17 Short Cut Dinner Ideas
If you’re in the mood for a good home-cooked meal but don’t have the time (or energy) to start from scratch, these shortcut dinners are exactly what you need!
From cozy soups and cheesy baked pastas to quick skillet dinners, easy pizzas, and low-effort comfort food favorites, there’s a little bit of everything here. So whether you’re staring into the fridge at dinnertime or just want something reliable and delicious without the extra steps, these shortcut recipes have you covered.
1
Chicken Enchilada Bake
This is a super simple chicken enchilada casserole with only 5 ingredients! Just grab your favorite salsa verde, sour cream, shredded chicken, tortillas, and cheese, and you’ll have a cozy enchilada casserole ready to serve in about 30 minutes.
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2
Super Easy Orange Chicken
This easy orange chicken recipe has only five ingredients and takes 20 minutes to make. The secret is using shortcuts! When it’s done, you have a bowl of orange chicken that’s delicious served over rice with a veggie.
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3
One Pan Italian Sausage Ravioli
This hearty one pan pasta has a couple shortcuts and is ready in about 30 minutes!
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4
Green Chile Chicken Soup
This green chile chicken soup is quick and easy – perfect for busy nights.
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5
Meatball Stroganoff
Meatball stroganoff is a twist on the classic beef dish. Use frozen meatballs to make this a really easy weeknight dinner.
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6
Chicken Pesto Pizza
This pesto pizza makes pizza night deliciously easy! All you need are five ingredients, a hot oven, and a craving for pizza full of fresh flavors.
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7
Easy Teriyaki Shrimp
This teriyaki shrimp recipe is a quick 30-minute dinner that’s light and loaded with flavor.
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8
Italian Meatball Soup
This meatball soup is a soup version of pasta and meatballs with marinara sauce, and you only need six ingredients and about 15 minutes to make it.
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9
Chicken Gyros
These chicken gyros are full of fresh tomatoes and cucumber, creamy tzatziki, and tender chicken. You can make this recipe in about 15 minutes for a super easy dinner.
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10
One Pan Baked Tortellini
Tortellini pasta baked in a hearty meat sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese is a quick 30-minute meal. It’s a great weeknight dinner when life gets busy.
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11
Baked Italian Sliders
Italian sandwich sliders have three kinds of salami with melted provolone and a tangy kick from banana peppers. They’re easy to assemble and bake in the oven!
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12
Pesto Meatballs
You only need four ingredients for these pesto meatballs – just add your favorite marinara sauce and pasta for an easy dinner.
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13
Beef and Bean Tostadas
Baked tostadas topped with seasoned ground beef, refried beans, cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce. They’re super simple to make and one of my favorite nostalgic comfort foods.
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14
Gnocchi alla Sorrentina
Gnocchi alla Sorrentina is hearty and fresh at the same time and very easy to make. With a few shortcuts, this version is on the table in 20 minutes.
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15
BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza
Easy French Bread Pizza topped with chicken, cheese, and BBQ sauce is a short-cut version of a BBQ chicken pizza.
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16
Mediterranean Pasta
It doesn’t get any easier than this 15-minute Mediterranean pasta with olives, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta.
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17
Creamy Meatballs and Gnocchi
Creamy meatballs and gnocchi is a one-pan recipe with some great shortcut ingredients. It’s so easy to make and loaded with flavor.
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More Easy Recipe Ideas
- Easy Pasta Recipes
- One Pot Dinner Ideas
- Quick Dinner Ideas in 20 Minutes
- Easy Soup Recipes
- Recipe Ideas with Rotisserie Chicken
Happy cooking,
