Are you sick of opening your refrigerator door and staring blankly at it not knowing what to cook for dinner?
Look no further!
With these 17 mouthwatering recipes, you will be able to decide what to make for dinner on those busy weeknights.
We have everything from one-pot meals that are comforting to casseroles that the entire family will enjoy.
1. Chicken and Dumplings
This comforting and filling soup contains a band of fluffy dumplings made from cornbread, floating atop tender and juicy shredded chicken in a delicious and rich broth.
To make your soup extra special, you need to roast your chicken first, before shredding it back into the cooked soup pot.
When served, this will create a hearty, warming and filling meal for any day of the week.
2. Shepherd’s Pie
The traditional shepherd’s pie, made from leftover mashed potatoes, is a classic comfort food.
The secret when making shepherd’s pie is to ensure that the potato layer is completely sealed around the filling in order to get the proper golden colour.
Shepherd’s pie is a very filling dish that is sure to please.
3. Dutch Oven Pot Roast
The Dutch oven pot roast is the essence of comfort food due to its low number of ingredients and easy preparation.
The long, slow cooking process turns a tough piece of chuck meat into fork-tender meat, and fills your entire home with an amazing aroma.
The great thing about this meal is that most of the cooking time is unattended which makes it ideal for busy weeknights.
4. Chicken Tikka Masala
Home-cooked chicken tikka masala is much better than most restaurants!
To make your chicken tikka masala taste amazing, cook the chicken until it gets a really good char, before adding the rest of the ingredients to the pan to create a rich, creamy, spicy, and delicious tomato sauce.
You can easily make these dishes yourself, and they will taste better than anything that you would order from a restaurant.
5. Beef Short Rib Ragu
You can prepare this beef short rib ragu in a slow cooker and allow it to simmer for a total of 3.5 hours, with the bulk of that time occurring while the rib is cooking in the oven.
The slow cooker will produce a deliciously tender, shredded piece of meat that is mixed together with the sauce and creates an excellent dish.
Pair the ragu with your favorite pasta and you’ll feel like you are eating at a 5-star restaurant while you are at home!
6. Homemade Hamburger Helper
Homemade Hamburger Helper is very similar to the store-bought boxed hamburger helper, but much better because you can customize all of the ingredients to your family’s tastes and dietary restrictions.
This dish takes about the same amount of time (around 25 minutes) to prepare as the boxed version, but the end product tastes like real food instead of a bunch of processed ingredients.
This is something your family will never want to go back to!
7. Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
One of the easiest ways to make macaroni and cheese is by using a crock pot; you can simply add all of the ingredients, turn on the crock pot, and enjoy your meal!
This recipe does not require boiling the pasta prior to placing it into the crock pot, but stirring occasionally will help to keep the consistency creamy.
8. Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
Surprisingly, even though this casserole seems to require more preparation than other recipes, it uses a lot of the same basic items that you might have in your pantry and refrigerator at home!
Don’t worry if the ranch powder clumps together when you first mix it with the sour cream, because it will dissolve easily as time goes on.
It is comfort food that is slightly elevated, yet requires no extra effort.
9. Marry Me Chicken
The Marry Me Chicken is a creamy chicken dish that is named for how good it is.
People say that if you cook this for your significant other, they will propose to you.
The sun-dried tomato and Parmesan cream sauce is incredibly tasty and rich.
While it may not lead to proposals, it will definitely lead to empty plates.
10. Turkey Gumbo with Sausage
The Turkey Gumbo with Sausage is a great way to use leftover turkey and actually make something that tastes really good.
The roux takes some patience to make, but it is what gives gumbo its rich flavor and color.
You can create a taste of New Orleans right in your own kitchen.
11. Stovetop Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
This elevated version of Stovetop Mac and Cheese hits differently in the fall and winter.
The sage and nutmeg make this dish feel somewhat gourmet, but it does not require any extra effort to make.
This is comfort food with a twist that will make your entire house smell fantastic.
12. Lasagna Soup
Lasagna Soup is all the comfort of traditional lasagna without the time-consuming steps needed to put lasagna together and bake it.
The secret here is to caramelize the meat well so that you build up a rich flavor base, and then cook everything together until done.
This will allow you to enjoy all of the classic flavors of a lasagna, but in half the time.
13. Shepherd’s Pie Soup
This soup is an entire meal that tastes just like shepherd’s pie combined into a single pot, and you can make it in less than an hour.
The potatoes in this soup will start to break down and thicken your broth naturally, but will retain enough texture to still be enjoyable when you eat it.
Imagine the flavor of your favorite comfort food in a spoonable version.
14. Rosemary Chicken with Vegetables
This easy, one-pan meal will yield tender veggies and juicy chicken in less than an hour from start to finish.
Because an oven-safe skillet is used, you can cook everything on the stovetop before placing it in the oven to finish cooking without making a huge mess.
Plus, the fresh rosemary adds a wonderful aroma to your entire meal.
15. Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Chicken Parmesan Casserole gives you all the same flavors as traditional chicken parm without all of the work of dipping and frying each individual piece.
Popcorn chicken taken from the freezer works as a major time saver and still provides that wonderful crispy, cheesy flavor that we all love in our casseroles.
The casserole is such a brilliant idea!
16. Ground Beef Enchiladas
These delicious enchiladas are super hearty, made with seasoned ground beef, refried beans, black beans, and lots of cheese — and ready to eat in less than one hour.
They are easy to make and everyone loves them.
17. Mississippi Pot Roast
The new 5-ingredient Mississippi Pot Roast was developed using pre-packaged ranch dressing packets, Campbell’s Au Jus dry mix, and pepperoncini peppers.
It is the most incredibly tender and tasty slow cooker experience you will ever have, and it just takes about 10 minutes of preparation to make sure it will turn out fantastic.
You can easily have your easy, no-stress dinner ready in just a few minutes.
