Small Plates

105 Back to School Dinner Recipes

Simple, quick, and kid-friendly meals to help you ease into the new school year.
One of our best easy dinner recipes is this sausage skillet with cherry tomatoes and broccolini.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Monica Pierini
  • One of our best easy dinner recipes is this sausage skillet with cherry tomatoes and broccolini.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Monica Pierini
    1/105

    10-Minute Sausage Skillet with Cherry Tomatoes and Broccolini

    Packed with cherry tomatoes and tender broccolini, this one-pan dinner has a nice buttery sauce. Serve it with some crusty bread for mopping.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Molly Baz
    2/105

    Chicken Teriyaki

    Served with a bright, refreshing radish salad, these salty, sweet, and shatteringly crisp glazed thighs will satisfy all your classic chicken teriyaki cravings.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    3/105

    Pantry Pasta Puttanesca

    Keep these ingredients stocked in your pantry, and a briny, flavor-packed, classic Italian pasta will always be a dinner option.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Mariana Velasquez
    4/105

    Easy General Tso's Chicken

    This quick and spicy riff on General Tso’s chicken relies on ingredients you probably already have in the pantry.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    7/105

    Pasta With 10-Minute Pesto

    Blanching fresh basil leaves before blending is the key to this vibrant, ultra-herby pesto. Perfect for pasta, it also dresses up pizza, scrambled eggs, and more.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    8/105

    Make-Ahead Crispy Chicken Cutlets

    This is hands-down the easiest way to make delicious chicken cutlets—no dredging or frying required. Stash a big batch in the freezer so they're ready to cook at a moment's notice.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    15/105

    Crispy Chicken Thighs With Kale, Apricots, and Olives

    While the chicken thighs braise in the oven, the kale gets nice and crispy, making it the most irresistible part of this cozy one-pot dinner.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Rhoda Boone, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
    16/105

    Mini Beef and Mushroom Patties

    These mini burger patties are versatile and family-friendly. Make a big batch to freeze and then serve all week long as sliders, on grain bowls, in pita sandwiches, and more.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    21/105

    Cauliflower Carbonara

    Cut into small pieces, roasted cauliflower mingles with pasta, bacon, and Parmesan in this hearty, comforting twist on classic carbonara.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    22/105

    Chinese Five-Spice Steak with Oranges and Sesame Broccolini

    The secret to the deep orange flavor in this simple weeknight dinner is to sear halved oranges next to the steak as it cooks, and then squeeze the caramelized juice all over your plate before digging in.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
    25/105

    Quick Sesame Chicken With Broccoli

    For this quick dinner, chicken gets a crisp crust thanks to a touch of cornstarch.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    26/105

    Greek-Style Shrimp Pasta With Kale

    This pasta is so packed with vegetables and shrimp that it's a complete, satiating meal—despite using half the normal serving size of noodles.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    27/105

    Salmon Burgers with Red Pepper Mayo

    Made from canned salmon—plus a few pantry staples you likely keep in stock—and slicked with tangy red-pepper mayo, this burger is easy to toss together on the fly.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    28/105

    Spiced Turkey Chili with Spaghetti Squash

    Spiced with cinnamon, allspice, and cocoa powder, this warming bean and turkey chili pairs perfectly with the sweet fall flavor of roasted spaghetti squash in this naturally gluten-free dinner.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    33/105

    Peanut Rice Noodles with Pork and Collard Greens

    This one goes out to all the peanut sauce fans out there. And if you’re thinking, Peanut butter and pork? Sounds crazy! Trust us, it works. Also trust us on this: Putting sugar in your noodles for this recipe is crucial. It balances the salt, heat, fat, and tanginess going on here, and brings out the flavors of everything else (nope, it doesn’t make anything sweet).

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks
    34/105

    Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili

    For easy, hands-off dinner prep, throw chicken thighs, green chiles, white beans, and a flurry of spices into your slow cooker and come home to a hearty, flavorful meal.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    35/105

    "Antipasto" Pasta with Sausage, Artichoke Hearts, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

    Inspired by elements often seen on Italian antipasto platters, the pasta is tossed with dry-cured sausage, artichoke hearts, and sun-dried tomatoes along with a simple tomato paste and olive oil sauce, and topped with toasted pine nuts and crisp peperoncini (which can be left out for any spice-averse members of the family).

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
    36/105

    Pan-Fried Sweet and Sour Chicken

    This panfried version of this classic sweet-and-tangy Chinese-American dish can be cooked in 22 minutes or less.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Claire Saffitz
    37/105

    Cast-Iron Pizza With Fennel and Sausage

    Browning sausage in the same skillet used to bake this pizza not only preheats the pan (the key to a crisp crust), it also infuses that crust with rich, porky flavor.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    38/105

    One-Pot Pasta Primavera With Shrimp

    This lightning-fast version of the classic spring pasta calls for just the right amount of water that magically cooks down to create a silky sauce, no draining necessary.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
    49/105

    Gingery Chicken Soup With Zucchini “Noodles”

    Not only is this immunity-boosting chicken soup just as comforting as your grandma’s, it's also gluten-free, thanks to spiralized zucchini “noodles.”

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    50/105

    Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto

    Making risotto in an electric pressure cooker means no stirring and no ladling of stock one cup at a time. Just get it going on high pressure, walk away, and make a drink.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
    55/105

    22-Minute Coconut Chicken Curry

    This 22-minute South Indian-inspired chicken dinner is based on takeout versions served at Manhattan's Curry Row. 

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    56/105

    Pasta Carbonara With Cabbage and Mushrooms

    In this dish, you’ll sauté mushrooms and bacon until they become crispy. You’ll use bacon fat to sear the cabbage before tossing in an egg, Parmesan, and pasta.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
    57/105

    Quick Baked Chicken Parmesan

    This faster, healthier version of standard chicken Parmesan is perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner. Serve with garlic bread and a side salad to round out the meal.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks
    58/105

    Veggie Burgers with Zucchini and Corn

    Bright zucchini, sweet corn, nutty millet, and creamy white beans add vibrant flavor and texture to these gluten-free veggie burgers.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    65/105

    Vegetarian Three-Bean Chili

    With the help of a few pantry staples, you can get all the flavors of slow-simmered chili in just 30 minutes.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Rhoda Boone
    66/105

    Quick Chicken Tikka Masala

    Aromatic spices and tangy yogurt give great flavor to this quick riff on the Indian classic.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    69/105

    3-Ingredient Tomato Soup

    Roasting the tomatoes—which can be done several days in advance—turns this easy tomato soup into something extraordinary.

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  • Photo by Ed Anderson
    70/105

    Candy Pork

    Large chunks of pork shoulder are braised in a Vietnamese-style caramel sauce (made from a combination of fish sauce and palm sugar) that’s laced with Thai chilies, ginger, garlic, and shallots. Serve the fork-tender meat with plenty of rice and some sautéed pea shoots or greens.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
    73/105

    Beef Lo Mein

    It only takes 22 minutes to make this classic savory noodle dish at home.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    74/105

    Herby Chicken Kofta Meatballs

    Make a big batch of these spicy herbed meatballs and stash them in your freezer. That way, you’ll always have the building blocks for an easy weeknight dinner on hand.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton
    83/105

    Lemony Chicken Soup With Farro, White Beans, and Kale

    For an extra burst of flavor, swirl some salsa verde into each serving of this hearty soup packed with farro, white beans, kale, and plenty of lemon.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Hampton
    84/105

    Shrimp with Herby White Beans and Tomatoes

    This one-pot meal is herby, sweet, and garlicky all at once. To add more green, throw in a handful of arugula or spinach at the end; for more garlic, pair it with garlic toast.

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  • Photo by Alice Gao, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Diana Yen
    89/105

    Turkey Meatballs With Cranberry Sauce

    These tender, flavor-packed meatballs are the perfect Thanksgiving party snack, but—for what it’s worth—they'd also make an excellent meatball sub.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    90/105

    Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Skillet

    This Mexican-inspired meal offers all the goodness of cheesy chicken enchiladas with half the effort.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Anna Stockwell
    99/105

    Old Bay–Spiced Fish Sticks With Creamy Celery Root and Carrot Slaw

    Kids and grown-ups alike will love this upgrade on classic fish sticks. And with a cornmeal coating, they're naturally gluten-free. The creamy dipping sauce doubles as a dressing for the salad, so you don't have to mix up two different sauces to get dinner on the table.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Simon Andrews
    100/105

    Classic Smashed Cheeseburger

    It’s too soon for grilling season, but it’s never too soon to smash a burger on a griddle (or cast-iron pan) in the comfort of your kitchen. Freezing before cooking allows the patty to develop a satisfying crust while retaining a pink and juicy center.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    101/105

    Calzones With Chorizo and Kale

    Bake a couple of these grown-up pizza pockets for dinner tonight and freeze the rest for later.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Hampton
    102/105

    Crispy Chicken and Potatoes With Cabbage Slaw

    These cumin-spiced chicken thighs and roasted potatoes are balanced by a zippy, jalapeño-spiked alternative to coleslaw.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Hampton
    103/105

    "Nextover" Chicken Tacos With Quick Refried Beans

    These tacos are a delicious and clever use of "nextovers" (what we call leftovers transformed into a new dish the next day).

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    104/105

    Diner-Style Patty Melt

    This classic diner mash-up of a grilled cheese sandwich and a hamburger is stuffed with a tangle of sweet pan-seared onions.

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