5 Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinners Your Family Will Love

Every Monday, our editors bring you Simply (Weeknight) Recipes, five quick and easy dinner recipes to make this week.

I traveled to New York City this past week to celebrate a dear friend's birthday. We lunched at Via Carota and inhaled the most precious-looking desserts at Lysee. What a treat!

Since I typically pack school lunches for my three boys and I was away, they got to order special school lunch. It fascinated me to see what they picked: chocolate chip cookies, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and more beige foods. While the cat is away, the mice will play.

To ensure they got some nourishment, I cooked a few dinners my husband could easily reheat between driving the boys to soccer, baseball, debate club, and track meets, including the chicken divan and hamburger helper below. My husband texted me that the kids ate dinner like they'd been starving all day.

Here are five quick and easy dinner recipes to try for dinner this week, including tips from our contributors.

Skillet Chicken Divan

Get Recipe: Skillet Chicken Divan

There are endless ways to customize this recipe using what you already have. For example, use crushed buttery crackers instead of panko or chopped leftover chicken (any cut) or rotisserie chicken. Don't have sharp white cheddar? Use any kind of melty cheese like mozzarella, fontina, provolone, etc.

Chinese Tomato Egg Stir Fry

Get Recipe: Chinese Tomato Egg Stir Fry

Here's some good news: You don't need in-season or fancy tomatoes; plum tomatoes are just fine. Contributor Frank Tiu says, "Plum tomatoes are the perfect balance of firm and soft, allowing them to hold their shape under the quick and intense heat while releasing just enough tomato juice to prevent this stir-fry from becoming too wet. They’re also affordable and easy to find at your local grocery store all year long."

30-Minute Tortellini Soup

Get Recipe: The 30-Minute Tortellini Soup My Whole Family Loves

Three smart tips from Contributor Molly Adams:

• If you want a little more protein, add a can of drained chickpeas along with the stock.

• Add a handful of baby kale or spinach after the tortellini is al dente and cook until wilted.

• Add tomato paste right before you add the stock and swap half of the stock for a (28-ounce) can of tomato purée. Finish the whole thing with a splash of heavy cream for a cozy tomato-based soup.

Homemade Hamburger Helper

Get Recipe: Homemade Hamburger Helper

Adding more vegetables is always a good idea. Contributor Jasmine Smith suggests, "Add diced bell peppers or tomatoes along with the onion, or toss in handfuls of fresh spinach or frozen peas at the end."

Sheet Pan Salmon with Broccolini

Get Recipe: The 4-Ingredient Dinner I’ve Made Hundreds of Times

Contributor Robin Asbell says, "I bought the inexpensive frozen wild-caught fillets at Target, which are usually thin pieces from close to the tail of the fish. The thicker fillets command a higher price and take a bit longer to cook. If you buy farm-raised, they take a bit longer to cook than wild-caught, about 15 minutes."

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