21 30-Minute Family-Friendly Dinners You’ll Want to Make this Spring

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Published on February 26, 2024

Creamy Skillet Chicken with Everything Bagel Spice & Spinach — Photo: Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop Stylist: Holly Raibikis

As the weather warms and spring activities kick off, these dinner recipes bring a burst of seasonal flavors to your table. Each recipe features fresh produce like asparagus and peas, so you can embrace the ingredients of spring. Plus, these recipes are on the table in just 30 minutes or less. Recipes like our Creamy Lemon-Basil Chicken and our Cheeseburger Stuffed Baked Potatoes are so delicious, the whole family will ask for more.

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Creamy Lemon-Basil Chicken

Overhead view of a skillet of Creamy Lemon-Basil Chicken recipe — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn

This ultra-quick creamy lemon-basil chicken is bright and refreshing. Using whole lemon slices in the sauce gathers the essential oils from the rind plus the acidic punch from the flesh and adds more depth of flavor than juice and zest alone.

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Capellini with Crispy Prosciutto & Blistered Tomatoes

Capellini with Crispy Prosciutto Blistered Tomatoes — Brittany Conerly

Blistered cherry tomatoes cook alongside capers and garlic with a splash of white wine in this ultra-quick pasta recipe. Crispy prosciutto adds savory notes, while fresh basil brightens the dish.

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Cheeseburger Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Skip the bun and serve all of your favorite cheeseburger ingredients--beef, cheese, tomatoes, red onions and lettuce--with baked potatoes for a hearty and easy dinner recipe that kids and adults will love. Feel free to swap out the ground beef for ground turkey or tofu crumbles.

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15-Minute Sheet-Pan Chicken Tenders & Broccoli with Everything Bagel Seasoning

15-Minute Sheet-Pan Chicken Tenders & Broccoli with Everything Bagel Seasoning — Jacob Fox

Dinner is ready in only 15 minutes and cleanup is a breeze with these easy broiled chicken tenders coated in everything bagel seasoning with fresh broccoli on the side. The three-ingredient dipping sauce adds just a hint of sweet and spice.

05 of 21

3-Ingredient Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Chickpeas

3-Ingredient Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Chickpeas — Carolyn A. Hodges, RD

Boxed blended soups are the perfect canvas for simple stir-ins to make them more substantial and satisfying. Here, roasted red pepper soup is jazzed up with canned chickpeas and fresh baby spinach for a fast, comforting meal.

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Chickpea Pasta with Mushrooms & Kale

Chickpea Pasta with Mushrooms & Kale — Greg DuPree

Loading up your pasta with vegetables like the kale and mushrooms here is not only delicious, it also makes the meal more satisfying.

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Vegan Black Bean Burgers

Vegan Black Bean Burgers

These easy vegan black bean burgers have a healthy dose of fiber thanks to the combination of black beans and quinoa. Cumin and chipotle chile powder give these vegan burgers a Southwestern spin. Using your hands to combine the mixture creates a soft, uniform texture.

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Pasta with Asparagus and Shrimp

Fat-free half-and-half makes this elegant pasta dish rich and creamy, yet ideal for diabetic meal plans.

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Creamy Skillet Chicken with Everything Bagel Spice & Spinach

Creamy Skillet Chicken with Everything Bagel Spice & Spinach — Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop Stylist: Holly Raibikis

This cozy skillet dinner combines two favorites: chicken cutlets and everything bagel spice—and it's ready in less than 30 minutes. This meal includes a healthy portion of spinach, and a creamy sauce makes it perfect for serving over pasta or grains.

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Creamy Salmon Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Creamy Salmon Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes — Victor Protasio

In this creamy salmon pasta recipe, sun-dried tomatoes are used in two ways. The flavorful oil is used to sauté shallots, while the tomatoes get added to the cream sauce.

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White Bean, Kale & Kielbasa Soup

15-Minute White Bean, Kale & Kielbasa Soup — Brie Passano

This quick soup recipe is done in only 15 minutes thanks to convenience products like frozen chopped onion and precooked kielbasa. You'll have a warming winter soup on the table in no time!

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Beef & Bean Sloppy Joes

This healthy copycat recipe of the comfort food classic trades beans for some of the meat to bump up fiber by 7 grams. We also cut back on the sugar and ketchup in this Sloppy Joe recipe makeover to save you 12 grams of added sugar.

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Gluten-Free Crepes with Tomato Pesto & Cheddar

Gluten-Free Crepes with Tomato Pesto & Cheddar

Traditional crepes use all-purpose flour, so we swap in oat flour to create a gluten-free crepe recipe just as delicious as the original. Swirling the pan before the batter sets up helps you get thin, foldable crepes to hold in all the flavorful fillings, such as our tomato pesto and Cheddar.

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Cacio e Pepe Pasta with Peas

Cacio e Pepe Pasta with Peas

The sauce for this pasta dish is just cheese and pepper (aka cacio e pepe in Italian). Try this with kids as a simple yet sophisticated alternative to standard mac and cheese. Lots of black pepper adds a touch of heat, priming picky palates for spicier food.

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Pantry Peanut Noodles

Pantry Peanut Noodles — Jacob Fox

Choose your own adventure with these noodles! They're delicious with peanut butter and tahini alike. Plus, you can use whatever frozen vegetables you have on hand and finish the dish off with any herbs still thriving in your garden or hanging out in your crisper.

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BBQ Baked Potatoes with Pork & Broccoli

bbq baked potato with pork and broccoli

Use leftover cooked pork to whip together these easy BBQ pork baked potatoes. Add steamed broccoli and Cheddar cheese to round out this easy healthy dinner.

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3-Ingredient Chicken Caesar Flatbread

3-Ingredient-Diabetes-Chix-Caesar-Flatbread — Photo by: Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

A frozen cauliflower-based pizza crust becomes the crispy base for this no-fuss flatbread. Pick up a Caesar-style salad kit to save yourself the hassle of needing to buy lots of other ingredients (everything's included in the kit!), and use rotisserie chicken breast to simplify prep even more.

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Spinach Ravioli with Artichokes & Olives

Store-bought spinach ravioli and a handful of basic pantry items are all you need to get a healthy dinner on the table in 15 minutes. Ingredients like oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, briny Kalamata olives and toasty pine nuts help to build big flavor fast. If you can't find frozen artichokes, swap in a 15-ounce can (just be sure to drain and rinse them well).

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One-Pot Pasta with Peas & Parmesan

One-Pot Pasta with Peas & Parmesan — Victor Protasio

A bowl of creamy pea pasta is colorful—and bright in flavor as well, thanks to the addition of lemon zest and juice. Made in just one pot, this easy pasta recipe is perfect for busy weeknights.

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15-Minute Salmon & Creamy Orzo with Spinach & Mushrooms

15-Minute Salmon & Creamy Orzo with Spinach & Mushrooms — Brie Passano

In this quick salmon dinner, salmon fillets are paired with creamy orzo, wilted spinach and earthy mushrooms. Cooking the salmon at a high temperature helps speed up the cooking in this healthy dinner recipe. Look for pre-sliced mushrooms to speed it up even more.

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Vegetarian Chili with Salad Beans

Vegetarian Chili with Salad Beans — Johnny Autry

This quick vegetarian chili relies on pantry ingredients like canned beans and canned tomato soup to create a fast and flavorful meal. Top with your favorite garnishes, such as jalapeños and avocado.

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