This back to school dinner decision tree matches you with a delicious, family friendly, reliable recipe to help you survive the transition and change in schedules that back to school season brings.
Alarms going off in the morning, lost shoes and homework and potentially a few tears (maybe even from mom), back to school season can feel chaotic.
So dinner needs to be easy, delicious and reliable.
Back to School Survival Dinner Decision Tree
Answer the questions to find a delicious and do-able dinner recipe no matter your needs during this busy season.
Here are your recipe results in a quick view-and-click format. Read on below for more details and some bonus recipes to consider.
Quick & Easy Recipes
These recipes are perfect when you need a quick fix at the end of a long day. Simple recipes, favorite flavors and finished in less than 30 minutes.
Easy Chicken Stir Fry - You just need some chicken breasts and a bag of frozen veggies, plus a bottle of stir fry sauce, to get this tasty recipe to come together. Serve with rice and dig in!
Easy Chicken Fried Rice - Just one pan needed and ready in 20 minutes, this shortcut chicken fried rice is easy to customize! You do need cooked rice and cooked chicken ready to go for this recipe.
Honey Mustard Pork Chops - This recipe uses on-hand ingredients and is ready in 25 minutes for a tasty, saucy main dish everyone will love! Serve with baked or roasted potatoes a steam-in-bag veggie for a complete meal.
Taco Pizza - This fun mash-up of taco night and pizza night is sure to be a crowd pleaser! It's a great way to use extra ground taco meat, too.
All-in-One Recipes
Whether you pick a pasta, a sheet pan dinner or a skillet recipe, these all-in-one dishes make cooking AND clean up a breeze!
Taco Pasta - This one-pot 30-minute pasta has taco meat, tomatoes, beans, pasta and cheese for a dinner the whole family will dig into!
Chicken Pasta with Zucchini and Peas - You've got your protein, pasta and veggies all together in one cozy bowl with this dish. Add extra cheese if you like!
Sheet Pan Chicken Parm - This easy, layered chicken Parm is a great hands-off dish. Serve with spaghetti and a bagged salad to complete the meal.
Sheet Pan Sausage & Veggies - The combination of seared sausage chunks with roasted potatoes and veggies is perfect for a comforting, nourishing dinner.
Southwest Chicken Skillet - Sauté some onion and bell pepper, add in black beans, corn, rotisserie chicken and seasonings and you have a delicious meal ready to go! Add your favorite toppings and dive in.
Skillet Shrimp Fajitas - Just 5 ingredients and 20 minutes needed for this seafood twist on fajita night. Serve in tortillas or over rice for a yummy dinner!
Make Ahead Meals
Sometimes you just need to dinner ahead of time and have it ready to go when everyone finally tumbles in the house. These recipes will work for you.
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken - Just 5 simple ingredients and minutes to prep, this crock pot chicken is perfect to make ahead when you're know it's going to be a day.
Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken - Creamy, cheesy and oh so comforting, this chicken recipe is just a few basic ingredients and minutes to prep. Serve with rice and add green peas or a steamed veggie to complete the meal.
King Ranch Chicken Casserole - This Tex-Mex casserole is family friendly and oh so cheesy and hearty. It's sure to be a hit!
Healthier Chicken and Pasta Bake - This all-in-one casserole has the protein, pasta and veggies all combined together. Prep ahead and bake it off or bake ahead and reheat as needed.
Bonus Recipes
None of these feel quite right? Here are a few additional recipes to consider:
Fajita Chicken Pasta has tender pasta, strips of chicken, charred onions and peppers, and plenty of fajita seasoning and cheese to bring it all together. This delicious family dinner is ready in just 25 minutes!
Ground Turkey, Rice & Veggie Skillet with beans, corn, tomatoes, zucchini and bell peppers is an all-in-one dinner with tons of flavor that's ready in just 30 minutes. It's easy to make and customize and sure to be a family favorite!
Cheesy Skillet Chicken and Potatoes is full of tender chunks of chicken, potatoes and veggies, all covered in melty cheese for a delicious all-in-one dinner the whole family will love!
Baked Ranch Chicken is an easy, hands-off recipe with just 6 ingredients and rich, amazing flavor. The chicken breasts are coated in a breadcrumb mixture and have a tender inside and a crunchy crust.
Sheet Pan Pork Chops with Potatoes and Broccoli is an easy, all-in-one, hands off dinner that's well seasoned and delicious.
Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole with potatoes and broccoli is a creamy, cheesy, comforting dinner the whole family will love!
Need some more inspiration? Try adopting a few themed dinner nights so you have a framework for finding recipes.
You might also be interested in this time-based dinner decision tree that matches you with a recipe based on how much time you have to spend on cooking. Or this how many dishes dinner decision tree that matches you with dinner based on the number of dishes.
Let recipes be problem solvers and work hard for you. You got this! 👊
XO,
Kathryn
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