Family Dinner Goals | Easy Weeknight Recipes

Family Dinner Goals

Since it is Back to School season, I thought I would go back through my recipes and pull out our favorite for easy weeknight dinners.  Everyone I talk to wants more ideas for easy weeknight dinners at home.  We want to spend more quality time around the dinner table with our family and less stress actually making the dinner.  Here are some recipes and tips that help us to make it happen more often.

Setting the Table - a week at a time...

At the beginning of the week (usually on Sundays), I set our table for the week.  I put on a Table Runner (I love my extra wide and extra long runners) and fill a pitcher with something pretty that will last the entire week.  It could be from our backyard or from the grocery store - whatever it is it is something fresh and seasonal.  I'll put out a stack of napkins and maybe a little vessel of sorts filled with a smaller accent - it could be a bowl of apples or a little bunch of berries or a flowers in a creamer (favorites here). 

Taking some effort to make the table pretty at the beginning of the week helps us remember to actually use it and makes it more inviting.  It also helps the table from becoming a home for stacks of magazines, mail and clutter.  

Dinner Planning Tablet

The "What's For Dinner" question is always a struggle at our house.  I ask Mike what he wants, and he says give me some choices.  Usually I come up with 3-4 of the standards (pasta, steaks, grilled chicken...), but forget about some of our favorites.  Now, at the beginning of the week, can sit down with this tablet.  

Not only does it help us to decide what to have, but it helps me balance the week's meals - beef, fish, chicken, pasta.  All of these recipes can be found on my site, you can search here in the Dinner Recipe Index.

Natural Cardstock, 50 page tablet

8 1/2" x 11"

These are all our go-to's any week, any season.  Most are from simple, fresh ingredients and can be made in 30-45 minutes.

The best weeknight meals are sheet pan recipes like this Lemon Roasted Salmon & Vegetables.  If you don't care for fish, you can also do this with Chicken.  

Lemon Roasted Salmon & Vegetables

You pile everything on a sheet pan, drizzle with lemon and olive oil, salt & pepper, then put it in the oven.  Add some garlic bread spread with goat cheese or mozzarella and you've got a yummy meal.

Lemon Roasted Salmon & Vegetables (or Chicken or Shrimp!)

 

Apricot Chicken with Couscous    |    Chicken Fricassee

The Best Meatloaf

 

Classic Chicken Noodle   |   Rainbow Soup

 

Leftover Bolognese + Cream & Peas    |    Fettuccini with Chicken, Prosciutto & Peas

 

Grilled Chicken with Penne (can be made with roasted chicken)   |   Poached Salmon & Vegetables

Shrimp Fra Diavolo   |   Chicken Pot Pie

Shrimp, Mushrooms & Angel Hair    |     Easy Orange Chicken

Skillet Lemon Chicken

Spaghetti & Meatballs

This becomes a weeknight dinner when you make a big batch of meatball and keep them in the freezer. Our all time favorite sauce has 3 ingredients (canned tomatoes, butter and 1 onion cut in half) and only takes 30 minutes to simmer.

Mini S'mores... in the Oven!  (in 30 seconds)

What is dinner without dessert?  After dinner, we usually indulge in warm baked cookies (from the freezer), a scoop of ice cream, or these Mini S'mores baked in the oven.  I love these little traditions that feel like a reward at the end of the day - for everyone.  

Family Dinner Essentials :

I am obsessed with my Plastic Kitchen Containers.  I use them for fresh ingredients (grated cheese, fruit, chopped veggies) and for soups and sauces going in the freezer.  I even empty all of my frozen vegetables and fruit into them (instead of the bags they come in) to keep them organized.   In the freezer (and the fridge), they stack perfectly on each other, making it easy to find what I'm looking for.

 

I use the glass containers for leftovers and to send to work with Mike.

Plastic Kitchen Containers

Large (or small) Baking Sheet & Parchment Paper

Sheet Pans + Parchment are the easiest tools to use for dinner.  We are constantly roasting chicken breasts, vegetables (carrots, green beans, broccoli, asparagus) and toasting bread on sheet pans.  The clean up is so easy.

I hope to be adding more new recipes soon.  I feel like we've get into our happy routine of favorites, but I'm ready to start exploring new ideas.  I'll keep you posted!

Next, I'll share some everyday centerpieces from the grocery store and your yard... my favorite thing to do.

You can follow along with this Family Dinner Goals series, here >

Family Dinner Goals : This Week's Menu & Forcing Spring Bulbs Inside

Happy Monday : )  It feels like a Monday - in the best way.  It is slightly warmer than usual outside (but getting colder by the minute), grey and misting.  The warm, wet weather over the weekend made it feel like Spring should be just around the corner, but I know it isn't.  In the meantime, I am bringing some spring inside.  I finally got all of my paper whites cleaned out over the weekend - they were definitely on their last leg.  I replaced them with some spring bulbs.  I so enjoy growing something inside during the holidays months (paper whites and amaryllis), that I like to keep it going until spring.

These, on our dining table, are muscari.  On our baking counter I have a large urn planter filled with daffodils and a small terra-cotta planter with tulips.   I have a couple of more terra-cotta pots on my office bench with more tulips.

Emma and I also cleaned out my dead boxwoods in the windowboxes (DIY link) over the weekend (insert eyeroll).  I did it again.  I did not water properly through the fall and did not plant them in the ground before winter and now they are dead.  Again!  Two years in a row.  Twelve small boxwoods, gone.  Ugh!  I'm going to install a watering system to the boxes as soon as it thaws this spring.

Instead of boxwoods this year, we filled our window box planters with tulip and daffodil bulbs.  All of these bulbs, that we're forcing inside and in the windowboxes, have been chilling in our garage for the last two months.  As in, I bought them to plant in the yard this fall, never got around to it, so they've been in the garage - cold and dark.  Bulbs require 6 weeks of dark, cold space before they'll be ready to bloom.  

And on a fun note, and completely uncharacteristic of me, Emma and I picked a crazy assortment of every different type of tulip and daffodil bulbs.  So, we'll be surprised when they bloom - she's excited to see what they are!  We should have lots of different colors, shapes and varieties.   Normally, I would have picked a mass of the same, but I got a wild hair this year, I guess.   I'll transplant them into the ground after they bloom this spring, so I'm sure I'll sort them out when they go in their permanent places.

So, our family dinners will be around these bulbs for the next month or so.  I think they'll be a fun centerpiece and conversation piece each night as we watch them grow... and I think they'll be easy to keep moist, since we'll be staring at them at least once a day.  I'm going to guess that they will be watered by Emma's leftover water each night at dinner.

I like having seasonal, low-maintanance centerpieces on our dinner table.  It makes our family dinners feel like more of an occasion, without them feeling fancy or stuffy.  I love a casual, comfy table.  Here are some other easy centerpiece ideas :

Potted Herbs

Potted Violet (super low-maintanance)

Bowl of Oranges, Lemons or Cuties

Taper Candles (these are 6")

Forcing Bulbs Tips :

Chilled Bulbs : Buy chilled bulbs, or chill them yourself in a paper bag in a cold, dark spot.

Pea Gravel : I put a plastic container in the base of the pot (you want it to be able to hold water), then fill it with pea gravel.  Place the bottoms (where the roots are) of the bulbs in the gravel, then cover with moss.

Water : Add enough water to be just below the bottoms of the bulbs.  You don't want them to sit in water or they will rot.  You want to keep the water accessible for the roots to grow down and reach it.  The moist moss helps wake up the bulbs.

Sun : Place them in a sunny window and keep the water level just until the base of the bowl.  Really watering once a week or so it usually fine.

Alleluia, Mike is home all week!  For the last two months, he's been traveling a lot for work, usually 2-3 nights a week.  It feels like such a treat for him to be here for the entire week... which means I need to step up my dinner menu.  

Tonight, we're having pasta.  At least one night a week, I need a big bowl of pasta.  It is a rainy day, so today is the day.  This Penne All Vodka (plus shrimp) is a house favorite.  Lick your plate good and quick and easy.

I don't know why, but every January this comes into rotation.  It makes a ton, it reheats for easy lunches and dinners and is the perfect thing to make early in the week for busy nights.

Beef Drip Sandwiches

I can't get enough citrus lately.  I'm going to make this tomorrow during the day and have it ready to go after Emma's busy after school activities tomorrow night.  Yum, those roasted lemons....

Tessa's Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup

This is one of those comforting dinners that has a lighter, more springy feel.  The rosemary broth is out of this world.   More of a Sunday night supper recipe... on our docket for the weekend.

Rosemary Braised Pork

Family Dinner Goals | A New Series

Family Dinner Goals
No matter what time of year (beginning or otherwise), I am always looking for a way to make our family dinners easier, more interesting, healthier and more frequent.  Aren't we all?  
I'm going to start a new Family Dinner series on the blog.  Wish me luck sticking to it - ha!  Seriously, though, I'm so passionate about our family sitting down together 3-4 nights a week.  The ritual of sitting down to a family dinner is my favorite part of the day.  I know that lots of kids and busy schedules can get in the way, but we are in charge of our homes and our families.  The time we spend across the table from one another, talking about our days is so key for keeping a strong family connection.  So, I'm going to come up with some great ideas for making Family Dinners easier, give ideas on fun  kid friendly table settings and recipes.  
Last Fall, I wrote a lengthy post about our commitment to Family Dinners, here>

For family dinners to actually happen at our house, having lots of easy dinner ideas is key.  Sometimes our meals are labor intensive (if I'm in the mood to spend time in the kitchen), and sometimes they are out of the freezer (maybe soup or meatloaf).  There are so many ideas on my Dinner Planning Tablet that are easy to prepare in 30 minutes or less - Beef Stroganoff, Shrimp Scampi, Chicken Parmesan, Grilled Lemon Chicken, Vegetable Soup, etc.

All of my recipes are included on my Dinner Tablet.  I sit down at the beginning of the week and schedule all of our meals from this list.  it helps remind me of things we haven't had for a while and helps me plan for some balance throughout the week (meat, fish, chicken, pasta, etc.). 

If cooking isn't your thing but you still want your family to experience family-style dinners, focus on the table instead.  The food really isn't all that important, anyway.  Set a pretty table with a simple glass of fresh flowers or lit candles, with folded napkins and placemats.  It is the sitting around a table all together for conversion that is what is important - with a frozen pizza in the middle.  Totally fine!!  A pretty setting always helps put everyone in the mood to relax and enjoy.

Here are some of the essentials that I depend on for Family Dinners in our home.

Check Napkins & Placemats >

Classic Hemstitch Cotton Linens >

Is there anything easier than lighting some candles?  Instant ambiance and instead "relax" setting.  We get out a new set of seasonally colored tapers every couple of weeks.  

Shop all of my Table Setting Essentials, here >

Family Dinners at Our House | Steaks with Easy Red Wine Sauce + This Week's Menu

Family Dinner At Our House


I will not pretend that this is the scene every single night at our house... but we try for at least a couple nights a week.  These photos were from last night's Sunday dinner table.  It is always easier to pull off a nice Sunday dinner than during the week, right?  At first glance, this setup may seem fancy for a family dinner, but all of these elements are really common.  I know that some are thinking, why all the trouble?  And the truth is that it isn't really much trouble at all, really very little effort or expense involved, though the impact is big.

I feel so strongly that sitting down at a table that is set, brings a sense of purpose to a typical family dinner.  It brings us all together for a moment of grace and it says no matter what your day was like, I want to sit, share and talk with you.

A lot of time when we sit down at this table it doesn't have flowers and the candles aren't lit, and it feels completely different.   So, at least 3 times a week, I am going to make it my goal to actually light the candles : )  It feels somewhat related to "stopping to smell the roses."  It is there for the taking, you just have to stop and actually make the effort.  I mean, what does it take 4 seconds to light candles?

And like most families, we have our fair share of casual dinners at the island, too, don't worry.  Though, if you've never thought about the difference between sitting at the counter versus sitting at a table, the difference is this : conversation.  When you are sitting and not facing each other, conversation is hard.  Eye contact is even harder.  I imagine as kids get older and they have more independence, eye contact with parents while talking about their day can be so revealing.  It is always my goal to make our dinner table a safe zone, a comfortable place that is a place that everyone wants to be and feels loved and cared for.

I mentioned that the setting was not much effort.  I always try to create a "maintenance free" table setting once a week - this is a perfect example.  The flowers are dried hydrangea from our yard that have turned the prettiest shade of green (that actually seem a little more vibrant in the photos than in real life).  They don't have any water and would look just like this if I left them there all year long.  Though dry, they still bring life and some seasonal color to the table.  Other "maintenance free" tables we like are a bowl of apples or gourds (fall!), or potted herbs.

Anytime you add taper candles to a dinner table...and actually light them ; ) you add instant atmosphere.  These are 12" Privot Berry Blue tapers that go great with the green flowers (blue + green is my current favorite combo, as you all know).   The candles come in an 18" too for an even bigger effect.  Super elegant.  The "copper" salt and peppers were a steal from Target.  Be fore warned, they are plastic with a copper coating... something I didn't realize (but should have since they were $18).  Love the warmth that they bring to the table, though.

Emma always helps with setting the table.  This time, she made place cards for each of us, while I took care of the rest of the setting.  When she sets the entire table there is a lot of mix-matching linens and flatware, which is just fine by me.   I'll be sure to share one of those tables someday, too.

As you can see, above, she drew a pumpkin and maple leaf for me... she knows how much I'm itching for fall!

Mike got a "branch" : )

The place cards were her idea.  Sometimes she makes placemats from printer paper or tries her hand at interesting napkin folds.  I just like that she's enthusiastic to help and looks forward to making it special.  Hoping I pass on this love for making family dinners special to her.  At least I'll know that whatever life circumstance she finds herself in, she'll be able to create a special dinner for her family.  What is it they say about teaching a man to fish?  So many parables in this post... ; )

A cherry leaf and cherries for her.  After the fact, she also decided they could be headphones, which she thought was better.

Dinner was seared steaks with a very simple Red Wine Sauce.  I'll share the recipe for the wine sauce later today.   It is all of 3-4 ingredients and transforms dinner.  In fact, this entire dinner looks impressive but it is the easiest dinner to make.  Besides putting the baked potatoes in the oven 1 1/2 before, the rest of the dinner took about 20 minutes of hands-on time.

I'd like to pretend that this was Mike's giant loaded plate, but we all know that he doesn't like mushrooms...  busted : )

Table Setting Resources :

Block Print Napkins, 4 for $32

Privot Berry Blue Taper Candles, $10.50

Brown & White Ceramic Container (available in Squares or Round), $12.00-28.50

Heathered Indigo Throw (over back of chair), $80

Dusty Green Block Print Pillow, 20" Square, $32

See the rest of the Blue & Green Classic Home Collection, here >

This Week's Menu :

Seared Steaks with Easy Red Wine Sauce  (recipe coming later today)

Baked Potatoes

Sautéed Mushrooms

Sliced Tomatoes

Chicken & Vegetable Corn Chowder 


This is a great dinner to make in advance.  I'll put individual servings in the freezer for Emma and I to reheat for lunches, too.

Beef Stroganoff

This photo and recipe link are of this "fancy" version of Beef Stroganoff.  Our favorite weeknight version is made with ground beef and egg noodles.  I'll share this version very soon - an almost weekly staple around here.































Panko Salmon

So much flavor in this Barefoot Contessa recipe.  That Nine Color Salad is still one of my favorites.

I'll share the Easy Red Wine Sauce recipe later today.  I'm off to pick up Emma from preschool... oh boy do these mornings go by quickly.