It’s back to school season! You got your kids new school clothes, you bought all the supplies on the list, and you have extra-curricular activities all set up and ready to go. But have you thought about what you’re going to make for dinner?
When it’s back to school season, dinner becomes an issue. You need to feed your family, but you also need to get into a new rhythm with a new schedule. And some days of the week just won’t have enough time for you to make anything close to complicated. You need an arsenal of back-to-school dinners that you can pull from often during this season.
The good news is that the internet is filled with back-to-school dinner ideas. The bad news is that all of these back-to-school weeknight dinner posts link to a whole bunch of “easy” recipes. But sometimes you don’t have time to follow a recipe. You need no-brainer, no-recipe dinners that are easily accomplished on a weeknight that your family actually likes to eat (that last part is important!).
I have compiled quite a nice list of no-recipe dinners that I pull from often when I’m meal planning. I’m sharing it here as my back-to-school gift to you.
No-Brainer, No-Recipe Dinners
Grill
Salad with grilled steak or chicken
When I was growing up, we had “salad with chicken on it” at least once a week. My parents still have this meal every single Monday night for dinner. It is the ultimate no-recipe dinner because you just grill meat, throw it on top of the greens of your choice, and add whatever toppings and dressings your little heart desires (or your little rugrats will eat). Bonus: this is also a great way to clean out the fridge!
Burgers
Burgers are another classic no-recipe dinner, and the variations here are endless. Beef, turkey, and chicken are all great choices. You can season your meat however you’d like and add whatever toppings float your boat. From a classic bacon cheeseburger to a Hawaiian burger with ham and pineapple, you can have a delicious meal without even thinking about a recipe. Round out the meal with fries fresh from the freezer.
Hot dogs
Similar to burgers, hot dogs are another no-recipe dinner that finds its way onto the rotation in many American households. I’ve included hot dogs in the grilling category, but you can of course boil them or nuke them in the microwave if you don’t have time to bust out the grill.
Chicken sandwiches
Another great base with endless possibilities, don’t forget about the chicken sandwich when you need a no-recipe dinner. You can keep it simple with a little lettuce and your favorite condiment or you can get a bit “fancy” with it while still keeping it super easy. My favorite variation is the chicken Caesar sandwich – grilled chicken, Romaine lettuce, Caesar dressing, and Parmesan cheese. Yum!
Stove Top
Grilled cheese (and tomato soup)
My kids ask for grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner at least twice a week. Although I like grilled cheese and tomato soup as much as the next guy, twice a week is too much. But once every other week or so is not. Especially if you mix up the grilled cheese fillings. Add some tomato or bacon (or both!), make it a pizza grilled cheese with mozzarella and pepperoni, or make it fancy with brie and pears. All of these are kid-friendly, easy no-recipe dinners to add to your list.
Filled (or un-filled) pasta
If my kids aren’t asking for grilled cheese for dinner, they’re usually asking for some kind of pasta. That’s a-ok with me because I don’t need a recipe to satisfy their pasta craving. Pasta night in my house is usually ravioli or tortellini with jazzed-up jarred sauce, but it can also be plain old spaghetti and meatballs. Add a bagged salad and voila! Dinner is served!
Build-your-own tacos
As I’ve discussed previously, build-your-own dinners are usually very successful in my house. Perhaps the most successful of the build-your-own dinners that I offer is tacos. The kids love them, they’re super easy, and everyone gets exactly what they want. Grab a taco kit and the toppings your family loves, and let your kids do the heavy lifting for this no-recipe dinner.
Quesadillas
Quesadillas are usually high on my list of things to make when I don’t know what to make for dinner. I almost always have the ingredients for quesadillas on hand, and they come together in just a few minutes. Like the salads above, quesadillas are also a great meal to help clean out the fridge. You can put almost anything in a quesadilla and make it delicious. My favorite variation is a copycat version of a quesadilla from the now defunct chain Fatz Café that involves BBQ chicken, bacon, cheese, and Ranch dressing. I’m drooling.
Oven
Pigs in a blanket
If you have hot dog-loving kids like I do, don’t sleep on pigs in a blanket. Grab yourself a pack of hot dogs, a tube of Crescent rolls, and a little bit of shredded cheddar cheese, and you’ll have a crowd-pleasing no-recipe dinner on the table in well under 30 minutes. Go ahead and throw another pan of some sort of veggie fry or tots that you can find in the freezer section in the oven too and you, my friend, have a well-balanced meal.
Meatloaf
When did meatloaf get such a bad rap? Personally, I love meatloaf, and my kids do too. It’s one of the meals they have both loved since they started eating solid foods. I mean, it’s a perfect vehicle for ketchup, every kid’s favorite food. As well as being kid-friendly, it’s also super easy to throw together with just a few ingredients – no recipe needed! Simply take the ground meat of your choice, add to it an egg, a handful of breadcrumbs, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and the seasonings of your choice (we keep it simple with salt, pepper, and a little Italian seasoning), and throw it in a loaf pan or muffin tins. Bake in a 375°F oven until it is cooked through. Serve with prepared mashed potatoes and a roasted veggie for no-recipe dinner perfection.
Sheet pan meal
A sheet pan meal saves the day many weeks in my house. It is so incredibly customizable, you can make a variation that is sure to please even the pickiest eaters. I stick to a formula of meat, potato, and vegetable mixed together with a bit of olive oil, a glug of maple syrup, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Throw the mixture onto a sheet pan and roast on 425°F for 30ish minutes. If that’s too vague for you, my favorite variation includes sliced turkey kielbasa, sweet potatoes, and broccoli florets.
Chicken parmesan
Is there anything more comforting than chicken parm? Sure, you can make a complicated chicken parmesan that absolutely requires a recipe and a whole lot of kitchen clean-up, but that’s not the chicken parmesan that is on this list. This chicken parm is easy. Start with chicken cutlets. Dip them in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs (I like a mix of regular breadcrumbs and panko). Bake at 450°F until chicken is cooked through. Top with marinara sauce and a little mozzarella cheese, shove it back in the oven to melt the cheese. Serve with a side of pasta, maybe a bagged salad, and you have yourself a no-recipe dinner that gives you a hug as you eat it.
Miscellaneous Fun
Pizza
Your kids will be thrilled if you tell them that pizza is on the menu on a random Wednesday night. You don’t have to tell them that it’s a super-easy no-recipe dinner. Although I love to make my own pizza dough, if I don’t have any ready to go in the freezer and it’s a chaotic day, grab a ready-made dough ball from your local grocery store to use as your base. Add sauce, cheese, and your family’s favorite toppings. You can then either cook your pizza in the oven or on the grill (my favorite method!). A bagged Caesar salad saves the day again to round out this meal.
Breakfast for dinner
I love breakfast for dinner! When I was a single lady, I had it at least once a week. Now that I’m feeding several more mouths, we don’t have it as often, but I like to keep it in my back pocket for busy weeknights. Several breakfast foods make great dinner options and don’t require a recipe. My go-to options are bacon and eggs, French toast, and breakfast sandwiches.
Slow cooker ham
I’ve already praised my slow cooker ham in my kid-friendly Easter brunch post, but it’s worth popping on this list of no-recipe dinners. You don’t need to wait for a holiday to enjoy this easy and delicious meal. Pop a pre-sliced ham in the slow cooker, dump a can of pineapple tidbits on top and cook on low for a few hours. Serve with your favorite easy side dishes and you have a delicious dinner your family will love.
Jacket potatoes
You can stuff almost anything in a baked potato and have yourself a delicious meal. Leftover chili and cheese with a little dollop of sour cream is delicious. Broccoli and cheddar is also a delicious option. The traditional British jacket potato stuffed with baked beans may be the best of all. So many options, no recipes required!
I hope you all have a great start to the school year and great dinners that don’t stress you out to get on the table. Happy eating!