5 Weeknight Dinners To Make on Repeat

When it's too nice not to be outside all day, these are the quick and easy dinners I make.

Feb 17, 2025 - 16:00
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5 Weeknight Dinners To Make on Repeat
sausage and peppers
Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon

Every Monday, our editors bring you Simply (Weeknight) Recipes, five quick and easy dinner recipes to make this week.

I have a bit of good news and a bit of bad news. Which do you want first? I'll give you the good news: This week, I will finally get 11 hours of daylight where I live in Virginia. Spring is on its way, meaning daffodils will soon bloom, and before I know it, my family will be having dinner outdoors on the deck. Doesn't that sound nice (and warm)?

The bad news: Things are going to start getting really busy. Longer days and warmth mean soccer and baseball practices, track meets, and playdates at the pool. By dinnertime, my energy is usually zapped from having driven the kids around all day that I don't feel like cooking.

So why am I telling you this? If you've been feeling gloom, as I often do at this time of year, go outside for as long as possible. Enjoy the incoming warmth! Then, know there are plenty of dinners you can whip up for your family—many in under 30 minutes. Here are five of my favorite quick and easy dinner recipes, including tips from our contributors.

Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Ground beef and broccoli stir fry over rice in a bowl at a table setting with a glass of water, a bowl of sliced scallions, and a bowl of sesame seeds
Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

I've made this recipe with all kinds of ground meat—turkey, pork, and chicken. Ground turkey and chicken tend to be dry, so I add 1/2 cup of more water and drizzle it with a bit of sesame oil before serving.

Easy Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

A pot of cooked Italian sausage, peppers, and onions
Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon

" This recipe uses a combination of sweet and hot sausages, but if you want a milder dish, use only the sweet sausages and reduce the amount of chili pepper flakes in the recipe. Likewise, if you would like it spicier, use hot sausages and/or bump up the amount of chili pepper flakes." —Elise Bauer, Simply Recipes Founder

Zuppa Toscana

Side angle view of two bowls with a cream based soup with beans, sausage, kale and potatoes, and two green water glasses
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

"This Zuppa Toscana is especially delicious with crusty bread. You can serve some toasted, olive oil-drizzled bread for dunking, or you can make some quick homemade croutons for garnish." —Nick Evans, Simply Recipes Contributor

Easy Salmon Fried Rice

salmon fried rice oiled in a blue bowl
Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

"If you don't have day-old rice, you can take freshly made rice, spread it out in an even layer on a sheet pan, and put it into a 200°F (93°C) oven for 12 minutes to dry out a bit." —Elise

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Pouring spaghetti aglio e olio from a skillet to a plate
Simply Recipes / Photo by Andrew Bui / Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

Aglio e olio is a true pantry dish. If you don't have one of the ingredients, leave it out! (Though having pasta—any shape!—is pretty critical.)

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