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Spend your free time in the sunshine, not stressing in the kitchen.
What better way to celebrate the return of warm weather then, than with quick and easy dinner recipes? Now that we're solidly out of sweater weather, we like to do a bit of spring cleaning in the kitchen, so to speak (swapping those casseroles and bakes for lighter grain bowls and salads). Join us, and brighten up your dinner routine too with 46 of these weeknight dinner recipes for the best spring ever.
With all the sunshine we're enjoying, we thought we'd bring some of that sunshine to our cooking game too. Spring brings so many of our favorite colorful seasonal fruits and vegetables, and our creamy asparagus bacon risotto, one-pan crispy chicken primavera, and our brie, asparagus, & prosciutto stuffed chicken are packed with many of our colorful MVPs. Of course, spring can be a bit of a trickster, too. On those less-than-warm days, we have a few lighter, yet still super comforting meals that are the perfect middle ground between winter and spring. To help you ease out of the heavy meals of winter (and into light, fresher produce again), we snuck in some seasonal faves into our fave dinner stand-bys, like in our recipes for creamy coconut-lime chickpea skillet or pasta with peas & potatoes. Let's be real: longer days of spring = more time outside and less time in the kitchen.
Creamy Asparagus Bacon Risotto
Spinach Artichoke Salmon
If you love the creamy, cheesy, secretly veggie-packed goodness of spinach artichoke dip, but also need a dinner that’s high protein and actually filling, this skillet is your answer. It’s a mash-up of your favorite party app and a 30-minute weeknight skillet dinner.
Get the Spinach Artichoke Salmon recipe.
Cilantro-Lime Chicken
Chicken thighs marinated in lime juice and freshly chopped cilantro are the star of the show in this meal that is just as perfect for a quick and easy weeknight as it is for an impromptu date night.
Get the Cilantro-Lime Chicken recipe.
Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Pasta Salad
Classic pasta salad will always be a go-to warm-weather side for us, but when we’re feeling less veggies and more bacon, we turn to this chicken bacon ranch pasta salad. This pasta salad is welcome at any occasion.
Get the Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Pasta Salad
Salmon Piccata
Rightfully exalted for its brazen, punchy, pull-no-punches demeanor, chicken piccata is a crowning achievement of Italian-American cooking. Salmon piccata is no different—it comes together in one pan, and you don’t need a quintillion ingredients to make it.
Get the Salmon Piccata recipe.
Brie, Asparagus, & Prosciutto-Stuffed Chicken
Our brie, asparagus & prosciutto bundles are one of our most-popular appetizers, so we knew we needed an excuse to enjoy it on more than just special occasions. Instead of puff pastry, we've swapped in chicken for a rich and creamy weekend, date night, or holiday meal.
Get the Brie, Asparagus, & Prosciutto-Stuffed Chicken recipe.
Cheesy Asparagus Orzotto
Orzo—the "rice" of the pasta world—gets the risotto treatment in this recipe, and it’s a game-changer. Aromatic leeks, grassy asparagus, and sweet peas bring bright, springy vibes to the dish, while rich cream, nutty Parmesan, and just the right amount of butter stirred in at the end make it super-luxe.
Get the Cheesy Asparagus Orzotto recipe.
Vegan Creamy Tuscan Pasta
Inspired by our reader-favorite creamy Tuscan chicken, this pasta is flavor-packed and oh so creamy, but with no dairy needed. This recipe is as easy as it can get—you probably have a good majority of these ingredients already at home!
Get the Vegan Creamy Tuscan Pasta recipe.
Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta
If you’re like us, craving the comfort of, say, chicken or shrimp Alfredo, but wanting something more, this is the pasta dish for you. Make this once, and watch out—you and yours might never settle for plain ol' Alfredo again.
Get the Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta recipe.
Greek Power Bowls
This grain bowl is not only packed with protein, but it’s also endlessly versatile. It starts with a brown rice or quinoa base, then layers in chicken breasts, Greek-inspired fresh veggies, feta, and a simple, fresh dressing that ties everything together, but feel free to get creative with your mix ins.
Get the Greek Power Bowls recipe.
Pasta Primavera
Few dishes mean “spring” like pasta primavera. Primavera in the name alone brings to mind fresh veggies, like zucchini, English peas, leeks, and peppers, all of the things beginning to bloom for a vibrant season of produce ahead. Feel free to swap in whatever you can find at the farmer's market.Get the Pasta Primavera recipe.
Pasta With Peas & Potatoes
Ditalini is an underrated pasta shape that deserves more love. In this recipe, we've incorporated it with peas and potatoes simmered in a Parmesan- and garlic-infused chicken broth. It’s a simple weeknight meal that brings the cozy vibes to spring—comfort food season doesn't end when winter does!
Get the Pasta With Peas & Potatoes recipe.
Chipotle Shrimp Taco Bowls
Taco bowls are essentially a dream for meal prepping. This recipe formula works for countless variations, but we especially love this chipotle shrimp version. Not only is it delicious, but every component comes together quickly.
Get the Chipotle Shrimp Taco Bowls recipe.
Chicken Shawarma Sheet-Pan Dinner
This chicken shawarma-inspired meal is the kind of weeknight dinner that checks ALL the boxes: It's easy, only requires a few dishes, won't make you regret cooking, and most importantly—packs an wild amount of flavor into one sheet pan.
Miso Mushroom Crispy Rice
Punchy flavor and interesting texture are like the Thelma & Louise of excellent food—you just need both, and this crispy rice and miso mushroom skillet delivers. This dish is inspired by Momofuku’s Miso Mushroom Rice, but takes cues from Persian tahdig and Spanish paella, so you know it's good.
Get the Miso Mushroom Crispy Rice recipe.
Baked Feta Chickpeas
Thought the baked feta pasta craze was over? Think again. Let us introduce you to your next obsession: baked feta chickpeas. Tossed in a fresh garlic-burst cherry tomato sauce and served with slabs of bubbling browned feta, these chickpeas are your weeknight ticket to protein-packed dinnertime bliss.
Get the Baked Feta Chickpeas recipe.
Spinach-Artichoke White Bean Skillet
It's no secret that we can't get enough of beans, and our newest obsession features iconic spinach-artichoke dip reimagined as a glossy bean skillet. We love this pantry-friendly recipe because it’s an easy vegetarian dinner with complex flavor and it’s incredibly affordable—the perfect addition to your weeknight rotation this spring.
Sesame Tofu & Broccoli recipe.
In this vegetarian version of a Chinese-American favorite, oven-baked tofu gets tossed in a savory, sweet, and slightly spicy sauce along with crisp-tender broccoli, then topped with toasty sesame seeds and scallions. With a side of white rice, you’ll be on your way to a saucy, crowd-pleasing weeknight dinner.
Get the Sesame Tofu & Broccoli recipe.
Sushi Bowls
Not ready to make your own California roll or shrimp tempura roll at home quite yet but craving all of the classic sushi flavors? These homemade sushi bowls are a great place to start.
Get the Sushi Bowls recipe.
Party Chicken
What exactly makes this particular chicken recipe a party? While you may have to bring your own pizzazz (tiny disco balls, house music, etc.) to make this recipe into an actual party moment, this copycat Publix chicken is really worthy of a special occasion or, you know, any ole Thursday night.
Get the Party Chicken recipe.
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