5 Simple Recipes For Dinner

5 simple recipes for dinner on busy weeknights! These recipes are so easy and are perfect for busy moms who don’t have a lot of time to cook, but still want a homemade meal!

This post is sponsored by Ragu.

Family dinners are something we do every night. It’s a special tradition in our house that I know is going to get harder as our kids get older and more involved, and the Mister graduates medical school and starts his residency next year. I took a Child Development class in college, and we learned about all of the benefits of family dinner, including lower drug-use among children, higher self-esteem, better grades in school, and healthier eating habits. There are tons more (just Google it!) and seriously if eating family dinners together will help give my kids a better chance in this crazy world, we are definitely doing it!

But, with two toddlers in the house, I don’t have a ton of time to make elaborate dinners anymore. I love to cook, but making everything from scratch just doesn’t happen when you have two under three crying for your attention. The problem is that I love that home-cooked taste that comes from making everything yourself.

Luckily, I have a secret weapon: canned pasta sauce It comes in offers an assortment of delicious flavors. Today I want to share with you five simple recipes for dinner that are easy and can be made using canned pasta sauce to save time and help make mealtime more magical! The whole family will love them and the time you save in the kitchen can be spent with your family creating special moments instead.

Red and White Layered Pasta
Layer penne, alfredo, red sauce, and mozzarella. Repeat. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo
Mix steamed broccoli with fettuccine and a jar of alfredo!

Lasagna
Layer lasagna noodles, cottage cheese mixture (3 cups cottage cheese, 2 Tbsp. parsley, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, and 2 eggs), red sauce, and mozzarella. Repeat. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Spaghetti and Meatballs
Top spaghetti noodles with red sauce and meatballs.

Fettuccine Carbonara
{Recipe via Life With My Littles}

And if you want to put together some simple sides to accompany your meal, just throw together a salad or some frozen breadsticks or garlic bread. They go great with all of these recipes!

Family meal time can be a great tradition. We love doing it at our house, and we are going to try to make it a priority as our lives get busier and more crazy!