30 Real Food Dinners {Our Family Favorites}

Looking for real food dinners your family will actually eat? I’m all for nutrition, but I’m not real big on exotic ingredients or having my family refuse what I’ve cooked because it’s too far outside their comfort zone!

My list of real food dinners focuses on familiar favorites built with nourishing, real food ingredients. They come together smoothly with flavor that has everyone–from husband to picky toddler–asking for seconds.

30 Real Food Dinner Ideas

Meatloaf*. I sneak finely grated carrots and diced onions and celery into the loaf for added nutrition and they hardly notice. Your Real Food Journey has my favorite recipe. We love this with a side of baked sweet potato or butternut squash fries.
Honey Baked Chicken*. Melt 1/3 c. butter with 1/4 c. honey, 2 T. yellow mustard, 1 T. Curry Powder, 1 t. salt, and pepper to taste. Pour over chicken parts and bake at 350 till golden brown, basting occasionally. Love this with fall squash and rice or potatoes to slop up the drippings.
Salisbury Steaks. The gravy I serve over them is made with whole milk and pan drippings, so it’s pretty much amazing. And I can throw these together in the time it takes to make the mashed potatoes we love with them. Recipe in my book.
Beef Str0ganoff*. I do both a simple version, made with ground beef, or a fancy-pants one with cubed steak and red wine. No matter to me–they both rock with sour cream and all those lovely fats! (P.S. that’s Stacy’s recipe, which means it will make you laugh out loud!)
Tacos*. Thanks to my tortilla press, my own seasoning mix, and a family who likes fewer toppings rather than more, this is a cheap, fast meal for us almost every week.
Taco Salad. Even faster than #5, and portable. Just mix the meat (cooled), cheese, and veggies in a bowl with a lid, and top with crushed chips, salsa, and sour cream when you get to your picnic spot.
Chicken Fajitas. A variation on taco night, but a different set of spices, because I like variety. (Find both taco and fajita spice mix recipes in my books!) I use beef or chicken, chopped peppers, onions, and tomatoes all fried up in a pan and serve it on a homemade tortilla with cheese and sour cream. Drool.
Corn Chowder. Bacon. Corn. Garlic. What’s not to love?
Chicken and Dumplings. Oh, how I love thee. Thou comest together so quickly with such humble ingredients, and thrilleth my soul with thy mouth-watering texture and flavor. My favorite recipe is in here.
Cheeseburger Soup*. I don’t know how I lived without this recipe in my repitiore. I love how you get such a flavorful soup with just ground beef. Must be all the cheese. Traditional recipe with my real food modifications here.
Chili*. I love my recipe because it starts with simple ground beef, but by the time you’re done adding spices, you’d swear it was sausage–so flavorful! Always served with a dollop of sour cream and a generous sprinkle of cheddar cheese around here. Don’t forget to soak your beans!
Chicken Caesar Salad*. Now, we’re gettin’ fancy. But not really. Homemade chicken tenders or grilled chicken tossed over romaine lettuce and doused with Caesar Salad Dressing. My babes usually skip the lettuce, but otherwise, a family favorite.
Spaghetti. Brown the beef, pour in a jar of sauce, and serve over noodles. Or, over spaghetti squash for grain-free night. It doesn’t get simpler. But it can get fancier with a side of the aforementioned Caesar Salad! Oh, and you can make your own noodles, too, if you’re really ambitious!
Fettuccine Alfredo*. A little more involved, but nevertheless one of my quickest meals. Boil water for noodles while you whip up one of my homemade alfredo sauces. Saute or steam some veggies in another pan, and fry some sausage or heat leftover chicken in a fourth pan. It can get hectic, but it all gets done about the same time, and topped with Parmesan it’s totally worth the workout.
Sweet Potato Shepard’s Pie. This casserole knocked my socks off when I first met it. Easily grain free, and a complete, one dish meal.
Pizza. Well, of course. Use this recipe for the best whole wheat pizza crust EVEH. Then top with whatever you like. (How about a whole head of garlic? Mmm, yes, please.)
Calzones. Everything you love in pizza, in surprise form. Roll out the above dough into thin, 8 in. circles. Spread one half with seasoned ricotta cheese, your choice of toppings, and a generous handful of mozzarella. Fold over, pinch to seal, poke a few air holes on top, and bake at 350 till bubbly and brown. Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.
Chicken or Turkey Noodle Soup*. I make this every year after Thanksgiving, but it’s perfectly edible year round.
Stuffed Shells and Peppers. Mix ricotta cheese with garlic, Parmesan, basil, oregano, mozzarella, and an egg. Spoon into stuffing shells or quartered bell peppers. Place the darling little boats in a shallow sea of pasta sauce, top with more sauce and cover with more mozz and parm. Bake at 350 for 20-30 min. till bubbly. Some like the pasta, some like the peppers, some like ’em both. This way you please everyone.
Chicken Divan. A favorite from my childhood. Great use for leftover chicken, rice, and that broccoli you found on sale. Great use for your homemade mayonnaise. Recipe here and in my book.
Sloppy Joes*. My favorite way to glorify ground beef. Serve over homemade rolls with cheese sprinkled on top. (OK, my husband thinks that last part is weird, but the kids love it.)
Quiche. This manly quiche with beef and spinach is one of our favorites. We love quiche for a quick lunch or dinner.
White Garlic Lasagna. You have to taste it to believe it. So yummy, and actually cheaper than regular lasagna because it somehow achieves delectable cheesy creaminess with just Parmesan. It’s a miracle.
Roast Chicken. Served with potatoes, gravy, and steamed veggies. My favorite way to get me some good, leftover chicken meat for casseroles. (I usually do two birds to ensure leftovers.) Sometimes I do this in the oven (recipe here) and sometimes in the crockpot with this recipe.
Macaroni and Cheese*. I know, I know, this doesn’t sound like a nourishing meal, but I make mine with rice pasta, and use whole milk and chicken broth in the cheese sauce. Throw in some leftover meat and veggies, and it’s a complete, cravable meal.
Grilled Chicken and Seasonal Veggies. Weekly around here in the summer, ya’ll. Favorite marinade recipe here.
Burgers and homemade buns. I season my burgers with Worcestershire, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Uh-mazing.
Enchiladas. Pioneer woman wins, hands down, for the best enchiladas in the world. I use my homemade tortillas (again).
Mexican Lasagna. For when you don’t want to fiddle with rolling the enchiladas–layer tortillas with meat, sauces, and cheese. Complete instructions in my book.
Gyros. I use Steaku*ms and a greek spice mix for the meat. But really, gyros are simply a vehicle for Taziki sauce, if you ask me.