We just love our fast and fresh meals around here. It’s basically the entire reason we started our blog. We love easy weeknight dinners that are high on flavor, and low on effort. We’ve put together our favorite 15 Fast and Fresh Dinner Recipes, and it includes everything from skillet pork chops, to chicken with pilaf, and a few of our favorite big batch salads.
Fast & Easy Dinner Ideas
Fast and easy dinners are all about keeping things simple, without compromising flavor. Weeknights get busy, and we feel pretty strongly that low effort doesn’t have to mean low flavor or not healthy. Easy satisfying staples like quickly seared proteins that use the same skillet for a sauce, or veggie/starch combination (I.E. one pan meals!) are my go to for fresh, easy, and fast dinners.
As far as cooking time is concerned, we like 30 minutes or less to be considered ‘fast’. But, if all you have to do is put the ingredients in a pan, and then place the pan in the oven, that’s just as good in my book!
Pork Chop with Mushroom Gravy
Easy Skillet Pork Chops in Mushroom Sauce – A one pan meal your whole family will love! Ya can’t have too much gravy right? This delicious gravy has no cream…say what?
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Sheet Pan Fajitas are SUCH an easy meal for the whole family! Easy. Healthy. Versatile. Sold! Tender fajitas with chicken, fresh veggies, all cooked up on the same sheet pan! Serve with tortillas, on top of a salad or wrapped up in a lettuce wrap.
One Pan Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary
Roasted Lemon Chicken with Potatoes and Rosemary! – Once you make this easy dish, you will make it over and over again! Simple roasted chicken and potatoes never tasted so good. Bonus? It makes your house smell like a fancy kitchen store, like Williams-Sonoma.
Baked Pork Tenderloin
Pork Tenderloin is an easy dinner that everyone loves, and a nice reprieve from the usual chicken dinner. It is just as easy to cook, and we’ll show you a few different ways to cook it in this ultimate guide to perfectly tender, and easy Baked Pork Tenderloin!
Greek Chicken Burgers
These super fast and fresh Greek Chicken Burgers are made with wholesome ingredients that are stuffed with all the Greek Flavors we love! Grill indoors our out, with buns or bun less. Perfect for meal prep, too.
Perfect Oven Baked Salmon
Knowing how to bake the perfect piece of fish, and when to take it out of the oven is a key element for delicious buttery, restaurant quality salmon. This how to recipe will show you how to get perfect salmon every time.
30 Minute Chicken Puttanesca
This easy 30 minute chicken breast recipe is made in one pan with fresh flavors that come together in a flash. We love to serve it with a side of angel hair, but it’s just as delicious on its own.
Creamy One Pot Chicken and Rice with Mushrooms
If you make this once, you will make it over and over again! Simple wholesome ingredients, with lots of that earthy mushroom flavor. This is a dish that come together in one skillet, for a perfect weeknight meal your whole family will love.
Sheet Pan Chicken Breasts
If you’ve ever wondered how to achieve a perfectly baked chicken breast, this is the recipe for you! This recipe is perfect for so many uses and meal prep alike. Perfect chicken baked on a sheet pan is one recipe you’ll make once, and use weekly, just like we do!
Ground Chicken & Orzo Skillet Dinner
We are the queens of ground chicken and orzo because of how quickly they cook, and we bring those 2 ingredients together for a one pan meal with loads of flavor made in only 30 minutes! With red bell pepper, onions, garlic, saffron, lemon and white wine this recipe makes for a delicious restaurant quality dinner the whole family will love.
Feta and Herb Crusted Salmon
This super simple, but impressive main course is not only delicious, but beautiful too. It’s a year round salmon recipe that works great for weeknight meals, dinner parties, and holidays.
Baked Chicken Breasts with Lemon Rice Pilaf
This easy chicken and rice recipe features tender baked chicken breasts, aromatic lemon pilaf with veggies, and the best part? This is such an easy recipe, you’ll make it over and over again! The bright lemon flavor is so delicious, and it’s a clean eating recipe with leftovers for days.
Baked Chicken Parmesan
This Baked Chicken Parmesan is tenderized and double breaded with a mixture of panko crumbs, breadcrumbs, and a special parmesan blend, all coated with marinara and delicious parmesan. Keeping with the healthy trend…No fried chicken here, and you’d never even know it.
Homemade Poke Bowls
Poke Bowls are a delicious and healthy way to enjoy a fresh and nutritious lunch or dinner. You can make them with a variety of ingredients and the best part is, you can really tailor them to your liking! I like to prep loads of veggies and make these throughout the week as my work from home lunch.
Baked Gnocchi Sheet Pan Dinner
Simple flavors yield the best meals, and this Italian Sheet Pan Dinner combines fresh vegetables, herbs, and tender gnocchi with sausage. The gnocchi cooks right on the sheet pan alongside the sausage and veggies making this a true one pan meal. It’s easy, healthy, and such an easy dinner we think you will love!
More Easy Fast & Healthy Dinners:
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Braided Salmon with Mustard Glaze
- Italian Soup with Sausage
- Quinoa Salad with Feta and Chickpeas
- Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potatoes
- 15 Recipes for Ground Chicken
- Baked Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
What do you think about these recipes? Have questions? Comment below! Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, connect with us on Instagram and tag your @Laughingspatula recipes with #laughingspatula,while you’re at it…We love to see your pics!
Hoping this round up helped make your day a little easier!
Cheers! – Kathi and Rachel
Susan @ Culinary Envy says
I know I’m in trouble when I am stuck and drooling over the very first picture…One Skillet Pork Chops in Mushroom Gravy. I will be trying all of these! They look absolutely amazing!
Kathi Kirk says
Thank you Susan!