easy family dinners

A slow cooker beef stew recipe you'll make time and time again - no browning required! We've added a little orange peel, black olives, bay and red wine for a Provençal flavour.

Slow cooker beef stew

steak,

150 milliliters/5fl oz red wine

garlic

onions,

orange peel

bay leaf

olive oil

100 grams/3½oz smoked bacon lardons

carrots, sliced

parsley

black olives

salt and black pepper

A crowd-pleasing easy chicken curry, packed with Chinese flavours. Serve over rice.

Each serving provides 487 kcal, 37g protein, 66g carbohydrates (of which 10.5g sugars), 7g fat (of which 1.5g saturates), 4.5g fibre and 2g salt. 

Chinese chicken curry

250 grams/9 ounces long grain or basmati rice

500 grams/1lb 2 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

tbsp dark soy sauce

tbsp cornflour

tsp Chinese five-spice powder

vegetable oil

brown onions, thickly sliced

tbsp ginger

tbsp garlic

tbsp mild curry powder

600 milliliters/20fl oz chicken stock

pineapple

water chestnuts

peppers,

Have this cheap and cheerful store-cupboard-ingredient recipe up your sleeve for a last-minute brunch or lunch for two.

Each serving provides 480 kcal, 28g protein, 35g carbohydrates (of which 8g sugars), 24g fat (of which 6.5g saturates), 5g fibre and 1.8g salt.

Corned beef hash 

sunflower oil

onion, finely chopped

can new potatoes, drained

corned beef

free-range eggs

Worcestershire sauce

black pepper

The Hairy Bikers’ take on sausage casserole makes a wonderfully warming and filling dish, and it freezes brilliantly. 

Each serving provides 423 kcal, 23.5g protein, 16g carbohydrates (of which 9.5g sugars), 28.5g fat (of which 10g saturates), 4.5g fibre and 2g salt.



Hairy Bikers' sausage casserole

1–2 tbsp sunflower oil

pork sausages

rashers rindless streaky bacon,

onions, thinly sliced

garlic cloves, crushed

½–1 tsp hot chilli powder or smoked paprika

tin chopped tomatoes

300 milliliters/10fl oz chicken stock

tomato purée

dark brown muscovado sugar

herbs

bay leaves

thyme

milliliters/3½fl oz red or white wine (optional)

tin butter beans

rice bread

Easy as (chicken and leek) pie. The sauce is made with a soft cream cheese with wholegrain mustard. Serve with frozen peas and carrots for a simple family supper.


Chicken and leek pie

chicken breasts, roughly chopped

leek,

garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed

250 grams/9 ounces cream cheese

mustard

vegetable stock cube

ready-rolled puff pastry (320 grams/11½ oz)

brush the top

How to make an easy chicken and leek pie

This popular Japanese chicken katsu curry is easy to make for a low-cost midweek meal. You can prepare the curry sauce in advance, and the strips of chicken are quick to coat and fry up into hot crispy morsels.

Chicken katsu

brown onion, chopped

carrot, chopped

ginger

tbsp medium curry powder

plain flour

500 milliliters/18fl oz chicken stock

1–2 tbsp soy sauce

chicken mini fillets

egg,

grams/3½oz breadcrumbs

jasmine rice, to serve

This easy sweet potato and chickpea curry uses only a few storecupboard staples and is perfect for a laid-back supper. This is designed to be a low cost recipe.

Each serving provides 551kcal, 15.5g protein, 97g carbohydrate (of which 14.5g sugars),	8g fat (of which 1g saturates), 13g fibre and 0.2g salt.


Sweet potato and chickpea curry 

cumin seeds

onion, finely sliced

½–1 tsp chilli flakes (to taste)

grams/1¾oz fresh root ginger,

tins chickpeas,

grams/1lb 10 ounces sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes

This easy butternut squash soup recipe is completely dairy-free! It has added red pepper and ginger, and is deliciously smooth. 

For this recipe you will need a 3.5–4 litre/6–7 pint deep-sided saucepan. 

Mary Berry's butternut squash soup

onion,

carrots,

red pepper, deseeded and

tbsp clear honey (optional)

root

vegetable stock

Flour + salt + oil = a delicious tortilla wrap. Quick and easy too. You can even use this as the base of a tortilla pizza topped with any bits and pieces of toppings you have leftover in the fridge.

This <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/tomato_sauce_for_pizza_19260"> no-cook pizza sauce</a> recipe is great for kids to put on the wrap if turning into a mini pizza. 




Tortilla wraps

grams/4½oz plain white flour, plus extra for rolling

¼ tsp fine sea salt

tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil

How to make homemade tortillas

Pure soul food, this warming, easy chicken soup makes the most of leftover roast chicken. It's a simple soup recipe, so really relies on the quality of the stock

Each serving provides 288kcal, 28g protein, 11.5g carbohydrate (of which	7g sugars), 14g fat (of which 6.5g saturates), 3.4g fibre and 0.7g salt.

Chicken soup

butter

onions, sliced

celery,

carrots, finely diced

flour

1.2 litres/2 pints chicken stock

450 grams/1lb cooked chicken,

James Martin's easy cottage pie recipe is a family favourite. He goes back to basics to show you how to make a classic version, but easier.

Easy cottage pie

milliliters/2fl oz olive oil

onion banana

beef mince

400 milliliters/14fl oz beef stock

Worcestershire sauce,

900 grams/2lb King Edward potatoes, peeled and chopped

125 milliliters/4½fl oz milk

150 grams/5½oz frozen peas

Make this easy shepherd's pie recipe of a wintry evening – it's comfort food at its best. This one has a secret ingredient for extra savouriness. Don't worry about making it look fancy; the peaks and ridges on the mash just add to the appeal!

Each serving provides 743 kcal, 34g protein, 45g carbohydrates (of which 10g sugars), 46g fat (of which 23g saturates), 5.5g fibre and 1.2g salt.

Shepherd'S Pie

500 grams/1lb 2 ounces lamb mince

anchovy, finely chopped (optional)

450 milliliters/16fl oz chicken, beef or lamb stock

55 milliliters/2fl oz milk

Shepherd's pie

Comfort food at its best, this creamy and indulgent vegan mac and cheese is a pure crowd pleaser. You could also use truffle oil instead of olive oil for a luxuriously fragrant sauce. 

If you don't use it already, nutritional yeast is a "cheesy" substitute. It often comes in flakes, which makes it brilliant to stir into warm sauces like this one. It creates a luxurious, tangy, silky sauce. It is also a vegan source of vitamin b12.

Each serving provides 490kcal, 10g protein, 58g carbohydrate (of which 2g sugars), 23g fat (of which 8g saturates), 5g fibre and 2.1g salt.

Vegan Mac And Cheese

250 grams/9 ounces vegan dried macaroni

salt

400 milliliters/14fl oz oat milk

yeast (optional)

garlic cloves, chopped, garlic powder

tsp smoked paprika

Dijon mustard

cheese,

garlic clove, finely chopped

Brussels sprouts, trimmed and finely sliced

Vegan mac and cheese

Customise this recipe to make your perfect macaroni cheese for a quick family dinner that everyone will love.You can also make it with extra vegetables, bacon and breadcrumbs on top. 

Each serving provides 743 kcal, 34g protein, 60g carbohydrates (of which 8g sugars), 40g fat (of which 25g saturates), 3.5g fibre and 1.7g salt.

Macaroni cheese

macaroni

grams/1½oz butter

grams/1½ plain flour

600 milliliters/1 pint 1½fl oz milk

250 grams/9 ounces cheddar, grated

Parmesan (or

This quick and easy chicken curry is creamy, full of flavour and takes less than half an hour! 

Each serving provides 232 kcal, 25g protein, 6.5g carbohydrates (of which 4g sugars), 11g fat (of which 3g saturates), 3g fibre and 0.6g salt.

Easy chicken curry

spring onions

tomatoes

curry powder

400 grams/14 ounces boneless skinless chicken thigh, cut into 2.5cm/1in pieces

milliliters/3½fl oz Greek-style natural yoghurt, plus extra to serve

salt and pepper

rice

A wonderfully quick and tasty chicken curry from MasterChef Shelina Permalloo.

Simple chicken curry

This easy Mediterranean chicken recipe is a great meal to have bubbling away on the stove for a simple supper with friends or a family-friendly mid-week meal. This is designed to be a low cost recipe.

This recipe is perfect for batch cooking, cook the chicken sauce and divide it into portions and pop in the freezer, it will keep in the freezer for 2 months. You can cook the potatoes while you reheat the sauce. 

Mediterranean chicken with potatoes

chicken

onion, diced

carrot, finely diced

garlic cloves, sliced

tin tomatoes

250 milliliters/9fl oz chicken stock

potatoes,

This is a really easy pasta sauce recipe - vary the flavour by adding different ingredients (see Top recipe tip below).

Each serving provides 112kcal, 2.5g protein, 11.5g carbohydrates (of which 11g sugars), 6g fat (of which 0.8g saturates), 2g fibre and trace salt.

Tomato pasta sauce

tbsp extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp dried chilli flakes

tsp balsamic vinegar

tsp sugar

basil

Salt and black pepper

Parmesan, (optional)

Cawl is a Welsh stew that's wonderfully comforting and best made the day before serving.

Cawl

neck of lamb (on the

litres/3 pints 10½fl oz lamb stock

225 grams/8 ounces potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

225 grams/8 ounces onions, roughly chopped

225 grams/8 ounces carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

225 grams/8 ounces swede, peeled and roughly chopped

Make your own easy pizza dough with this authentic Italian recipe – it uses '00' flour to give the base a lighter, crisper texture. But if you have bread flour, it will still produce a great homemade pizza.

Pizza dough

dried easy-blend yeast

tsp salt

milliliters/1fl oz olive oil

milliliters/2fl oz warm milk

325 milliliters/11fl oz warm water

passata and other toppings,

This creamy chicken dish is a great way cook chicken thighs and the paprika provides a gentle kick. If you don’t want to bother with the dumplings, serve with freshly boiled rice. 

Chicken paprikash

chicken thighs, skin

onions, finely chopped

green peppers, deseeded and finely chopped

Top 40 easy family dinners recipes from across the web

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Top Tags

Slow cooker beef stew

Chinese chicken curry

Corned beef hash

Hairy Bikers' sausage casserole

Chicken and leek pie

Chicken katsu

Sweet potato and chickpea curry

Mary Berry's butternut squash soup

Tortilla wraps

Chicken soup

Easy cottage pie

Shepherd'S Pie

Vegan Mac And Cheese

Macaroni cheese

Easy chicken curry

Mediterranean chicken with potatoes

Tomato pasta sauce

Cawl

Pizza dough

Chicken paprikash

How to make fish pie

Vegetarian fajitas

Creamy chicken korma

Easy spaghetti bolognese

Pasta with cavolo nero and ’nduja

Ragù

Veggie korma with naan

Kitchari with kedgeree toppings

Spicy sausage pasta

Eggy bread

Vegetable pasta bake

Shortcut sausage meatballs

How to cook courgettes

Veggie lasagne

Simple chorizo and bean stew

Roasted sausage and potato supper

Easy egg-fried rice

Roast cod with a lemon, garlic and ...

One-pot chorizo pasta

Quick flatbreads

The most viewed easy family dinners recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine