, reserving some for garnish.
• Divide the creamy gemelli pasta among serving plates.

• Top with the seared shrimp (or scallops).
• Sprinkle with buttered Italian bread crumbs and toasted pine nuts for the perfect crunch.
• Garnish each plate with lemon slices and a sprinkle of reserved fresh basil.
• Optionally, add red pepper flakes for a touch of heat.
• Serve this delicious meal immediately, accompanied by some crusty Italian bread.

Instructions

1. First cook your pasta by boiling it for 10 minutes. Then drain and set it aside to cool.
2. Grill or cook your chicken breast, and dice into small pieces, and add to cooked pasta. You want the pieces of this salad small enough that you can get a bit of almost everything on one bite, hence small diced chicken.
3. Chop your veggies into small pieces, and add to pasta bowl with chicken:
4. Red Onion
5. Broccoli
6. Cherry Tomatoes (or other tomatoes if you don’t have cherry)
7. Olives
8. Pepperoncini
9. Add bacon pieces.
10. Chop sharp cheddar cheese – BUT DO NOT ADD TO BOWL TILL PASTA IS TOTALLY COOL or it will melt.
11. Add Dressing and toss. If you add dressing before pasta is cool, the pasta will absorb all the dressing, and your salad will be dry (or you’ll have to add a lot more.)
12. Toss pasta salad, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate till ready to serve!
13. Garnish with Chopped Parsley
14. Enjoy!

Instructions

Brown your ground beef in a large saucepan or skillet -

Add 2 teaspoons of avocado oil to a large skillet, and turn up to medium high heat.

Add your lean ground beef, and cook over medium heat till lightly browned.

Using a slotted spoon or spatula, remove cooked ground beef and let excess fat drain off.

Add the bell peppers onions, and saute in the same large skillet till soft.

Saute for about 5 minutes, till the onions are translucent and the peppers softened. Add the minced garlic and cook half a minute more.

Then, add the browned ground beef back to the pan. Give it a good stir with other ingredients, turn heat to low, and saute for about 5 more minutes.

Pour meat and pepper mixture into a medium-sized pot, (3-4 quart pot) and add all the tomato paste, sauce, and crushed tomatoes to make the sauce.

Now add your seasonings: chopped parsley, oregano, and basil seasonings (or Italian seasonings) and adjust the amounts to taste if needed.

Add sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Taste after adding sugar. (More acidic tomatoes need more sugar, so the amount of sugar needed will vary, depending on the tomatoes you use.)

Salt to taste. (you'll add Parmesan cheese soon which is salty too!)

Simmer tomato sauce on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring often. Make sure to scrape the bottom of your pot couple of minutes to prevent scorching.

Boil and drain the lasagna noodles - Fill a large pot halfway with water, add salt, and bring to a boil. Add 1 package (½ pound box) of dry regular lasagna noodles. Boil noodles to al dente according to package directions (about 10 minutes). Stir noodles while they cook to prevent them from sticking together!

Then drain the noodles in a colander, and rinse them with cold water. If there are noodles stuck together, gently separate them now.

Add a teaspoon of olive oil and give them a quick coat to prevent them from sticking together. Let cooked noodles rest spread out single layer on a paper towel, or spread out on a baking tray or dish.

In a separate large bowl combine

• 2 pounds or 32 oz container of whole milk ricotta cheese (you can also use cottage cheese if you can't get ricotta.)
• 2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded (I prefer whole milk for a creamier cheese layer.)
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese*
• 1 large egg
• Ground black pepper to taste
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves.
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

Assemble the lasagna using a 9x13-inch casserole or lasagna dish.

Add one cup of sauce to the bottom of the dish, and spread evenly to cover.

Then, on top of the sauce add one layer of lasagna noodles in the lengthwise position. (This will use about 3 lasagna noodles, and It's ok if the edge may overlap.)

Spoon ⅓ of the sauce over the noodles.

Then, add half the ricotta cheese mixture, by spooning dollops of cheese mixture every couple of inches in the sauce layer.

Add another layer of 3 noodles, and top them with half of the remaining tomato sauce.

Then, add half of the remaining cheese mixture in dollops every couple of inches into the tomato sauce layer.

Finally, add the final layer of noodles.

Spread all the remaining sauce evenly across the top layer of noodles.

Spread 1.5 cups of shredded Mozzarella cheese on top.

Preheat over to 375 degrees F.

1. Cover your lasagna with tented aluminum foil. (Tented upwards so that it doesn't touch the cheese on top of noodles or sauce).
2. Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes.
3. Then Uncover the lasagna and continue cooking for the last 10 minutes so the cheese melts and for crispy edges and top!
4. Remove from oven, let cool on a rack, or stovetop, for 15 minutes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

1. Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds and membranes.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add ground beef or turkey to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until browned and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
4. Stir in salt, black pepper, oregano, and basil.
5. Add the cooked rice and cherry tomatoes to the skillet and stir to combine.
6. Spoon the ground beef or turkey and rice mixture into the bell peppers until they are filled to the top.
7. Place the stuffed peppers in a baking dish and bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the peppers are tender and the filling is hot and bubbly.
8. Remove the peppers from the oven and sprinkle feta cheese over the top of each pepper.
9. Return the peppers to the oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
10. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.