HOW TO MAKE DINNER TIME EASIER: TIPS & IDEAS

EASY DINNER RECIPES AND INSPIRATION

With a few easy dinner recipes and some simple planning, you can help reduce mealtime stress. Having a well-stocked refrigerator and freezer also helps to save time and avoid last-minute runs to the grocery store. Keep reading for strategies to help make dinner time feel more manageable.

1. PREPARE MEALS THAT ARE EASY TO COOK

Choose meals with simple ingredients and just a few steps to help make dinner time less hectic on busy nights. One-pot dishes, sheet pan suppers and make-ahead recipes can help save time while still delivering a satisfying, delicious meal. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

• Blend a few ingredients, including cucumbers, garlic and spinach, then chill the mixture until you’re ready to eat this green gazpacho.

• Consider having breakfast for dinner with this baked eggs in tomato sauce recipe, which requires little more than spinach, eggs and toast.

• If your family does “Meatless Monday,” try a satisfying yet simple sheet pan barley salad that pairs barley with walnuts, cauliflower and a few other ingredients.

• Turn basic meat and potatoes into a special meal with this sheet pan bone-in pork roast and potatoes recipe.

2. KEEP FOOD STAPLES ON HAND FOR EASY ACCESS

Stocking a few go-to ingredients can help make dinner time easier, especially when schedules shift or groceries run low. Keep shelf-stable staples like pasta, rice and canned beans, refrigerator basics like eggs, cheese and prepped vegetables, and freezer essentials like chicken—quickly thawed using your microwave’s defrost setting when needed—on hand to help create fast, fresh meals.

3. PLAN FOR BUSY WEEKNIGHTS

Keeping a short list of go-to dinners can help make busy weeknights feel less stressful. Planning simple meals ahead, including sheet pan dinners, one-pot recipes or quick pasta dishes, may help reduce last-minute indecision and make it easier to use what you already have on hand.

4. PRACTICE MEAL PREP

There are two main approaches to meal prep: preparing ingredients ahead of time for meals you’ll cook later, or fully cooking meals in advance to enjoy throughout the week. Both methods can help make dinner time easier.

Prepping ingredients ahead—for example, washing produce, chopping vegetables or measuring ingredients—can help make busy weeknights smoother since much of the prep work is already done.

Preparing complete meals in advance is another option. Cooking larger batches of favorite recipes and portioning them into fridge- or freezer-ready containers gives you quick, homemade breakfasts, lunches or dinners that are easy to reheat when time is short.

5. KEEP A STOCKED PANTRY AND FREEZER

A well-stocked pantry and freezer can help make dinner much easier by ensuring you have everything you need to prepare a delicious meal right in your kitchen. Before shopping each week, check what you already have in your pantry, refrigerator and freezer, then fill in the gaps based on the meals you plan to make. Keeping staples like cooking oils, seasonings, rice, pasta, canned goods, sauces and freezer-friendly items such as chicken, ground beef or bread on hand makes it easier to pull together quick meals any night of the week.

6. LEVERAGE FAST-COOKING APPLIANCE MODES

Using fast-cooking appliance modes can also help get dinner on the table sooner. Air frying is a quick, convenient way to cook certain foods with a crispy texture using little to no oil, making it a helpful option for busy weeknights. Select Maytag^® kitchen ranges offer No Preheat Air Fry, which eliminates the preheat process and cooks fried foods fast—delivering a crispy-on-the-outside, juicy-on-the-inside taste using little to no additional oil. Power Preheat, also on select Maytag^® ranges such as this model, lets you enjoy dinner faster, with juicy flavor every time.

7. GET ORGANIZED BEFORE YOU COOK

Mise en place is a French term for gathering and organizing your ingredients, tools and utensils before you start cooking. Having everything in its place can help streamline prep, reduce stress and make the entire cooking process feel more manageable.

TIPS FOR KEEPING MEALS SIMPLE

Making dinner time feel less overwhelming often comes down to working smarter, not harder. Small habits like choosing one-pot meals and storing leftovers properly can help make dinner easier from prep to cleanup. Here are some ideas to help make mealtimes more manageable.

CHOOSE ONE-PAN OR ONE-POT MEALS

Meals that use fewer pans can simplify both cooking and cleanup. Options like sheet pan dinners, skillet meals and casseroles allow you to cook everything in one place, reducing prep time, minimizing dishes and making it easier to get dinner on the table. For pleasing even the pickiest eaters, check out this tasty pepperoni sheet pan pizza. And for a quick meal you can prepare right on your cooktop, try this Spanish tortilla skillet with chorizo.

COOK MULTIPLE PARTS OF DINNER AT ONCE

Using your oven strategically can help dinner come together faster, especially when cooking for a household. When cooking multiple dishes at once, choose recipes with compatible oven temperatures or use an average temperature when needed so everything can cook together. Note that when you are maximizing oven space, leave a few inches of space between dishes and between the dishes and the oven walls so air can circulate properly. Convection settings can also help cook dishes evenly across multiple racks, making it easier to serve everything at the same time.

CLEAN AS YOU GO

Keeping a trash bowl or bag at your prep station makes it easy to toss scraps quickly and avoid extra trips across the kitchen. During small pauses in cooking, use the time to put ingredients away, load dishes into the kitchen sink or dishwasher and wipe down surfaces so cleanup feels fast and more manageable after dinner.

USE LEFTOVERS AND STORE FOOD PROPERLY

Storing food properly can help make dinner easier long after the first meal is served. Saving leftovers the right way helps reduce food waste, simplifies next-day meals and can give you a head start on busy weeknights when all you have time for is reheating leftovers. Read on for more ideas to help stretch your meals.

CHOOSE MEAL IDEAS THAT MAKE ENOUGH FOR LEFTOVERS

Making extra portions of meals like casseroles, roasted meats and one-pan dishes can save time later by providing ready-made lunches or second dinners. These types of dishes tend to reheat well, helping leftovers stay satisfying and easy to serve again. You may also be able to repurpose leftovers into new dishes; for example, today’s pulled pork could become tomorrow’s pork tacos.

FREEZE EXTRA PORTIONS FOR BUSY NIGHTS

Freezing extra portions of soups, casseroles and other freezer-friendly meals can help turn one recipe into several future dinners. Portion food into smaller containers for easier reheating, label each container with the date and contents and store items properly so they’re easy  to find later. This can help reduce food waste and gives you quick meal options for busy nights.

SIMPLE DINNER FAQS

Making dinner easier looks different for every household. Whether you’re cooking for picky eaters, trying to stretch your grocery budget or simply looking for fast weeknight meal ideas, a few simple strategies can make a big difference. Below are answers to common questions about simplifying dinner time.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE DINNER EASIER FOR PICKY EATERS?

If you’re feeding picky eaters, try meals built around familiar favorites like pasta, rice, bread, diced chicken and well-liked vegetables such as corn or broccoli. Getting kids involved in cooking by giving them simple, age-appropriate tasks (rolling dough, measuring rice in cups, etc.) can also make new foods feel less intimidating and encourage them to try something different.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE DINNER EASIER ON A TIGHT BUDGET?

Planning meals ahead and using what you already have can help make dinner easier on a tight budget. Choose recipes before grocery shopping so you only buy what you need, which can help save money and reduce food waste. Prepping a few meals in advance can also help curb the urge to eat out and make better use of pantry staples and leftovers.