10 Quick & Easy Recipes for Busy Nights

It's 5:30 and you still have to pick up one child from after school activities, another child has to be at sports practice at 7pm, and you have to help another child with a project. Running through the drive thru sounds tempting, but you hate to spend the money. You'd feel better if you could put a home-cooked meal on the table, but you just don't know how you can do it. You need help—quick and easy recipes that are faster than the drive thru.

These simple, delicious, and time-saving recipes are the answer. Dinner—saved!

Be sure to also check out our 6 easy crockpot meals for busy nights!

If you follow our tips for keeping your freezer stocked with sautéed onions, cooked chicken, and browned ground beef, you'll be able to put the 6 bonus recipes on the table in no time. With prep time already mostly done, there is little left to do to serve up a delicious home-cooked meal.

1. 30 Minute Hash Brown Potato Soup

Potato soup with hash browns in a bowl and garnished with shredded cheddar cheese and sliced green onions.

Potato Soup with Hash Browns (30 Minute Recipe)

Hearty and full of potatoes and cheese, this potato soup with hash browns made on the stove is a super quick recipe without a lot of fuss or mess.

2. Southwestern Hamburger Skillet

Kidney beans, ground beef, and egg noodles topped with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chopped green onions, in a skillet.

Southwestern Hamburger Skillet

Southwestern Hamburger Skillet is one of those great "use what you have" recipes—it works well in many different variations, making it a great way to save money.

3. Tortellini Zucchini Soup

Ladleful of Tomato Zucchini Soup with tortellini over a pot.

Tortellini Zucchini Soup

Tortellini Zucchini Soup is an easy 20 minute soup that is good to the last drop—so good that you might need to double the recipe! It freezes well, too.

4. Skillet Kielbasa

Cooked brown sugar kielbasa in a skillet.

Brown Sugar Kielbasa (Stove Top)

Four ingredients pack a flavorful punch in this quick and simple stove top Brown Sugar Kielbasa.

5. Shrimp Scampi

White plate with shrimp, minced garlic, and parsley on a bed of fettuccine

Shrimp Scampi

This quick and easy shrimp dish has a flavorful and rich garlic butter sauce and is served over hot pasta.

6. Easy Tuna Casserole

Cheesy Tuna Casserole

Cheesy Tuna Casserole is easy, yummy family fare that goes from pantry to table in under 30 minutes. It's easy comfort food that is affordable and kid-friendly!

7. Pasta Carbonara with Tomatoes & Spinach

White plate with penne pasta, cooked baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, and shredded mozzarella cheese. There is a fork on the plate.

Pasta Carbonara with Tomatoes and Spinach

Ripe cherry tomatoes and fresh baby spinach are the perfect addition to pasta with a carbonara sauce. They cook up quickly on the stovetop with minimal fuss but make a refreshing and flavorful dinner.

8. Pasta with Parmesan and Lemon Sauce

Cooked spaghetti on a blue plate with a fork. The plate is garnished with two lemon slices and a sprig of parsley.

Pasta with Parmesan and Lemon Sauce

Lemon and garlic add zest to this easy stovetop pasta dish. Pasta with Parmesan and Lemon Sauce is a delicious vegetarian dinner that is perfect for evenings when you need something quick that doesn’t heat the kitchen.

9. Pasta with Homemade Pesto

Rigatoni on a white plate topped with shredded parmesan cheese and pesto.

Pasta with Homemade Pesto

Delicious homemade pesto is easy to make and needs no cooking, just blending, and it is ready by the time the pasta is done cooking.

10. Mexican Ravioli

Cast iron skillet with cooked ravioli mixed with salsa, herbs, and tomato sauce and topped with cheese, black olives, and cilantro.

Mexican Ravioli

Mexican Ravioli is a quick stovetop meal that packs a southwestern flavor punch. Full of your favorite Mexican flavors and simmered in our easy homemade enchilada sauce, Mexican Ravioli is a perfect meal for a busy weeknight.

Bonus: 6 Quick & Easy Recipes Using Cooked Ingredients from the Freezer

1. Mexican Spaghetti

Mexican Spaghetti

Mexican Spaghetti combines the flavors of taco-seasoned beef with corn, green chiles, tomatoes, and green onions in a quick and easy stovetop meal.

2. Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

White bowl and fork with rice, black beans, sausage, tomatoes, and green chilies

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Using chopped cooked chicken, onions, and peppers from the freezer along with a box mix puts Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya on the table in under 30 minutes.

3. Beef & Beans

Spoonful of beef and beans garnished with green onion.

BBQ Beans with Beef (30 Minutes)

Tangy and delicious, BBQ Beans with Beef is an easy stovetop meal that you can have on the table in under thirty minutes. Simple ingredients and easy prep make this barbecue beef and beans a great option for a busy night.

4. Chicken Gnocchi Soup

A bowl of Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup served with a piece of toasted garlic bread and a wedge of Parmesan cheese with a grater to the side.

Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup (Copycat Recipe)

Inspired by Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup, this rich and creamy soup is a perfect cool weather meal. Serve garnished with grated Parmesan cheese and toasted garlic bread.

5. Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

This beloved southern favorite is creamy and delicious, and when you have cooked chicken on hand (which you will if you are following the Secrets of a Busy Cook!) it’s easy to make.

6. Quick & Easy Mexican Style Soup

White bowl filled with soup of beans, tomatoes, and beef, topped with shredded cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, and sour cream, garnished with cilantro.

Quick & Easy Mexican Style Soup

This hearty one pot meal is ready in only 30 minutes (15 minutes if you keep cooked ground beef and sautéed onions in your freezer!).