14 Easy Weeknight Dinners for Beginners

Today I've got a collection of 14 Easy Weeknight Dinners for Beginners because we all deserve a homecooked meal. These recipes are stress-free, foolproof, and fast. Oh, and of course, completely awesome.

I recently had a friend and reader request a round-up of some quick and easy weeknight dinners for beginner cooks. Guys, that's totally my jam.

Pretty much all of my recipes are easy because I'm lazy. You know if a recipe is particularly fussy or requires a bunch of specialty gear or weird ingredients, I just can't be bothered. Can we still say ain't nobody got time for that? Because we don't.

I've scoped out two week's worth of recipes for you today that I'm confident anyone can make, even if you usually only make cereal in your kitchen. You got this, kids. Even on a weeknight.

Easy Garlic Mac & Cheese is made with a no-cook sauce, so you just have to cook pasta, stir some stuff, and bake it in the oven. Add a green salad to balance things out.

Turkey Scallopini takes all of 15 minutes. Pair it with some microwavable steamed veg and some Parmesan Fried Gnocchi for an extremely awesome dinner in a flash.

I love this Egg Tortilla Pie. Really you're just assembling a few things, then popping it in the oven for a little while. Eat the whole thing yourself if you're really hungry, or split it and add a side salad for something a little lighter.

For a quick meatless Monday dinner, use your favorite bagged salad to make this Fiery Halloumi Salad. You can be eating in about 15 minutes.

Pork Puff Pastry Pockets are really more of a concept. You can repurpose any leftover cooked meat in this way. Shredded chicken, ground turkey, whatever is hanging out in your fridge.

This Pepperoni Pasta Bake is popular with the kids. Use your favorite jarred pasta sauce to keep it simple. You can also use leftover pasta for this if you have some.

Super Fast Faux Pizza explains itself. Let each person top their half however they like.

Black Bean & Chorizo Soup uses canned black beans. If you can also get pre-chopped chorizo, you're going to have awesome soup in under 30 minutes. Get some good crusty bread to go along with it.

I stretched one pot of spaghetti bolognese into dinner for four nights by making Spaghetti Quesadillas with the leftovers. It was so awesome.

This Spanish Chicken and Chorizo Bake is stupid easy. A bit of chopping is all you really need to do. Throw everything on a baking sheet, pop it in the oven, and put your feet up with a glass of wine.

These Ginger-Glazed Gammon Steaks cook quick. I like to serve them with frozen potato croquettes and microwavable steamed veg. It's super yummy.

I could eat Cornbread-Topped Chili Mac once a week at least. I use my favorite canned chili here, and if you live in a place that has corn muffin mix, you can use that, too. This dish is so comforting.

Bacon Carbonara is another dish I wish I was always eating. It's not remotely authentic, but it saves you money by using bacon instead of pancetta. Also, this recipe calls for white wine, so you basically have to have a glass with dinner.

This Lemon Linguine is another great meatless option. A simple no-cook creamy sauce is all you need to elevate simple pasta to something bright and cozy.

Friends, if I could make you dinner every day, I totally would. Until we figure out that space-time continuum, I hope you enjoy these recipes. You got this. I believe in you.

Don't forget to tag me on Instagram if you make any of these recipes. I know you'll love them.