I'm Nicole. Here you’ll find easy, delicious, low-cost family dinner ideas that you can make with simple ingredients, without having to spend hours in the kitchen!
If figuring out what to cook every night is starting to feel like a second job, this week’s meal plan is doing the thinking for you. Every dinner here takes roughly 30 minutes or less to throw together, so you’ve got options for the nights when everyone is hungry, you’re tired and spending an hour in the kitchen is absolutely not happening. There are Juicy Beef Kebabs, Quick Coconut Chicken Curry, Chicken Rissoles, One-pan Chicken Ramen Noodles, Potato Taco Bowls, Dumpling Laksa and Steak with Peppercorn Sauce – a really good mix of family-friendly dinners that keep things interesting without requiring a trolley full of obscure ingredients or loads of prep. Plan them into your week, shop once and enjoy the very smug feeling of already knowing what’s for dinner. 😂 Every recipe in this meal plan is also from my brand new cookbook, Simple Weeknights, which is available to pre-order now here.
This Juicy Oven-baked Kebabs recipe is a quick, budget-friendly fakeaway that delivers bold flavour, and it’s easily cooked in the oven. It’s perfect for feeding a crowd or customising for fussy eaters, and the garlic yoghurt + sumac onion combo takes it over the top. Make it once and it’ll be on regular rotation.
This Quick Coconut Chicken Curry recipe is comforting and flavourful, perfect for cosy family dinners any night of the week. Tender chicken pieces are simmered in a rich, coconut-based curry sauce, before being topped with yoghurt and mango chutney. It is freezer-friendly and is delicious served with basmati rice and naan bread.
These Baked Chicken Rissoles are quick to prep, oven-baked (no splatter), and deliver on juicy centres with crispy edges. They’re freezer-friendly, kid-approved, and flexible enough to pair with whatever sides you’ve got on hand – an easy, reliable weeknight dinner.
This One-pan Chicken and Broccoli Ramen Noodles recipe is the ultimate quick and easy dinner – ready in just 20 minutes with minimal prep and even less cleanup. The noodles cook right in the pan with the chicken and broccoli, soaking up a simple, flavour-packed sauce for a budget-friendly meal the whole family will love. It’s flexible, fuss-free and perfect for busy weeknights.
Crispy roasted potatoes make the perfect base for this loaded taco bowl, topped with spiced beef, guac, salsa and cheese. This Loaded Potato Taco Bowl recipe is budget-friendly, freezer-friendly, and a fun way to mix up taco night without adding extra effort.
Freezer dumplings and a handful of pantry staples transform into a warming bowl of Quick Dumpling Laksa in one pan in just 20 minutes. The fragrant curry-coconut broth feels like a takeaway treat but is easy enough for weeknights. Make it when you want comfort food that doesn’t require effort.
Juicy, golden-seared steak served with a foolproof creamy peppercorn sauce. Perfect Steak with Peppercorn Sauce is simple, quick, and a guaranteed way to make dinner feel like a night out – minus the price tag. The recipe serves 2, but can be shared among 4.
For recipes labelled ‘gluten-free’ or ‘dairy-free’, the ingredients included in the recipe are typically gluten- or dairy-free. However, it is the user’s responsibility to carefully check the ingredient panels on the specific brands of products purchased and used. Simple Home Edit cannot be held responsible for any adverse reactions.
