10 Back to School Weeknight Dinner Recipes

Zuppa Toscana soup made with cheese tortellini, Italian sausage, and kale in a creamy broth. This is hands down one of our favorite family dinners. If your little ones won't eat greens, you can always serve their bowls before adding in the kale.

What child wouldn't love these fun hotdogs served for a special back-to-school night dinner? Accompany them with a side of macaroni and cheese + peas.

My very favorite way to make beef tacos. The meat will take a little bit of prep work in the morning (so give yourself a little extra time) but it's so worth it!

Who doesn't want to sneak some hidden veggies into their kid's meal? These meatballs are so flavorful they won't even care that you are feeding them zucchini. Is your kid an investigator? Slather them in marinara sauce and serve them over pasta. Done. 

You have picky eaters you say? Well what can be more whole-family satisfying than good old fashioned macaroni and cheese? Noodle shape an issue? No problem, just substitute your favorite shape. You'll feel good making this easy version from scratch!

If this sounds like a grown-up dish, think again! This pork is sweetened with pop and couldn't be more kid friendly. This recipe is just another great way to get tacos, sliders, or even quesadillas on the dinner table fast. Just prep it in the morning and the pork will be ready to shred when you get home.

Creamy Baked Sausage Rigatoni is the ultimate in weeknight comfort food. Small Mezzi Rigatoni noodles in a rich and cheesy pink sauce, baked to perfection.

Cheesy One Pot Chili Mac is the ultimate in belly filling comfort food. Perfect for serving a crowd or a large family, this recipe will warm you right up.

I consider crockpot recipes a perfect weeknight dinner option for two reasons. Number one, you can assemble them in the morning before heading out the door for work and two, they taste like slow cooked comfort food without all of the fuss. This shredded Ranch Chicken makes excellent tacos, burritos or even filling for quesadillas! Click through to see how delicious they turn out. 

Everyone knows that pasta is an easy and FAST weeknight dish. Add in thick cut bacon, avocado, tomato, and a bacon vinaigrette and you have yourself a weeknight winner! Note: If you are cooking for small children (such as toddlers) you may want to leave out the red onion as it tends to be "spicy."