Go Back
+ servings
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Print Recipe
4.86 from 7 votes

52 Easy & Healthy Dinner Recipes for Busy Weeknights

These healthy dinner Ideas will help feed your family FAST on busy weeknights! You'll love these quick and easy recipes.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 589kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb extra-lean ground beef or ground chicken
  • 2 small yellow onions, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 6 cups beef or chicken broth
  • 1 786 mL can finely diced tomatoes (if you can't find finely diced, use an immersion blender to roughly blend them for a second or twice – you still want some chunks but you want it to be in between a dice and puree)
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 lb dry rotini pasta (4 cups of dry pasta)
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup parsley, chopped optional

Instructions

Stovetop Instructions

  • In a large deep skillet, heat olive oil over med-high heat. Add onions and garlic, sauteeing for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add ground beef and cook until browned, another 2 min. Add celery and red pepper, sauteeing for another 2-3 min.
  • Add dried basil, oregano, salt and pepper, sauteeing another 30 seconds before adding broth and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine, then add dry pasta and bring to a boil, cooking on medium heat and stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes until pasta is completely cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.
  • Stir in sour cream and cheese, then remove from heat. Top with parsley (optional), then serve and enjoy!

Instant Pot instructions

  • Add olive oil to Instant Pot and turn to saute mode. When oil is hot, add onions, garlic and ground beef, breaking up with a spoon and sauteeing for 4-5 minutes until browned.
  • Add in remaining ingredients in order that they are listed except for sour cream, cheese and parsley, adding in pasta last.
  • Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes (Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to preheat then cook the 3 minutes). Do a quick release of the pressure, then stir in sour cream and cheese, garnishing with parsley. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or in a pan on the stovetop.
Freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat as normal, or reheat from frozen for 6-8 minutes.
This is a basic template of an easy dinner and is based on this Homemade Hamburger Helper recipe.
Check out the links in this blog post for more individual weeknight dinner recipes.

Nutrition

Calories: 589kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 1491mg | Potassium: 961mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1117IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 248mg | Iron: 5mg