These Family Dinners Are Just What Your Weeknights Need

When you think of "family meals," what first comes to mind might vary from person to person. For some, it's the image of a family sitting around a big feast—a pleasant, calm scene. However, those in charge of cooking might find that the term conjures up feelings of stress, coming up with easy dinner ideas that are home runs night after night. For those of you in the latter boat, fear not! This list rounds up some fantastic family meals that can feed your crew while minimizing stress in the kitchen.

For instance, try one of the many casserole recipes that are always crowd-pleasers, yet are surprisingly easy to make. While there are plenty of options, the chicken and wild rice casserole with Gruyère stands out because it looks (and sounds) so fancy! We guarantee your family will be blown away. A sheet pan dinner—like the delicious chicken fajitas recipe—is another easy-to-make meal that's also fun to get the kids involved with. "You can show little ones how to chop safely and let them have fun arranging the dish," Ree Drummond says. And when in doubt, quick pasta recipes will do the trick!

Your days of stressful weeknight menu planning will be a thing of the past once you take a look at these easy family meal ideas.