38 Quick and Easy Sunday Dinner Ideas
For some, Sunday Dinner (yes, with a capital D) means a fancy, sit-down affair with dishes you’ve spent all day cooking. In our case, what’s meant to be a relaxing family meal turns into a rush to finish chores while shoveling crackers into our mouth. Let’s change that once and for all. You don’t need to scrap the “impressive” part, but we don’t believe in spending all day in the kitchen either. These 38 Sunday dinner ideas are hearty, classic, quick and easy, and they feel like a feast (but sneakily take only a few minutes of your time). Oh, and the best part? Everyone at the table will actually eat them—a major plus.
RELATED: 19 Fancy Dinners That Secretly Take 30 Minutes or Less
1. Easy One-Pan Ratatouille
While the traditional version is slow-cooked on the stove, this one is oven-roasted and delightfully hands-off.
2. Cheater’s Skillet Lasagna with Corn and Cherry Tomatoes
Let’s be honest: We don’t have time to stand over the kitchen counter layering pasta and homemade béchamel for hours. That’s why we love this easy version that has all the cheesy goodness you crave but gets loosely tossed together in a skillet.
3. Instant Pot Vegan Farro Risotto
Stirring for 30 minutes? No, thanks. We’d much rather throw everything together in our favorite kitchen appliance and get the same creamy results.
4. Cheater’s Slow-Cooker Beef Bourguignon
It takes hours to make melt-in-your-mouth beef bourguignon…unless you have your trusty slow cooker do all the work.
5. Pan-Fried Cod with Orange and Swiss Chard
News flash: Cooking seafood doesn’t have to be tricky and time-consuming. This pan-fried cod with orange and Swiss chard goes from fridge to table in 30 minutes.
6. One-Pan Steak with Beets and Crispy Kale
Instead of cooking everyone’s steak individually to order, toss them on a sheet tray and roast them all at the same time.
7. 30-Minute One-Pot Cheater’s Bouillabaisse
How do you shave 90 minutes of cooking time off this delicious Provençal seafood stew? Easy: Cook it in one pot with a smaller selection of seafood.
8. One-Pan Spaghetti and Meatballs
We’ve figured out how to cook meatballs and pasta in the same damn pan. Bye, sink full of dishes.
9. Slow-Cooker Whole Chicken with Potatoes
Whipping up a whole roast chicken at home is chic, classic and impressive—the ultimate trifecta. The only problem? You have to babysit it for hours while it cooks in the oven. Instead, simply stick it in the Crock-Pot, walk away and go about your day.
10. Cheater’s Skillet Paella
All you need is a pan, your oven and one hour to transport your family to Spain. Might we recommend popping open a bottle of red wine for the occasion?
RELATED: 17 One-Skillet Meals for Lazy Nights
11. Chrissy Teigen's Cheesy Chicken Milanese
Leave it to Teigen to reinvent the classic dish so it’s ready in under an hour—and it’s extra crispy and juicy.
12. Cheater’s Vegetarian Pizza with Zucchini and Bell Peppers
This flavorful pie starts with store-bought seeded flatbread, meaning you don’t have to wrangle dough (or scope out the frozen food aisle).
13. Skillet Steak with Asparagus and Potatoes
Bring the whole darn skillet to the dinner table and let everyone serve themselves. So much more fun than ordering steak out at a restaurant.
14. 15-Minute Cheater’s Pad Thai
Don’t worry, you can buy all the ingredients at the regular supermarket—no trips to the international grocery store necessary.
15. Baked Sesame-Ginger Salmon in Parchment
Love cooking, but hate doing dishes? Introducing your dream dinner: A complete meal that’s ready in 30 minutes, no pots or pans required.
16. 30-Minute Cheater’s Beef Stroganoff
We’ve streamlined the classic dish so that it’s ready to enjoy just 30 minutes after your craving strikes.
17. Red Shakshuka
There’s just something about eating red sauce on Sundays. This recipe is easy to whip up with just a few ingredients from the pantry.
18. One-Pot, 15-Minute Pasta Limone
Just toss the ingredients into a pot and boil them. (Is it OK if we make this every night of the week?)
19. Cheater’s White Wine Coq au Vin
Normally, you need Julia Child–level skills to pull off this classic French dish. But not today. Thanks to a few shortcuts, you can now drink the leftover white wine as you do some light lifting in the kitchen.
20. 40-Minute Saag Paneer
Skip the coconut-and-cashew-laden versions and opt for something more authentic—like this easy recipe.
RELATED: 7 Cheater’s Recipes for Classic, Fancy French Dinners
21. Chicken Thighs with Pancetta and Green Olives
Our Sunday nights need more chicken and bacon. (You can make this with olives on the side if your kids won’t touch them.)
22. Meyer Lemon and Pine Nut Fettuccine
Pasta al limone meets fettuccine alfredo? Yeah, we’re into it.
23. Pork Chops with Italian Salsa Verde
A complete meal (pork chops! broccoli rabe! sweet potatoes!) all cooked on the same sheet pan. Katie Workman, this is genius.
24. Amazing Easy Turkey Tacos
Let’s make Taco Sunday a thing. Behold Monique Volz’s kid-friendly turkey tacos that are incredibly easy to assemble.
25. Sheet-Pan Chicken Shawarma with Lemon-Tahini Drizzle
If you’ve got picky eaters in the house, cook the veggies separately and let them top their chicken with whatever they’d like.
26. Crispy Potato Tacos
Alejandra Graf knows a thing or two about kids’ eating, so we trust her when she says these crispy potato flautas are child-approved.
27. Garlic Peppercorn Crusted Beef Tenderloin
Impress the whole crew with Gaby Dalkin’s garlic peppercorn-crusted beef tenderloin (it looks complicated but is actually pretty easy).
28. Pasta with Tomato Sugo, Sausage and Smoked Cheese
Elevate your standard red sauce with Aida Mollenkamp’s take on fusilli alla salsiccia with sausage and smoked cheese.
29. Spaghetti in Poblano Salsa
Your kid’s favorite meal is spaghetti, so you’ve eaten it approximately 235 times this month. Maybe she’ll at least try this green sauce made from poblano peppers to shake things up.
30. BAKED SALMON WITH CRÈME FRAÎCHE
Heidi Larsen brings us a tried-and-true salmon dinner that’s as beloved by adults as it is kids. Plus, you’ll pack in those omega-3s.
31. 30-Minute Pork Scallopini with Lemons and Capers
There’s a reason that pork scallopini is on the menu at almost every neighborhood Italian restaurant. Try it at home with this recipe from Heidi Larsen.
32. Grilled Tuscan Steak
Prep the marinade for Jess Reilly’s grilled Tuscan steak on Friday; by Sunday, you’ll be able to grill up dinner in just a few minutes.
33. Curried Potatoes, Lentils and Peas
This easy Indian-inspired curry combines hearty potatoes, creamy lentils and peas for a delicious meal you can scoop up with naan.
34. Black Pepper and Lime Baked Wild Salmon with Snap Pea Slaw and Crispy Potatoes
The last time you tried to give your kid fish, he threw it on the floor. Put Jodi Moreno’s salmon on a hamburger bun, pile it high with slaw and it’ll be gone in ten minutes.
35. Noodles with Peanut Sauce
Tell the kiddos it’s takeout and they’ll be really excited for these saucy noodles from Katie Workman.
36. Honey Mustard Sheet-Pan Chicken with Brussels Sprouts
Maria Lichty knows how to get kids to eat their brussels sprouts: Serve them with honey-mustard chicken. (Or at least, you know, it’s worth a try.)
37. Baked Mac and Cheese
Have you ever met a kid who didn’t love mac and cheese? (Or an adult, for that matter?) Take Maria Lichty’s advice and bake it with panko on top.
38. One-Pan Chicken and White Beans with Tomatoes, Garlic and Herbs
Liz Harris claims that her one-pan chicken and white bean meal will solve all your dinner problems. We’re not going to debate it.
RELATED: 61 Easy Family Dinners Everyone at the Table Will Eat
