13 Crazy Easy Dinner Recipes For Beginners (With Few Ingredients)

February 24, 2023 By Lilly

Are you hungry but lacking in culinary skills? Here are some quick and easy meals to make at home to help you gain confidence in the kitchen!

A simple home cooked meal doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavor. There are a great deal of effortless dinner recipes that are made with just a handful of basic and cheap ingredients. I’ve rounded up a list of my go-to dinner recipes for new cooks or anyone who doesn’t like spending hours in the kitchen cooking and cleaning.

If there’s one thing that makes being an adult difficult, it’s preparing dinner for my family EVERY NIGHT. Making a meal that everyone can agree on isn’t a walk in the park, especially if you have picky eaters at home. No worries! Scroll down below to find some of the easiest and best reviewed dinner ideas for busy weeknights.

1. Lazy Enchiladas

These enchiladas may be ridiculously easy to make, but you would never guess they are made with frozen taquitos! Simply dump a can of enchilada sauce over top along with some shredded cheese for this delicious Mexican inspired meal.

Lazy Enchiladas | This food hack is a game changer! You can make yummy enchiladas with frozen taquitos. I love this fast meal for busy weeknights, and it's just as good leftover. It's cheap to make with a can of enchilada sauce and cheese. If you're a new cook, you've got to try this super easy dinner idea! — Recipe & Instructions: Enchilada Casserole

2. Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Break out your muffin pan for this family friendly meal! The Pillsbury biscuit dough makes for the perfect little edible bowls. I’ve made this recipe extra fast and easy to make thanks to canned chicken, frozen veggies and a can of soup.

Mini Chicken Pot Pies | Only 4 ingredients to make this kid friendly meal! It's perfect for busy school nights or anytime you've had a long day at work. A classic comfort food made easy! These chicken pot pies make for a complete meal with frozen veggies and canned chicken. A great dinner idea for beginners! — Recipe & Instructions: Chicken Pot Pies

3. Lazy Lasagna

If you haven’t tried baking ravioli with pasta sauce and cheese, you’ve been missing out on the easiest meal on the planet. You can vary it up every time you make it by adding ground beef, sausage, or veggies to the layers, along with the ravioli of your choice!

Baked Ravioli Lazy Lasagna | This quick and easy dinner recipe is perfect for the beginning cook! It's so simple to make with just 3 ingredients and you can customize it to your liking. The easiest Italian dinner you'll ever make! My picky kids love it. — Recipe & Instructions: Lazy Lasagna

4. Cheeseburger Biscuits

This amazing comfort food is awesome for those days when you’re craving a cheeseburger but the weather doesn’t permit standing outside over the grill. This fun twist on cheeseburgers uses refrigerated biscuits instead of buns! A total upgrade if you ask me.

Cheeseburger Biscuit Casserole | This ground beef dinner recipe is a family favorite meal! The buns are replaced with biscuits, and it's all made in just one pan. No grill required! My picky eaters requested for this casserole to be on regular rotation. Fine by me! It's super fast and easy to make with just a few ingredients. I recommend this recipe for the beginning cook! — Recipe & Instructions: Cheeseburger Biscuit Casserole

5. Creamy Crockpot Chicken Tacos

If you’re a cream cheese fan, you are going to go bonkers over this easy taco recipe. Simply dump a few chicken breasts, a jar of salsa, a block of cream cheese and some taco seasoning into your slow cooker. Wait a few hours, and then watch as magic happens.

Cream Cheese Chicken Tacos | Break out your slow cooker because you're about to make the best shredded chicken tacos, ever! This delicious dinner is made with just 4 ingredients and is basically a dump meal. Your crockpot will do all of the hard work for you. If you're looking for easy dinner recipes for beginners, this amazing chicken will soon be your new favorite weeknight meal. My entire family loves it, even my picky eaters! — Recipe & Instructions: Cream Cheese Chicken Tacos

6. Crockpot Chicken & Gravy

This shredded chicken and gravy is exquisite over mashed potatoes or rice! It kind of reminds me of Thanksgiving which makes me feel all happy inside. Serve this main dish with a side of your favorite veggies to make a complete family meal.

Slow Cooker Chicken & Gravy | If you're always looking for easy dinner recipes to make at home, you've got to try this shredded chicken and gravy! It's made with just a few ingredients and tastes like a fancy meal. Just dump everything into your crockpot, shred the chicken, and then serve over rice, pasta or mashed potatoes, along with a side of veggies to make it healthy. — Recipe & Instructions: Chicken & Gravy

7. Frozen Burrito Casserole

Do you think frozen burritos are dry and boring? Try smothering them in enchilada sauce and cheese! This seriously tastes like something you’d get at a fancy restaurant, and it’s a breeze to make in just one pan!

Frozen Burrito Dinner Casserole | Are you on the hunt for easy meals to make for beginners? Here you go! Smother an 8 pack of frozen burritos with enchilada sauce and thank me later. My hungry kids love this simple meal idea! I make it often when I'm too tired to cook and clean. It's great leftover for dinner the next day, too. This budget meal is a keeper! — Recipe & Instructions: Frozen Burrito Casserole

8. Cheeseburger Casserole

This classic recipe is popular for a reason! It’s cheap, easy to make, and delicious. If you have a large family with kids or enjoy having leftovers, you’ve got to try this ground beef and pasta dinner casserole.

Cheeseburger Dinner Casserole | My most popular dinner idea! How can you go wrong with ground beef, pasta, tomato soup and a bunch of cheese all mixed together into a yummy casserole? It's the ultimate comfort food for a busy family of 6. It's also great leftover if you're only feeding a few! My teenagers love it. — Recipe & Instructions: Cheeseburger Casserole

9. Garlic Toast Pizzas

Frozen garlic toast makes for the perfect last-minute pizza crust. Top it with your favorite pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and the toppings of your choice such as pepperoni or olives. It’s easy enough for older kids and teens to make themselves!

Garlic Toast Mini Pizzas | Are you trying to find quick and easy dinner recipes? These little pizzas are effortless thanks to frozen garlic bread! Easy enough for kids to make by themselves. It's perfect for last minute meals on nights when you don't have dinner plans. Top these delicious and crispy pizzas with the toppings of your choice such as pepperoni, olives, bell peppers, jalapeños, etc. — Recipe & Instructions: Frozen Garlic Toast Pizzas

10. Stuffing Meatloaf

Even if you’re not a meatloaf fan, this is an incredibly savory way to cook ground beef. Simply mix it with a box of Stove Top stuffing, eggs, and ketchup. Once baked, it tastes like something your grandma would make. It’s surprisingly tasty, especially with mashed potatoes!

The Best Stuffing Meatloaf | This classic recipe is a must have ground beef dinner recipe! Serve it as a main dish with mashed potatoes and a side of healthy vegetables. It's a wonderful meal especially during the cold winter months. It always reminds me of grandma's house! It's so cheap and simple to make with just 4 ingredients including a box of Stove Top stuffing. — Recipe & Instructions: Stuffing Meatloaf

11. Cheesy Pesto Baked Chicken

Yes, you can make juicy and tender chicken in your oven! Top a few chicken breasts with a mixture of cream cheese and basil pesto, sprinkle on some mozzarella cheese, and bake. That’s it! It’s packed full of cheesy flavor and pairs well with a side of pasta or rice.

Cheesy Pesto Baked Chicken | Are you looking for chicken dinner recipes for beginners? This cheesy chicken is a breeze to make in just one pan! You wouldn't believe the difference cream cheese makes when baking chicken. You can serve it with your favorite starch such as pasta or rice. Even my kids love it! — Recipe & Instructions: Cheesy Pesto Chicken

12. Pizzadillas

Take a classic quesadilla up a notch with pizza ingredients! Simply stuff that bad boy with pepperoni and dip in warm marinara. What else could you put in there? Olives, jalapeños, bell peppers? Don’t forget to sprinkle on some Italian seasoning.

Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas | This easy dinner is perfect for busy work nights, and a fun twist on classic quesadillas! Stuff tortillas with cheese and your favorite pizza toppings. Dip in pizza sauce or marinara for the ultimate comfort food. This is perfect for feeding two people, or as many as you want! Stock up on tortillas and you've got an easy meal to make that everyone will love. — Recipe & Instructions: Pizza Quesadillas

13. Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Fajitas are a dream come true on just about any night of the week! Here is a simple way of making them in your oven with chicken. No grill required! Just toss with olive oil and a packet of fajita seasoning. You can thank me later.

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas | No grill required! It's so easy to make fajitas in your oven. Way easier than you'd think thanks to a packet of fajita seasoning. If you're looking for easy dinner recipes for beginners, this chicken is fool proof. Simple enough for anyone to make with just a few ingredients. — Recipe & Instructions: Sheet Pan Fajitas

Helpful Tips

Cooking Tips for Beginners

Read the full recipe, instructions, notes and comments carefully before you start! You don’t want any surprises while you’re half way through cooking.
Make a mental note of the tasks that need to be done ahead of time such as marinating meats, pulling butter out of the fridge, thawing vegetables, etc. Some things need to be done the day before.
Chop vegetables, grate cheese and measure out spices before you start cooking to save time, prevent mistakes and reduce stress. I like to make sure I have everything I need right in front of me before I turn the stove or oven on.
Always set your timer for less cooking time than a recipe calls for before checking for doneness. Every oven varies! You can always add more time but you can’t take it away.
If you’re a beginner cook, follow the recipe, especially if you have dinner guests. You can always make notes and alter the recipe the second time around. At the same time, if you hate onions, leave them out! You can also leave out uncommon spices that you don’t want to buy such as coriander.