December 7, 2024

71 Spring Weeknight Dinner Recipes & Ideas | Recipes, Dinners and Easy Meal Ideas

71 Spring Weeknight Dinner Recipes & Ideas | Recipes, Dinners and Easy Meal Ideas

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Chicken with Creamy Mushrooms and Snap Peas

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Asparagus Fettuccine Carbonara

Top juicy boneless pork chops with prosciutto, Parmesan and fontina, and broil until bubbly for a satisfying dinner that’s just as quick as it is special.

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Pork Saltimbocca with Peas

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Shrimp Ramen

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Snapper with Kale-Orange Salad

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Lemon Pasta Pronto

Spring vegetables brighten up classic pasta Alfredo, while lemon zest and chives cut the rich creaminess.

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Spring Vegetable Fettuccine Alfredo

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Coconut Tofu with Snap Pea Salad

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Sausage Pizza With Spinach Salad

Rachael uses all the flavors of classic Italian chicken piccata in this pasta dish tossed with chunks of juicy chicken breast. It’s an easy all-in-one meal.

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Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss

These crisp-tender snap peas are ready to go with a quick boil and a simple dressing of olive oil and freshly chopped tarragon.

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Tarragon Snap Peas

Switch up your taco night by spiking yours with Sunny’s cool, creamy salsa.

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Ground Chicken Tacos with Creamy Salsa

Use leftover cornbread mixed with jalapenos and scallions as a simple stuffing for juicy bone-in pork chops. 

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Pork Chops with Cornbread Stuffing

This rich, lemony pasta dish is easy enough to make on a weekday but impressive enough for any special occasion.

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Shrimp Scampi with Linguini

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Cheesy Grits with Fried Eggs and Vegetables

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Parmesan Chicken

Next time you make this veggie-packed spring pasta dish, zero in on a single color: green. Seasonal snap peas, asparagus, chives and also kale round out this penne-based main.

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Pasta Primavera with Peas, Asparagus and Kale

Fry juicy, boneless and breaded pork loin chops until crispy and golden brown, and use peach jam to make a super-easy, sweet sauce to go along with them.

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Pork Chops With Peach Sauce

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Gnocchi Primavera

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Fish Fry

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Lemon Braised Artichokes

Savor the first warm days of spring with a quick grilled meal: Grill sweet-and-spicy shrimp, asparagus and mushrooms, then serve with rice noodles and fresh cilantro. April showers? You can also cook the marinated shrimp and vegetables inside on a grill pan.

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Grilled Shrimp and Noodle Salad

This easy chicken dinner requires just 15 minutes of prep.  

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Baked Lemon Chicken

Tyler’s penne recipe combines some of spring’s freshest ingredients and still allows you to have dinner on the table in less than an hour.

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Penne with Baby Artichokes, Black Olives and Peas

Dress up simple, crispy broiled salmon with a vibrant cream sauce and a bed of lima beans and peas — and do it all in 30 minutes.

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Broiled Salmon With Tomato Cream Sauce

Toss the broad, flat pasta shape with ingredients that scream spring: petite green peas, radishes and mixed fresh herbs. Top the finished plate with creamy, lemon-zested ricotta.

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Pappardelle with Spring Vegetables

Toss sweet roasted beets with tangy feta and crunchy scallions for a vibrant and flavor-packed side.

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Roasted Beets With Feta

Slash cooking time by opting for a frozen grain-and-rice blend as the base.

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Steak Fried Rice

This one-pan meal is a true weeknight wonder. Let the chicken roast for 15 minutes while you chop potatoes, radishes and scallions. Then add the veggies and return the pan to the oven for 20 more minutes, and dinner is ready!

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Roast Chicken With Spring Vegetables

New Mexico chili powder, cumin, cloves and oregano add spice to these boneless pork chops, while grilled onions add smoky sweetness. Fry them in about eight minutes, then serve with your favorite style of Mexican rice.

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Chili-Rubbed Pork Chops

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Cajun Veggie Pasta

Grill or broil juicy flank steak and serve with corn tortillas plus all the fixings, for a beef taco dinner that’s ready in just 30 minutes.

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Beef Tacos: Tacos de Carne Asada

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Chicken Thighs with Minty Peas

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Blistered Green Beans with Spicy Chile Sauce

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Carbonara with Crab

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Shrimp and Clam Pizza

Simmer fresh plum tomatoes, fennel and garlic together for a fresh, well-rounded shrimp meal.

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Greek Shrimp and Couscous

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Mac and Cheese Primavera

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Pesto Pasta with Shrimp

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Lamb Chops with Carrot Puree and Cucumber Salad

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Linguine with Asparagus

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Pork Chop Piccata with Spaghetti

Welcome spring to the table with spicy-sweet radishes, mint, parsley and broiled shrimp in this orzo-enhanced spinach salad.

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Spinach-Orzo Salad with Shrimp

Instead of laboring over a broth, make this shortcut soup that reels in big flavor with toasted sesame oil, ginger, shiitake mushrooms, soy sauce and the smoked trout.

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Soba and Spinach Soup with Smoked Trout

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Pea Soup with Lemon Mascarpone

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Whole-Wheat Pasta with Sausage and Swiss Chard

Try these pita pockets stuffed with orange-scented shredded chicken in a yogurt sauce with nuts, celery, poppy seeds and chives.

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Poppy Seed-Chicken Pitas

Walnuts, asparagus and cremini mushrooms lend this quick and hearty dinner its rustic appeal.

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Creamy Farfalle with Cremini, Asparagus, and Walnuts

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Asparagus with Roasted Red Peppers

Tilapia is a versatile, inexpensive fish that’s always popular with home cooks. Coat tilapia fillets in a flour-and-herb mixture, then fry them in butter until crispy. Serve the fish alongside lemony green beans and grape tomatoes.

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Tilapia with Green Beans

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“Greek Salad” Penne

In-season carrots pair with walnuts, cheese and herbs for a pesto-like sauce that tosses beautifully with thin spaghetti.

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Angel Hair Pasta With Walnut-Carrot Sauce

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Lo Mein with Ginger-Scallion Sauce and Pickled Vegetables

This dish is the ultimate tribute to the season with spring-y pasta and colorful fresh vegetables.

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Pasta Primavera

Try a light, spring-inspired take on classic picnic salads by tossing fingerling potatoes and eggs with green peas and fresh mint.

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Potato-Egg Salad

Bake sweet onions with grated Gruyere and crunchy croutons for a super-easy gratin.

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French Onions

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Curried Egg Salad with Pickled Beets

As spring temperatures warm up, get the grill going and make Anne’s citrusy grilled salmon.

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Grilled Salmon with Herb and Meyer Lemon Compound Butter

Roast zucchini and asparagus in the oven until tender before tossing together with fresh linguine and an easy tomato sauce.

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Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Cooking homemade fried chicken for sandwiches is a whole lot easier (and quicker) than you might think. Skinless, boneless chicken thighs become extra juicy after being coated in hot-sauce-spiked buttermilk and dredged in cake flour before being fried until golden and crispy.

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Fried Chicken Sandwiches with Waffle Fries

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Orecchiette with Truffle-Asparagus Pesto

Cut down on prep time by making meatballs with a secret flavor-packed ingredient: sweet Italian turkey sausage.

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Pasta With Turkey Meatballs

Melt in creamy mascarpone cheese and delicate prosciutto for your most luxurious risotto yet. 

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Risotto With Mascarpone and Prosciutto

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Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

From the fresh carrots and cherry tomatoes to the red and yellow bell peppers, Giada’s primavera is a vibrant spring meal.

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Pasta Primavera

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Vegetable Paella

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Cumin Beef Stir-Fry

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Tortellini with Arugula and Prosciutto

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Citrus Arctic Char with Farro

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Pea-Mint Falafel with Bulgur

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Spiced Chicken Breasts with Dates