Planning a menu can be a tedious task. That’s why I would like to help you with these easy family meal ideas! I have been working really hard to put together a big list of favorite recipes so I can plan meals 2-3 weeks in advance. It has been so nice. A short grocery list and I am set for the week. It is also nice to plan ahead so if there is a sale on something I will need (like chicken or beef) I can get it while it is less expensive.
Be sure to print out the free menu planner printable here, as well as our list of meal ideas below. Together this will make your meal planning so much easier. It is also easy to customize depending on what you like to eat, but I hope it gives you some ideas.
I try and use the sales or items we have in our stockpile as much as I can, and then we can use items we stock up on this week for future menus.
If it is easier for you, just plan out 6 of each breakfast, lunch, and dinner (leaving 1 day for leftovers) then choose something off the list that sounds the best. I even make substitutions if we have something that needs to be used or if we go out to eat. Be flexible and willing to try new things. I have been really surprised at what I like now that I didn’t like even 5 years ago.
We don’t have dessert every night, but I listed several options so I could make one depending on what sounds good.
Easy Family Meal Ideas
Breakfasts:
- Breakfast Casserole
- Raspberry Oatmeal Bars
- Sweet and Savory Breakfast Tacos
- Pull-Apart Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting, fresh fruit
- Strawberry Smoothies and Banana Nut Bread
- Blueberry Cheesecake French Toast with bacon and juice
- Omelets with fresh veggies, cheese, and ham with toast on the side
- French Toast
- Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Muffins
- Oatmeal and fruit
- Biscuits and gravy
- Sausage Bombs Recipe
- Breakfast burritos
- Stuffed Omelet Recipe {+ how to make an omelet }
- Granola Carmelita Recipe
- Muffins (goes well with smoothies, fruit, yogurt, juice, etc)
- Eggs, Sausage, and Toast
- Crepes
- Egg in the hole
- Eggs Goldenrod
- Caramel Apple Braid {made with cinnamon rolls}
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon Roll Pancakes Recipe
- Pancakes
- Waffles
- Waffle Bar Breakfast
- Lemon Blueberry Crumble Recipe
- Fruit and Cheese Danishes
- Breakfast Bowls (biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, cheese, sausage)
- Crispy French Toast Sticks
- Fresh Fruit Salsa Recipe
Lunches:
- Bean and Cheese Burritos
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Calzones
- Spaghetti and breadsticks
- Twisty Pigs in a Blanket
- Chili Dogs with fruit and veggies
- Grilled Chicken breast and steamed veggies
- Sandwiches and chips with salad
Dinners:
This is a huge list of dinner ideas and sides. We have made 6 categories, Italian, Slow Cooker/Pressure Cooker, Mexican, Chinese, Seafood, and everything else. We left one day open for leftovers. There are enough ideas here you couple plan out two MONTHS of dinners!
This is how we do ours – Sunday is Italian, Monday is Slow Cooker/Pressure Cooker, Tuesday is Mexican (taco Tuesday 😉 ), Wednesday is leftovers, Thursday is Chinese, Friday is Seafood, and Saturday is everything else. We have done this for a few months now and I L.O.V.E. not guessing what to make for dinner or worrying about it every few days.
We do change things around like if we do an impromptu night out or we decide to travel, etc, but then I just move those meals to the next open slots on those days. If I have already bought foods for specific meals, I will move those up even if it’s not on its assigned “night”.
Italian
- Pizza
- Lasagna
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Stuffed Shells
- Alfredo
- Chicken Marsala
- Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli
- Chicken Stroganoff
- Pasta Bar (sauces and toppings and cooked noodles laid out to make DIY bowls)
- Tortellini
- Pizza Pockets
- Calzones
- Baked Ziti
- Chicken Parmesan
Sides
- Garlic Bread
- Salad
- Green Beans
- Soup
- Veggies
Slow Cooker/Pressure Cooker
- Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Slow Cooker Pepperoncini Pork Roast with Vegetables Recipe
- Smoked Pork Roast
- Slow Cooker Apple Glazed Chicken Recipe
- Taco Soup
- Creamy Potato Soup Recipe with Bacon and Cheese
- Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
- Pressure Cooker Beef Stew Recipe
- Bourbon Chicken
- Peach Glazed Pork Roast Recipe
- Honey Garlic Chicken
- Slow Cooker Black Bean Chili Crostini
- Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken Drumstick Recipe
- Corn Chowder
- Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Honey Ham Recipe
- Pressure Cooker Crack Chicken
- Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Black Bean Chili Recipe
- Shredded Chicken Soup Recipe
here are 25 Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes you can browse also
Sides
- Rolls
- Steamed Veggies
- Rice
- Potatoes (and gravy)(twice baked)
Mexican
- Tacos
- Tostadas
- Chicken Bacon Enchiladas with Mexican rice
- Chicken Taco Avocados
- Tamales and Chili
- Street Tacos
- Slow Cooker Chicken Bacon Tex Mex Recipe
- Salsa Chicken
- Taquitos
- Beef Tortilla Casserole Recipe
- Tinga
- Fajitas
- Carne Asada
- Pressure Cooker Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)
- Sweet Pork Burritos (Cafe Rio copycat)
- Crispy Black Bean Tacos Recipe
Sides
- Corn Bread
- Elote (corn)
- Refried Beans
- Mini chicken fajitas served on crackers
- Rice
- Black Beans
Chinese
- Teriyaki Rice Bowls
- Teriyaki Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Recipe
- Sesame Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Beef and Pineapple Stir Fry
- Orange Chicken
- Mongolian Beef
- Lo Mein
- Broccoli and Beef
- Ramen
- Dumplings
- Pork Buns
- Shanghai Noodles
- General Tso Chicken
- Zucchini Noodle Stir Fry Recipe made with Grilled Chicken
Sides
- Fried Rice
- Egg Rolls
- Wontons
- Pot Stickers
- Egg Drop Soup
- Spring Rolls
Seafood
- Tilapia
- Salmon
- Pan-Seared Halibut Recipe with Sautéed Green Beans
- Fish Tacos
- Fish Filet Sandwiches
- Fish Sticks
- Fish and Chips
- Shrimp and Steak
- Shrimp and Beans
- Cod and Asparagus
- Shrimp Tacos
Sides
- Asparagus
- Green Beans
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Grilled Pineapple Rice
- Avocado Deviled Eggs
- Mango Salsa
- Steamed Veggies
Everything Else
- Barbecue chicken and rice with corn on the cob and rolls
- Fry Bread Tacos (Fry Bread Recipe)
- Shepards Pie with rolls and green salad
- Cheeseburger Mac
- Chicken Fried Steak
- Sloppy Joes
- Mini Pot Pie Recipe
- Stuffed Peppers with riced veggies
- French Dip
- Chicken Sandwiches
- Chicken Salad
- Veggie Stuffed Chicken
- Salisbury Steak
- One-pot chicken and potatoes with green beans
- BBQ Beef Cups
- Tator Tot Casserole
- Corn Veggie Tots Casserole Recipe
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Turkey Pot Pie Recipe
- BBQ
- Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
- Nacho Pizza Recipe
Sides
- Fries
- Mashed Potatoes
- Chips
- Steamed Veggies
- Sweet Coleslaw
- Zucchini Fritters
- Bean Salad Salsa
Desserts:
- Mini no-bake cheesecake
- Homemade Chocolate Bon Bons
- Lemon Bars
- Ice cream sundaes
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars Recipe
- Apple Pie
- Cupcake
- 15 minute Apple Turnover
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with shredded carrots
- Mint Oreo and White Chocolate Pie Recipe
We also have a lot of dessert recipes here, many of them are themed for holidays and birthdays as well!
Snacks:
Crackers and cheese
Apple Slices with caramel dip
Muffins
Fresh fruit cut up
Fresh veggies cut up
Funnel Cake Recipe {made with cereal}
Easy Family Meal Ideas Printable
Download the list below. I have made one that is filled in and one that is blank so that you fill it in for yourself. Then you can just make copies of it. I print it off and then cross the meals off as I add them to my planner so I know what I have already done recently. Be sure to take advantage of the Menu Planner if you don’t have it yet.
BLANK MEAL IDEA PLANNER
MEAL IDEA PLANNER
If you have any comments or have more easy family meal ideas you would like to see added, feel free to leave it in the comments. I love trying new things in the kitchen, so please share your favorites!
