63+ Best Quick & Easy Back-To-School Dinners!

Do you have the Back to School Blues? Don’t worry! I’ve got you covered. Just like a trusty list of school supplies, I’ve gathered up all my best back-to-school dinners. I’ve got all kinds of delicious ideas—so that you can savor these last few glorious days of summer…

Back-to-School is Busy! We know it. Even though it happens every year, it’s always a little different. New teachers, new schedules, new favorite backpacks! It’s a whole new routine.

For my family, one of the hardest parts is adjusting from leisurely outdoor suppers to the need for an actual dinner time. Working around pickup times, after-school practice, and music lessons—can be a lot to figure out! That’s why I’m taking the guesswork out of dinner for you.

These back-to-school dinners are easy to get on the table and sure to please the whole family—from kindergarten up to a senior year. These will kick off your school year just right. And I’ll bet a few of them become go-to favorites for busy nights on down the road.

Check out this list of Grade A options, and then check menu planning off your list. Now you can relax and feel prepared to take on dinnertime…so you can really relish the last days vacation.

After all, it is still summer until that school bell rings!

Dinner With Just A Few Simple Ingredients 

Quick and easy dinners are a must during the busy back-to-school season. Having recipes with just a few simple-to-find ingredients makes putting dinner together a snap. Here is a list of my favorites.

• Impossibly Easy Ham and Cheese Swiss Pie – is incredibly delicious and easy to make! This savory main-dish pie is best served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
• Cheeseburger Pie – is the generational palate pleaser that’ll bring the family running to the table!
• Bisquick Chicken Pot Pie – is like love in a dish boasting savory chicken & tender veggies basking in a creamy sauce with a sweet flakey crust.
• Bisquick Impossible Taco Pie –  is my go-to, I’ve got no time to cook anything, but delicious dinner. This is a family-approved and easy-to-make meal!
• One Pot Burrito Bowl – brings the deliciously authentic flavor you’d expect to find in your favorite Mexican restaurant right to your own table!
• Parmesan Crusted Chicken – Moist tender, this chicken is an addictingly delicious meal that comes together in 30 minutes or less with a few simple ingredients.
• Hobo Dinner – is the ultimate comfort food. A perfect summer meal made over the campfire (or in the oven) Wonderful in fall as the nights get cooler.
• Busy Day Soup – is a comforting bowl that comes together quickly with little effort and just a handful of hearty, easy-to-find ingredients.
• Hot Dog Chili – Turn your hotdogs into the star of the dinner show with this quick and easy recipe. Chili dogs are an American classic that virtually everyone loves.
• Sloppy Joes – Sweet, tangy, savory, sour — this has every flavor you want in an easy-to-make recipe that only takes forty minutes and two steps!
• Taco Joes – is a yummy twist on everyone’s favorite messy sandwich, the sloppy joes. Taco spice combined with the tangy flavors of a sloppy joe.
• Apple Braised Chicken – is a healthy, quick, and easy gem. Green apples, ginger, onion, and apple cider produce a flavorful low-fat winner.
• Sausage and Rice – The whole family will love this! Fluffy rice, rich tomato sauce, and your favorite sausage come together in a 55-minute Cajun-spiced dinner.
• Fiesta Chicken – combines the wholesome goodness of a home-cooked meal with the convenience of a one-skillet wonder to craft a vibrant melody of flavors.
• Turkey Tacos – this healthy recipe is so tasty and quick to put together ANY night can be taco night! Perfect healthy delicious dinner in less than 20 minutes.
• American Goulash – is easy, home-style, comfort food! Made in one pot. Perfect for feeding a crowd or hungry family. Loaded with beef and pasta.
• Homemade Beef Taco Meat – is ready in 20 minutes! No need to wait for Taco Tuesday! With this recipe, anytime is Taco Time!
• Lemon Pepper Chicken – Lemon pepper is back and better than ever in this succulently divine chicken dinner! Whip it all together in less than half an hour.
• Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken – smells like Florence and tastes like heaven! Rich and filling, it’s perfect for long days and special occasions!
• Italian Sausage and Peppers – Make this spicy and savory recipe into sandwiches, soup, or pasta today! It’s a one-skillet dish for all occasions. Buon Appetito!

Easy Pasta Recipes The Kids Will Love:

• Stovetop Mac And Cheese – Graduate to the grown-up world of ultra-rich and creamy stovetop mac & cheese full of addictingly delicious cheesy goodness – grandma approved!
• One Pot Pasta – A heavy-hitter in the kitchen, this recipe comes together in thirty minutes and leaves you with one pot to clean. Comfort food made easy!
• Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta – is a comfort food your whole family will adore. Pasta and chunks of chicken in a rich, velvety, luscious lemony cream sauce!
• Creamy Rotel Sausage Pasta – When you’re craving rich decadent pasta, this pasta is a generational palate pleaser with plenty of cheese and lotsa’ savory flavor!
• One Skillet Cheesy Chili Mac – Delicious, cheesy and gooey. Perfectly cooked pasta, meaty chili loaded with cheese all made together in ONE PAN!
• One Skillet Shrimp and Pasta Scampi – makes for a savory weeknight meal or a fancy dinner. Whips up, and cleans up quickly. A great signature garlic flavor!
• Chicken Alfredo – comes together in one pot in under an hour. Chicken alfredo is perfect for company but also easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
• Chicken Spaghetti – Simplify the madness of midweek meals with cheesy creamy spaghetti that marries America’s favorite flavors to get dinner on the table fast.
• Spaghetti With Ground Beef – simmers dynamic flavors into a perfectly rich, meaty sauce. This only needs simple ingredients!
• Mexican Spaghetti – one of my favorite one-pot wonders, adds a little “spice” to your dinner table and shaves valuable time off a busy weeknight.
• Beef and Noodles – Slurp-worthy noodles, savory broth, and meltingly tender chunks of beef.

Casseroles For Dinner Tonight And Leftovers Tomorrow:

• John Wayne Casserole – has wonderfully southwest flavors, ground beef, a biscuit crust, fresh tomatoes, and a cheesy creamy topping.
• White Chicken Enchiladas – Whip up the cheesiest, dreamiest dinner you’ve ever had with my sensational enchiladas! Guaranteed to please even the pickiest eaters!
• Sloppy Joe Casserole – gives you all the yummy taste of a Sloppy Joe in a hearty, comforting casserole topped with gooey cheese!
• Million Dollar Chicken Casserole – is smothered in creamy cheesy sauce, studded with bacon, and topped with buttery Ritz crackers! A true comfort food.
• Chili Cornbread Casserole – is one of those simple feel-good comfort food meals that easily feeds a crowd and fills them with a warm fervent glow.
• Poppy Seed Chicken – is a classic, super creamy chicken casserole your family will love. You’re going to want to put this one into your regular dinner rotation!
• Beef Noodle Casserole – Creamy is the name of the game in my noodle casserole! Luxurious cheesy sauce smothers beef and noodles in a bake everyone will love.
• Dorito Chicken Casserole – blends seasoned rotisserie chicken with wholesome goodness and the lure of crispy cheesy snack chips for an amazing meal.
• Chicken Stuffing Casserole – Savor the flavors of the holiday season all year round with this delicious casserole that’s on the table in half an hour!
• Biscuits and Gravy Casserole – is one of the most delicious recipes I make! The sausage gravy is creamy & loaded with crumbled country sausage!
• Taco Casserole – One dish, fifty minutes-my taco casserole is a time-saving, family-pleasing winner of a dinner. You’ll fall in love with the savory meat and easy prep!
• Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas – are an easy dinner built on convenience and full of vibrant South of the Border flavor with plenty of cheesy goodness.
• Chicken and Rice Casserole – is the superhero for your mad-dash nights with creamy sauce, juicy chicken, and fluffy rice!
• Crockpot Lasagna – is savory, saucy, cheesy and everything a good Italian dish should be combined with the convenience of a crockpot meal.

Crockpots Slow Cooking Favorites

• Mississippi Pot Roast – is maybe the best pot roast ever! It’s a yummy, fall-apart-tender, fix it and forget it, crockpot wonder that only uses 5 ingredients!
• Crockpot Creamy Ranch Chicken – super easy, comforting crockpot chicken is always a fam favorite. Perfect crockpot “Dump Dinner” and complete meal!! Easy Peasy
• Crockpot Goulash – Rich, meaty tomato sauce generously coats the pasta in this hearty goulash. The fix-it & forget it meat sauce is yummy and super simple to make!
• Mississippi Chicken – This melt-in-your-mouth chicken is super quick and easy to put together. You only need 6 ingredients which makes this the perfect weeknight meal!
• Crockpot Italian Beef Sandwiches – Juicy, messy, and oh so sensational, my beef sandwiches are here to make your family dinner, magical! It’s definitely a keeper.
• Crockpot Chicken and Gravy – is the easiest, most delicious down-home comfort food you’ll ever make in your own kitchen! Tastes just like Grandma’s!!
• Mexican Crockpot Chicken – is a delicious “dump” crockpot recipe that makes a creamy Mexican-style chicken for a great taco filling!

Air Fryer Quick And Delicious

• Air Fryer Hot Dogs – is quick, easy, and doesn’t require cleaning a grill— it’s the juiciest, crispiest hot dogs you’ve ever devoured.
• Air Fryer Turkey Burgers – Making the perfect burgers is quick and easy, perfect for a busy weeknight dinner! Super tender, juicy, with a nice crispy crust.

Instant Pot 

• Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas – are melt in your mouth tender, juicy, and crispy. Wonder Mexican flavor and easy peasy to make!
• Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff – features tender chunks of beef and perfectly cooked pasta coated in a creamy sauce. It’s a one-pot meal with quick & easy prep!
• Instant Pot Goulash – is a hearty dish full of wholesome ingredients and robust spices that build layers of yummy flavor to warm you from the inside out.
• Instant Pot Chicken and Rice – Busy night? No time for a warm, filling meal? Grab this recipe to save your dinner and make your bellies happy!
• Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs – put a complete meal- homemade sauce & meatballs included- on the table in about 30 minutes! Simple ingredients & prep!
• Instant Pot Spaghetti – is here to save your busy weeknights with quick deliciousness! It’s one of the easiest pasta dishes for dinner!

Sheet Pan Dinners:

• Sheet Pan Cashew Chicken – is a perfect weeknight meal packed with juicy chunks of chicken, cashews, and veggies, with a sweet and savory sauce.
• Sheet Pan BBQ Chicken Pizza – has a crispy crust, lotsa of cheese, and tender chicken, with the sweetness of hickory barbecue sauce. It’s a snap to make!
• Italian Chicken – is the gateway recipe to the zesty, flavorful bursts that come from Mediterranean meals! Best of all: it’s a sheet pan dinner!

 

When the bell rings and your kids rush home, don’t worry about what to thaw or which takeout place you already ordered from — reach for this handy list of easy back-to-school dinners, and your life will be that much calmer!