Save This List of Meals for Dinner to Make Your Weeknights Easier 

Adulting is hard. Between deciding what to wear, deciding how to pitch your latest idea, deciding when to workout, and deciding between Hulu and regular cable, the last thing you want to work on is deciding what to make for dinner. 

Whew, we've never written "deciding" so much in one sentence. Excuse us while we go lay down for a second. 

When you have 36 priorities in one day, contemplating what’s going on tonight’s menu is the last thing you need. So rather than leave you to your own devices to make a grilled cheese for the third night in a row, we decided to help out a little. Below, we’re giving you an entire list of meals to choose from.

And while we think that you should simply outsource every aspect of your home dining experience to us, we’ll start by researching a few dinner recipes to help out—at least for now. 

12 Easy Meals You Can Make for Dinner This Week

If you can't decide what to make for dinner this week, expect no judgement from this side of the computer screen. We never seem to know what to make, but out of sheer compassion, we decided to do a little research. Here are 12 easy dinner ideas you can whip up this week.

1. Cheesy Layered Marinara Baked Eggplant Slices

We’re going to let you in on a little secret: Most recipes are much easier to prepare than any photo lets on. And the recipes that aren’t are simply overcomplicating things. This easy Italian recipe for eggplant parmesan casserole takes just five minutes of prep time and five core ingredients. Plus, it makes great leftovers—so lunch is covered the following day. 

2. Chicken Tacos With Fajita Veggies

You’re in the mood for Mexican food but find yourself torn between tacos and fajitas. No judgement here—we find dinner plans so overwhelming we completely outsource it. With these easy chicken tacos you don’t have to decide between your favorite Tex-Mex dishes. Shredded chicken and fajita bell peppers get rolled up in a corn tortilla with sour cream, guacamole, and cilantro, combining all your favorite flavors in a meal that’s ready in just 10 minutes.

3. Easy Turkey Meatballs Without Breadcrumbs

On the hunt for a low-carb recipe? Allow us to do a shameless plug for our entire menu of low-carb recipes, and even more recipes that we’ve written about here and here. Here’s another low-carb recipe idea for an easy weeknight dinner: Whip up a batch of these easy turkey meatballs, made with almond flour instead of bread crumbs. They contain 61 grams of protein and just 14 grams of carbs per serving.

4. BBQ Tempeh Rice Bowl

You know what we don’t have patience for? You know, other than traffic, commutes, and Spotify commercials — meals that take way too long to prepare. We definitely have a 20-minute threshold for dinner plans, and prefer them under 10. But for those nights where we go the DIY route, we’re certainly onboard with this BBQ tempeh rice bowl recipe—ready in a total time of just 20 minutes.

5. Chipotle Chicken With Pineapple Salsa

Do you ever feel like healthy recipes are so much work? It’s almost as though we’re being punished for taking care of ourselves. But before you reach for the takeout menu out of sheer frustration, give this chipotle chicken dinner a try. All you need are two ingredients for your main entree: chicken breasts and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Fire up the grill, sear the chicken, then serve over cauliflower rice with a side of pineapple salsa for an easy dinner.

6. Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl  

You know what we don’t have time for? Assembling our meals into Michelin-star worthy presentation. We prefer our meals come readily-assembled and almost ready to eat, but when that’s not happening, we prefer our meals haphazardly tossed together. We’re big fans of Buddha bowls because they provide a balanced meal without a ton of work. This recipe includes quinoa, sweet potatoes, broccoli, avocado, chickpeas, and kale—a ton of flavor and nutrition packed into one bowl. 

7. Skillet Burritos

You know we hate doing dishes. We’ve been through this before. What you may not know is this handy trick we discovered to cut down on said dishes: Cook one-pot, one skillet, or sheet-pan meals. These easy ground beef “burritos” are so much easier than the rolled-up version you’re accustomed to. Pile cheddar cheese, sweet corn, taco seasoning, and rice into a skillet, bake in the oven, and you’re left with minimal cleanup afterward. 

8. Sheet Pan Pork Chops

See, we told you we’re big fans of one-pan meals. This easy sheet-pan dinner features two side dishes and an entree, yet uses just one pan. Combine fingerling potatoes, green beans, and pork tenderloin onto a baking sheet, roast in the oven at 425°, then serve with a homemade raspberry sauce. Pour yourself a glass of red wine and enjoy your meal. 

9. Shrimp and Broccoli Stir-Fry 

We’re convinced that stir-fries are some of the most overlooked dishes you can make for dinner. They’re full of healthy veggies and protein, they take almost no time to prepare, and unless you blatantly leave your stove top unattended, they’re virtually foolproof. This Asian-fusion recipe is ready in a total time of just 25 minutes, and combines broccoli and shrimp in a homemade teriyaki sauce that you’ll love. 

10. Chicken Alfredo Spaghetti Squash Boats 

Here’s a pro tip for you: If there’s a certain comfort food you love but don’t love the calories that come with it, someone somewhere on the internet has probably reinvented it. Many of the most standard, classic recipes have been reimagined as healthier versions. This chicken alfredo, for example, uses spaghetti squash in lieu of pasta, and there’s Greek yogurt in the sauce for a slimmed-down version.

11. Pain Perdu (French Toast)

Whenever we don’t know what to make for dinner, which happens more often than we’d care to admit, we aim for brinner (breakfast, plus dinner) instead. There is no reason that a self respecting adult can’t enjoy scrambled eggs and toast for dinner, and we stand by that statement. For the easiest dinner you can imagine—wait, the second easiest—try this French toast recipe. All you need is bread, eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and five minutes of your time. 

12. Chicken Chopped Salad 

Why do salads have to be left to the lunch menu? If you’re wondering what to make for dinner, take every last vegetable in your fridge, toss them in a dressing, then top with a protein source for an easy meal. This colorful chicken salad combines white beans, cabbage, kalamata olives, and grilled chicken breasts into a no-cook meal that’s ready in hardly any time at all. 

When You Have No Idea What to Make, Try Tovala

Hopefully this list of meals gives you some idea of what to make for dinner this week. But even when you outsource the decision-making process, you still have to shop, chop, prep, cook, and clean-up afterward.

So for those nights when you’re staring at your kitchen thinking, “I just can’t,” know that we got you. With Tovala, we’ll shop, prep, and cook your meals perfectly, leaving you zero dishes to wash afterwards. 

With us taking care of the prep and clean-up, you might just enjoy picking out your meals. We’ve got hundreds of chef-crafted meals to choose from—including low-carb, gluten-free, and vegetarian dishes—so decision-time just became that much more enjoyable.