Ready or not, it's that time of year again: back-to-school season.
And whether that means you're rushing to night classes, rushing out of the house, or simply trying to keep track of your family's complicated schedule—everyone can use a little help. Especially during dinner.
So we put together a cheat sheet of seven easy and ultra-practical dinners that you can dress up or down to make everyone in your family happy
You can mix and match them, cook them all, or make the same thing over and over - it's entirely up to you!
The recipes are designed to be easy to assemble, convenient, and fun for a crowd - because we understand just how hectic back-to-school season can be.
Taylor Miller / BuzzFeed
To make things easier, we've created grocery lists for each recipe. And if you plan on making all seven dinners in one week (which you totally can do!), we've put together a master menu that will prepare you for the week.
We assumed you had some things already hanging in your pantry. (If not, just add these things to your grocery list.)
We also made a list of all the kitchen utensils we used - like pots, pans, and knives - to make sure you're ready.
So go ahead: make one recipe, make them all, or use this guide as inspiration. We want you to own this back to school season - and making yourself a delicious dinner is a great place to start. ✓
Here's what you'll need:
Serve with any kind of sauce your family likes. (We love homemade honey mustard with these—and we've included a recipe so you can make your own.)
Here's how to make it:
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Just sauté whatever veggies you like (we used carrots, black beans, and corn) and add some milk and flour to make a sauce. Throw in some cheese, top with tater tots (!), and bake until bubbling.
Dress it up: Garnish with diced tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. Or garnish just half to accommodate everyone's taste
Slow cooker chili is the MVP of weeknight dinners. Just throw everything in before work and come home to a hot dinner ready to be enjoyed.
This version takes it even further and cooks cornbread dumplings with the chili. As soon as you get home, just scoop some cornbread batter on top of the cooked chili, give it another hour or so, and they’ll be good to go.
Here's what you'll need:
For the dumplings, you'll need butter, brown sugar, eggs, milk, flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and cheddar cheese — but you can totally leave them out if you want.
Here's how to make it:
Just load everything into a slow cooker, let it cook all day, then dollop with a simple cornbread batter. After an hour or so, the dumplings will be tender and cooked through, and dinner is ready.
Dress it up: Garnish with cilantro, green onions, and jalapeño — or leave it plain for a comforting classic.
Everybody loves crispy chicken strips. This recipe gives you that crispy, pan-fried chicken texture, but it bakes them instead. And it packs in two different kinds of vegetables so you can have a complete meal that’s ready in no time. Oh, and it's the perfect occasion to go wild with the dipping sauces.
Here's what you'll need:
And serve with whatever dipping sauces your family loves. (We love homemade honey mustard with these — and we included a recipe so you can make it yourself.)
Here's how to make it:
Bread some chicken strips in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, and load onto a sheet pan. Then toss some sweet potato slices and broccoli with oil and seasonings, and place on another sheet tray. Bake 'em both at the same time, then serve with dipping sauces.
Instant ramen is the ultimate weeknight dinner. It’s quick, easy, and ridiculously cheap — but it’s not always that tasty or filling. This recipe completely transforms the staple into a satisfying, no-boil stir-fry your whole family will love. It’s like your favorite take-out meal, only homemade and on the table in less than 20 minutes.
Here's what you'll need:
Yep, just the plain ol' blocks of instant ramen. They work perfect in this recipe!
Here's how to make it:
Pour some boiling water over the instant ramen, let it sit for a few minutes, then drain it. Cook up some veggies and steak in a pan, throw the noodles in, and stir-fry until golden — the whole process should take less than 20 minutes. ✓
Dress it up: Garnish with some green onions, cilantro, and sesame seeds.
This classic mac 'n' cheese skillet is the perfect recipe for picky eaters of all ages — and once you add the roasted tomatoes and fresh basil on top, it turns into something that’s fresh, flavorful, and exciting.
Here's what you'll need:
The tomatoes and basil are for garnishing — but feel free to leave them out .
Here's how to make it:
Make a quick sauce with flour, butter, milk, and cheese — then throw in cooked pasta. Fold in some spinach, top with some more cheese, and bake until bubbling.
Dress it up: Before baking, top with sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella — and as soon as it comes out of the oven, garnish with torn basil. Feel free to top just half if someone in your family isn't a tomato fan. Without them, you're left with a classic and comforting mac 'n' cheese — and who doesn't love that? ¯\_(ツ)_/
What’s better than pizza night? A build-your-own-pizza night! These clever French bread pizzas are quick and easy to throw together so you can make everyone their own personal favorite without putting in a ton of work.
Here's what you'll need:
Just grab some bread, sauce, and whatever pizza toppings your heart desires. (We highly recommend making a margarita variation and a BBQ chicken version — steps for both are included at the bottom of this post.)
Here's how to make it:
Just cut some baguettes in half, spread on some sauce (tomato, BBQ, Ranch — whatever you want!), pile on the toppings, and pop 'em in the oven. Someone doesn't like tomatoes? Leave 'em off. Someone loves pepperoni? Load it up! The BYO aspect allows everyone to build a pizza they like.
Think of this taco recipe as a complete meal kit in one. Just quickly roast some veggies and steak together on a sheet tray (along with some tortillas to warm ‘em up) then serve it with a bunch of toppings. Put it out and let everyone serve themselves — building their dream tacos with as many (or as little) toppings as they want.
Here's what you'll need:
And whatever toppings your family loves — we recommend all kinds of things from guacamole, to shredded cheese, to homemade lime crema (which we included a recipe for).
Here's how to make it:
Toss sliced onions and bell peppers with oil and a homemade taco seasoning, and place onto a sheet tray. Using that same spice blend, season up some flank steak, roast with the veggies (either on the same pan or an additional one), and serve with tortillas. We warmed our tortillas in a foil packet right alongside the veggies to make it easier .
Dress it up: This is where you can get crazy. As the steak and veggies are cooking, set up a BYO taco bar with all your favorite toppings — from guacamole to shredded cheese.