Struggle with getting dinner on the table? Grab our 5 easy family meal recipes!

If you’re trying to spice up your Wednesday night dinner ideas, Thursday night dinner ideas (or any weeknight, for that matter), it’s helpful to have a go-to guide.

Consider this post a plethora of resources for spicing up your weeknight meals – or Wednesday night meals – for consistency.

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We’ll start with some fun tips and then share some easy recipes and recipe ideas!

I don’t know what it is about the middle of the week, but sometimes, Wednesday night dinner ideas seem to be lacking.

There’s obviously a lot about schedules, both parents working and a pandemic right now affecting home cooking, but this article in Epicurious does a great job of sharing why home cooking is decreasing.

Why Wednesday Night Meals?

Usually, your simple meal prep from Sunday has expired or run low, and you don’t quite have the energy to prep extravagant meals for the rest of the week. Hump day seems to just put a hump in the road. 

You’re probably tired from the first half of the workweek and/or school week being over, and you’re looking forward to the weekend.

But, you still have a few more weeknight meals before you can get there. 

Believe me, I’ve been there and in many cases, we rely on some services listed in this post about athlete meal delivery services.

Fun Wednesday Night Dinner Ideas

So, here are some of the ideas we’ve used to mix up weeknight meals for what to eat on wednesday night for dinner, and an answer to your what to eat on Wednesday query. 

Add A Different Fruit or Vegetable

Try adding a seasonal produce item. This is also a great way to get your kids to try new fruits or vegetables, and they can model you eating it too. 

Or, maybe it even looks like preparing something you like in a different way. For example, there are so many uses for sweet potatoes!

Use this guide for what to eat with sweet potatoes.

this Post!

For example, you could make a sweet potato dough for pizza and top with something fun, or make their favorite burger but make it a mashed sweet potato turkey burger.

Or, make a fun spin on sweet potato fries with crispy parsnip fries.

Or, you could try something fun with kiwi or a fun, seasonal item. The possibilities are endless. Plus, you can use these tips on how to get your toddlers to eat veggies.

We also have 55 ideas for sides for chicken tenders.

Enlist the Help of the Air Fryer

Air Fryer parsnip fries and air fryer tempeh are easy options to add to your plate with minimal prep and clean up.

Or throw some frozen green beans in the air fryer and make air fryer frozen green beans to pair with a meal.

Let Your Kids Choose Dinner

And if you have older kids, maybe they can try their hand at making dinner? Even if they’re young, chances are, they can “help decorate” a pizza, or safely cut some ingredients up.

We love these kid friendly knives for that purpose.

If your young ones need some inspiration, these 20+ ideas for sweet potato recipes for toddlers can be a big help. You can show them some recipes and let them pick some Wednesday food ideas.

And if they choose something like pizza (again) or a kids mac and cheese recipe again, don’t stress. Although do try this sweet potato macaroni and cheese.

The whole point is to not stress about these Wednesday dinner ideas.

Have canned corn on hand? Make these bacon and corn fritters, ready in 20 minutes. Most kids love bacon!

Try Meal Delivery

Meal delivery can be great for mixing things up each week. We order them occasionally just for that purpose – to have some new meals and meal inspiration. It works out really well.

I basically cut my grocery bill in half on those weeks, so I really don’t think I’m spending any more money.

I happen to really love Freshly and Sun Basket for easy, family friendly options. 

Throw it on a Sheet Pan

Sheet pan meals are the epitome of easy Wednesday dinner recipes – just add a veggie, protein and carbohydrate.

Here are some favorites:

• Garlic Shrimp and Broccoli Sheet Pan
• Pork Chops and Sweet Potatoes
• Breaded Honey Mustard Salmon
• Chicken Sausage Sheet Pan
• Sheet Pan Halibut

The best part is, you can easily switch out the protein or any of the sides in these meals. Add a new dressing or marinade each time!

Enroll the Help of Kiddos in the Kitchen

When time allows, letting children help in the kitchen can change the experience. Ideally, it’s a quick, simple recipe when time is limited, but it can make them feel more involved and invested in eating the meal. 

This is all great for intuitive eating for kids. 

Pizza beans usually go over really well in our house!

Have a Snack Dinner

Charcuterie boards and snack boards are happy for a reason – they make things exciting and offer the opportunity to have several different flavors and textures at once. 

Thrive Market is my go to for fun snacks (cheese whisps, sweet popcorn, nuts and seeds). We’ll pick some different colorful options and try to include different textures – chewy, crunchy, hot, warm, etc. 

We’ll also add a fun dip, like hummus or cinnamon peanut butter. 

Do an Instant Pot Dinner

The instant pot is a dinner savior because it’s just a one-prep dinner – easy prep and clean up!

I love instant pot tortellini soup or pumpkin sweetpotato soup.

We even make this butter chicken rice bowl in the instant pot to save time and clean up!

Both are nourishing and delicious and easy to serve with some crusty bread!

Breakfast for Dinner

Last resort is always breakfast for dinner, and this is always a fan favorite.

Some of my favorite memories as a child were eating ego waffles or pancakes for dinner, or my mom making her famous omelets. 

You can still add veggies! Consider this mushroom and asparagus quiche, sweet potato egg breakfast casserole, or even this vegan kale hash for dinner.

If you are craving something sweet, we also love combining sweet potatoes and blueberries in this sweet potato oatmeal or doing baked chocolate oats. Kids love chocolate chips!

Breakfast usually comes together fairly quickly so this is a quick prep and quick clean-up meal.

Eat Al Fresco

The environment we eat in can make a big difference. Do you have a front or back porch or deck you can eat on? Or dine with neighbors?

With spring and summer weather, it’s very enjoyable to eat outside in the fresh air, hear the birds chirping and maybe some soft music playing.

If not outside, maybe you can make things fun and create a “fort” to eat in or eat on the living room floor and have an indoor picnic. 

Get Takeout From a Local Favorite

Wednesday can be a great night to grab takeout from a local restaurant. Save yourself the time and energy of preparing a meal, and support a local business, or try somewhere new. 

Takeout, when eaten at home, can feel a little more special, and you can eat it in sweatpants in the comfort of your own home. 

Save this post for later when you need inspiration!