Friday Night Bites: Easy Dinner Recipes for Families
With the birth of our first grandchild, my son suggested we get together for a family dinner every Friday night. This would give Steve and me a standing date to see the baby each week. I’ve found that the trick to maintaining this tradition–now over six years–is to rely on easy dinner recipes.
I never cook what I would consider a company dinner, which would turn my Friday night into a chore. So, we might have mac and cheese, tacos, pizza or we might grill something outdoors. I fix a salad and usually we skip dessert—except for special occasions.
For another easy and fun recipe, make gummy candy shaped like LEGO blocks–great for a birthday party!
We’ve come to use our Friday night get-togethers to celebrate each family member’s birthday as well, serving fancier meals and adding a home-baked birthday cake or pie. Since we’re gathering anyway, it’s simpler to coordinate by selecting the Friday closest to each person’s birthday. However, the children’s birthdays are observed on the actual day.
Easy Dinner Recipes that Work for Friday Nights
For example, a pasta dish we make for a typical Friday night dinner is so simple, it really doesn’t need a recipe. You might already be cooking easy dinner recipes like this yourself. The one below, along with many other of our Friday night dinners, comes from Special Fork, the website my son and I created years ago.
Easy Pasta Bake
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef, pork, turkey or chicken
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 can (28 ounces) peeled tomatoes, preferably Italian San Marzano variety
- Kosher salt
- 1 package (1 pound) rigatoni or ziti
- 1 package (8 ounces) mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley, optional
Heat oven to 375⁰F.
Put a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil.
While the water is heating, make the sauce: In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat; add ground meat and brown, breaking up the meat to form small crumbles. Remove meat from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add onion to the skillet and sauté until onion is soft. Tip the skillet and spoon out and discard any remaining oil.
Return ground meat to the skillet and add tomatoes including the juices. Using a spoon, break up tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Bring mixture to a simmer and simmer 5 minutes, until heated through. Taste sauce and season with salt, if needed.
Meanwhile cook pasta following package directions; drain.
Assemble the Casserole:
Add sauce and drained pasta back to the pasta pot and stir to combine thoroughly.
Transfer pasta mixture into an 8 ½- X 11-inch baking dish, smoothing top. Scatter mozzarella slices over pasta and bake for about 40 minutes or until pasta is heated through and cheese has melted. If you like, broil the top to get a crusty finish; watch carefully to prevent burning. Sprinkle with herbs, if using.
Makes 6 servings.
Recipe Note
My favorite baking dish is by the French ceramic bakeware company, Emile Henry. These dishes hold heat well so food cooks evenly. Burnt-on food releases easily with minimal scrubbing. They are pricey, but I’ve had mine for years, so I consider them an investment. These dishes make great wedding gifts!
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