8 Easy Back-to-School Dinners for Busy Families

Well, well. We meet again, September.

The bus is making its 7:08 trek past our house. The calendar filled up again practically overnight. And somewhere between relearning morning drop-off and figuring out who has practice on which day, everyone still expects dinner. Every single night. Madness!

If your brain is just as fried as mine trying to get routines back in place, you are in good company. I don't have all of it figured out either. What I do have is eight dinners I can lean on without thinking too hard, and this time of year, that's the name of the game.

Pick These Recipes If...

• You're back in the school-year grind and your dinner rotation has gone stale
• You need meals that don't require a special grocery trip on a Tuesday
• You're juggling practices, activities, and packed lunches and dinner keeps losing
• You want a few things you can put on repeat without anyone complaining
• You'd like at least one of these to freeze well for the weeks you really can't cook

Eight Dinners to Get You Through September

1

Skillet Lasagna

All the lasagna flavor, none of the layering. Ground beef, jarred sauce, noodles, one skillet, about 30 minutes. Nobody has to know you didn't fuss over it.

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2

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Chicken, peppers, and fajita seasoning, all roasted together on one pan. Minimal dishes, and everybody builds their own, so nobody has anything to complain about.

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3

Easy Walking Taco Casserole

Ground beef, beans, cheese, and crunchy chips baked into one dependable casserole. Ready in about 30 minutes and it disappears fast at our table.

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4

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

Dump chicken, BBQ sauce, and broth in the crockpot and walk away. Shred it for sandwiches or sliders. This is the one for the nights everyone's coming home at a different time.

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5

Easy Pork Stir Fry

Pork, vegetables, a simple homemade sauce, and about 20 minutes. Good for the nights when you remembered dinner later than you'd like to admit.

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6

Italian Tuna Pasta Bake

Made with what's already in the pantry: canned tuna, marinara, pasta, mozzarella. About 30 minutes, and you probably don't need a grocery run to make it tonight.

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7

Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Pasta

Chicken, andouille sausage, peppers, and penne, all going creamy and a little spicy in the crockpot. Feels like more effort than it is.

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8

Easy Meatball Subs

Made with frozen meatballs, because that shortcut counts. Warm, cheesy, comfort food on a weeknight timeline.

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Dinner Doesn't Have to Be Complicated to Get Everybody Fed

You don't need a full meal plan overhaul this week. You need a few dinners you can put on repeat while everyone gets their feet back under them. These are exactly that.

Because life changes. Dinner can too!

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