Dinner doesn't have to be a big production.
If you're cooking for a large family while social distancing, you're probably getting a little tired of spending time in the kitchen. Thankfully, here are some big-batch crowd-pleasing recipes that are simple and stress-free yet full of flavor.
CBS
1. Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos
Tasty / Via tasty.co
This true dump dinner makes 11 servings, so you can feed the whole family and even have leftovers for the next day.
2. One-Pan Sausage And Veggies
Tasty / Via tasty.co
Don't feel constrained to using zucchini, squash and potatoes for this sheet pan meal. Pretty much whatever vegetables you have in your fridge will do the trick.
Recipe: One-Pan Sausage And Veggies
3. Fajita Pasta Bake
Tasty / Via tasty.co
This Italian-Mexico mash-up features pasta and sautéed, spiced veggies (bell pepper, onion, and mushroom) baked in a mixture of sour cream and shredded pepper jack cheese.
Recipe: Fajita Pasta Bake
Midwest Foodie Blog / Via midwestfoodieblog.com
Mix together the shredded chicken, black bean, salsa, and cheese mixture, spoon it into tortillas and bake them in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve with guacamole and sour cream. Get the recipe for sheet pan quesadillas here.
5. One-Pot Spicy Thai-Inspired Noodles
Domestic Superhero / Via domesticsuperhero.com
The key to this noodle dish is the sweet and spicy sauce made with brown sugar, soy sauce, Sriracha, and ginger. The recipe is totally vegetarian and packed with veggies, but you can always add your favorite protein to bulk it up. Get the recipe for one pot spicy Thai noodles here.
6. 15-Minute Sheet Pan Chicken Fried Rice
Averie Cooks / Via averiecooks.com
Start with pre-cooked rice and toss it onto a baking sheet with diced boneless skinless chicken, frozen veggies, and drizzle with soy sauce. When you remove it from the oven, add some stovetop scrambled eggs and enjoy. Get the recipe for sheet pan fried rice here.
7. Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers
Dear Crissy / Via dearcrissy.com
Hearty, filling, and very affordable, these skillet stuffed peppers are a meal you'll want to make on repeat. Of course, you can use whatever ground meat you have on hand. Get the recipe for ground turkey stuffed peppers here.
House of Nash Eats / Via houseofnasheats.com
It's easy to double or even triple these beef and pork meatballs. Serve them with egg noodles or mashed potatoes, and you can always freeze the leftovers for a lazy night. Get the recipe for easy Swedish meatballs here.
Your Cup of Cake / Via yourcupofcake.com
You can never have too many one-pot recipes in your dinner arsenal. They come together in no time and leave little mess in your kitchen. Get the recipe for one pot chicken, rice, and broccoli here.
Kitchen Swagger / Via kitchenswagger.com
This recipe comes together in a single cast-iron skillet, and guess what: you don't even have to boil the noodles separately. Get the recipe for baked ziti with ricotta and sausage here.
11. One Pot Lemon Chicken, Spinach, and Asparagus Orzo
Spoonful of Flavor / Via spoonfulofflavor.com
If you don't have spinach and asparagus, don't worry. This orzo tastes delicious with whatever veggies are in your fridge or freezer. Get the recipe for one pot lemon chicken, spinach, and asparagus orzo here.
Lord Byron's Kitchen / Via lordbyronskitchen.com
Eggplant gets dredged in egg, flour, and panko breadcrumbs, then topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella and cooked until golden brown. Get the recipe for sheet pan eggplant parmesan here.
Downshiftology / Via downshiftology.com
Heat up some tortillas and serve these carnitas DIY style with your favorite toppings like avocado, pico de gallo, jalapeño, and sour cream.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Carnitas
Bell of the Kitchen / Via belleofthekitchen.com, Belle of the Kitchen / Via belleofthekitchen.com
The filling of this decadent pot pie is made with chicken or turkey, lots of veggies, chicken broth, flour, and cream. Using crescent roll dough for the crust saves you lots of time and effort, but the final product is still incredibly delicious. Get the recipe for chicken pot pie with crescent roll crust here.
Eat Well 101 / Via eatwell101.com
Turn store-bought cheese ravioli into a crowd-pleasing, cozy meal. You'll need just five ingredients: Ravioli, spinach, Parmesan cheese, marinara sauce, and chopped parsley. Get the recipe for tomato spinach ravioli bake here.
16. Chicken Chow Mein
The Girl On Bloor / Via thegirlonbloor.com
Super customizeable to your taste preferences and what's in your kitchen, load up this Chinese-inspired noodle dish with whatever protein and veggies you have.
Recipe:Chicken Chow Mein
Real and Vibrant / Via realandvibrant.com
This recipe calls for mostly just pantry staples and very few perishable foods, so you can keep most of the ingredients on hand and whip this up on a lazy night.
Recipe: Coconut Chickpea Curry
18. Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats
The Wholesome Dish / Via thewholesomedish.com
You can use leftover chicken breast, rotisserie chicken, or ground chicken to form the filling of this recipe. Mix it with buffalo sauce, spoon the chicken mixture into hollowed out zucchini halves, top with cheese, and bake in the oven. Get the recipe for buffalo chicken zucchini boats here.
Wonky Wonderful / Via wonkywonderful.com
Easy to whip up and easy on your wallet, this casserole comes together with mostly pantry staples (egg noodles, canned tuna), plus some frozen veggies.
Recipe: Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole
20. Creamy Polenta with Wild Mushrooms, Garlic and Sage
Feasting at Home / Via feastingathome.com
Ready in about 30 minutes, this Instant Pot recipe is shockingly easy yet sophisticated. Oh, and it happens to be totally vegetarian.
21. Glazed Meatloaf
Natasha's Kitchen / Via natashaskitchen.com
Don't have a loaf pan? Use aluminum foil on top of a baking sheet to shape a pan and keep the edges of your meatloaf nice and crispy. Get the recipe for glazed meatloaf here.
Waderzest Blog / Via wanderzestblog.com, Wanderzest Blog / Via wanderzestblog.com
This skillet meal is perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. Bake eggs in canned diced tomatoes with onions and peppers. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with feta and serve with crusty bread for dipping. Get the recipe for shakshuka with feta here.
23. Sheet Pan Spinach Tomato Ricotta Frittata
Recipe Runner / Via reciperunner.com
Feed the whole family and minimize clean-up with this sheet pan, veggie-packedfrittata.
Name a meal that brings a family together like cheesy, homemade lasagna. We'll wait... Get the recipe for 30-minute skillet lasagna here.
Carlsbad Cravings / Via carlsbadcravings.com
Marinate salmon for about in hour in a mixture of olive oil, citrus juice, and soy sauce. Then cook it onto a sheet pan with peppers and onions all sprinkled in fajita seasoning. Serve over rice, with tortillas, or as is! Get the recipe for sheet pan fajita salmon here.
Wonky Wonderful / Via wonkywonderful.com
A true dump meal, just toss all of the ingredients into your slow cooker except for the rice. When you have about 20 minutes of cooking left, add the rice and any extra water or broth until the jambalaya reaches your desired consistency. Get the recipe for slow cooker chicken and sausage jambalaya here.
27. 20-Minute Coconut Curry Shrimp
Life as a Strawberry / Via lifeasastrawberry.com
Fresh or frozen shrimp get tossed in a tangy and slightly sweet curry sauce made with coconut milk, curry paste, and lime juice. Feel free to add whatever veggies are in your fridge, and if you're not a fan of shrimp, chicken or tofu taste great too. Get the recipe for coconut curry shrimp here.
28. One Pot Turkey Mexican Pasta
Cooking For Keeps / Via cookingforkeeps.com
The recipe calls for ground turkey, but you can use whatever is in your kitchen from beef to soyrizo. The entire meal comes together in a single pot, so you don't have to worry about cleaning up lots of dishes. Get the recipe for one pot turkey Mexican pasta here.
The Little Spice Jar / Via littlespicejar.com
The majority of this dish comes together with ingredients that are already in your pantry: orzo, chicken broth, red pepper flakes, and olive oil. Grab some asparagus and frozen shrimp and whip it all up in a single pot. Get the recipe for garlicky orzo shrimp scampi here.
30. Easy Ramen Stir Fry
Spend With Pennies / Via spendwithpennies.com
Packaged ramen noodles and whatever veggies you have on hand get tossed in hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Add chicken, shrimp, beef, pork, or tofu to make it more filling. Get the recipe for easy ramen stir fry here.
Kim's Cravings / Via kimscravings.com
This recipe takes a bit of patience, but it only requires 10 minutes of active prep. All you have to do is rub pork shoulder in spices, brown the pork in all sides in a large pot, then let it sit in a slow cooker until you can shred it with a fork. Get the recipe for slow cooker pulled pork here.
Tastes Better From Scratch / Via tastesbetterfromscratch.com
A true 30-minute meal, it's so easy to multiply this recipe for however many heads you're feeding. You can also make it in advance — just prepare the sauce without the sour cream and store it in the fridge and reheat it on the stove. Get the recipe for ground beef stroganoff here.
My Food Story / Via myfoodstory.com
Stir fry shrimp and whatever vegetables you like best in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, honey, chili flakes, and corn starch. You'll have a delicious dinner on the table in about 20 minutes flat. Get the recipe for teriyaki shrimp and broccoli stir fry here.
Aberdeen's Kitchen / Via aberdeenskitchen.com
This grown-up take on fish sticks is baked from start to finish — never fried. You'll be surprised just how crispy it gets in the oven. Get the recipe for sheet pan baked fish and chips here.
