100 Family Dinner Ideas

‘What’s for dinner tonight’? - the daily dread of answering the ‘what’s for dinner’ question is enough to send any parent into a meltdown! Every day, it’s the same … ‘what can I make for dinner that’s quick and easy' and everyone will eat ‘. I hear ya … it’s a head wreck.

So I have come to the rescue. Well actually my followers on instagram have! (You can check out my instagram here). Over the last few months, we have been compiling a list of 100 REAL dinners, as made by you.

Some of them may not be fancy. Some of them may not be creative. But here are some ideas for ‘what’s for dinner that’s different’ from the very people who’ve answered that question!

I have included some links to recipes but mostly - please just use this for inspiration to answer the ‘what’s for dinner’ question!

Chicken Recipe Ideas

1. Cheesy mash with smoky chicken thighs and green beans
2. Chicken and broccoli bake
3. “Bash it about Chicken” with mash and sauteed broccoli from Chop, Cook, Yum
4. Chicken and potato curry
5. Chicken Caesar salad
6. Chicken casserole
7. Chicken curry with cous cous/rice
8. Chicken Piri piri tray bake
9. Chicken nuggets and wedges
10. Chicken pie
11. Chicken Risotto
12. Roast chicken with mash and veg - try this easy and quicker spatchcock recipe from Ballymaloe here
13. Chicken, leek and mushroom vol au vent with rice
14. Chicken in bread crumbs and spuds
15. Chicken, vegetable and lentil casserole
16. Green Curry
17. Home made soup and chicken sandwiches
18. Homemade chicken Kiev, baby potatoes and green beans
19. Japanese curry
20. Kung Po Chicken with black bean stir fry veg
21. Mango chutney chicken
22. Onion chicken with cheesy mash
23. Roast chicken roast potatoes carrots gravy
24. Sweet n sour chicken - try Neven Maguire’s recipe
25. Tandoori chicken with pitta pockets with salad
26. Spicy Chicken with spicy veg rice
27. Whiskey glazed chicken wings
28. Mexican Wraps - veggies, chicken, rice, cheese, salsa, guac
29. Pesto stuffed chicken with salad
30. Turkey burgers with salad and wedges
31. Baked chicken with cream, mustard and mango chutney - rice and salad
32. Tandoori chicken with salad
33. Satay Chicken
34. Chicken piri piri tray bake from Neven Maguire

Vegetarian and plant-based dinner options

35. Batch cooked veggie chilli
36. Lentil Dahl with homemade pita
37. Orecchiette with brocolli and anchovies
38. Potato curry
39. Roast butternut squash risotto and salad
40. Roast veg lasagne
41. Vegan spag bol (using the denny mince and hummus gnocchi for the kids)
42. Egg fried rice
43. Quiche with broccoli and cheddar
44. “Bottom of the Fridge” fritatta - from my cookbook Chop, Cook, Yum
45. Veggie stir fry
46. Tik Tok feta and tomato sauce with pasta
47. Eggs Baked with Tomatoes and Red Peppers
48. Baked Stuffed Flat Mushrooms Topped with a Poached Egg and Cheese
49. Vegetable Burrito Bowl with Spicy Eggs
50. 15-minute Rogan Josh
51. Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Pasta Bake
52. Roasted Cauliflower, Lentil, Pea and Happy Pear Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Salad
53. Veggie black bean enchiladas
54. 5-a-day spiced veg stew
55. Mushroom bake
56. Vegetarian stir-fry with cashew nuts

Pasta Recipes

57. Bolognese
58. Carbonara
59. Cajun and garlic chicken and chorizo creamy pasta
60. Creamy mushroom and broccoli pasta
61. Jessica's ham and pasta bake
62. Lasagne
63. Macaroni and cheese
64. Pasta Puttanesca
65. Pasta using your veg sauce from the freezer - recipe in my kids cookbook Chop, Cook, Yum
66. Pesto pasta and chilli
67. Roast sausage and vegetable pasta from Donal Skehan
68. Veggie lasagne
69. Veggie pasta bake

Meat Recipes

70. Bangers and mash
71. Beef Stew
72. Sausage and mash with onion gravy and peas
73. Beef bourgeon and colcannon
74. Bacon and cabbage
75. Pork with mushrooms
76. Homemade bolognese with loadsa veg
77. Bacon and cabbage on the slow cooker
78. Beef chilli
79. Steak burger, mash, turnip and steamed carrot and onions
80. Taco mix beef
81. San Choy Bow - mince wrapped in lettuce leaves
82. Cottage pie and homemade chips
83. Enchiladas
84. Home made burgers
85. Cottage pie
86. Savoury mince, carrots and mash
87. Meatloaf

Miscelleneous

88. Cheese board
89. Fake pizza (wrap) and garlic flat bread (yoghurt + flour)
90. Homemade pizza
91. Nachos
92. Wraps with choice of salad, veg, rice, hummus, relish, falafel, veg chicken, nuggets
93. Baked potatoes with coleslaw, salad, beans, anything leftover!

Seafood Recipes

94. Baked salmon with ratatouille
95. Salmon with cauliflower rice and peas from my kids cookbook Chop, Cook, Yum
96. Fish and chips with peas and salad
97. Spicy tuna and pasta from Trish Lewis - we always try and use Shine’s tuna - it’s the king of tuna!
98. Fish tacos
99. Garlic prawns with tomato pasta
100. Piri Piri prawns
101. Salmon, pesto pasta & broccolli
102. Sushi
103. Roasted salmon, tomatoes & green beans
104. Tuna fish cakes
105. Hake and chorizo bake with new potatoes
106. Baked spuds, tuna, cheese and salad
107. Cod & ratatouille with some whole wheat pasta
108. Jambalaya with seafood
109. Fish Pie like this one from Donal Skehan
110. Baked sweet potato with trout and avocado - super quick recipe from Lilly Higgins