By Courtney Minor
Published Jan 22, 2024
Looking for some easy meatless dinner ideas ? Whether you’re observing Meatless Monday or just looking for some tasty meatless meals for the family, these recipes are sure to please. Even the biggest meat lovers will enjoy these meat-free recipes, and the kids will chow down without complaint. Make vegetarian lasagna, vegetarian chili, meatless casseroles, and all kinds of delicious family favorites!
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Meatless Meals the Family Will Love!
Meatless Monday is a great opportunity to see just how good vegetarian meals can be! Don’t get me wrong, I love eating meat, and so does my family. But it’s nice to have easy and affordable dinners that help us cut back from time to time. Plus, some of these meatless recipes are a little bit healthier too, without sacrificing flavor.
These meatless dinner ideas include all your typical family favorites, like chili, hearty casseroles, and lasagna; along with healthy recipes, like grain bowls, creamy soups, and vegetarian-friendly proteins.
Whatever you choose, trust me when I say, you won’t even miss the meat!
Vegetarian Lasagna
Meatless Dinner Ideas for Families
If you need to feed the whole family, picky eaters and all, these meatless dinners are just the thing! Just like all your family’s favorite meals, but without the meat.
- Vegetarian Lasagna : This easy lasagna has all the cheesy, saucey goodness you expect, with healthy veggies hidden inside for a boost of nutrition.
- Taco Pizza : Combine taco night and pizza night into one meal with this quick recipe that’s sure to please.
- Baked Ziti : This meatless pasta dish is a long-time family favorite, and a reader favorite too! It only takes 5 ingredients to make this cheesy ziti.
- Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers : These vegetarian-friendly stuffed peppers are filled with rice and cheese, and cooked up in just 15 minutes.
- Vegetable Stir Fry : Broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, and carrots are cooked in the most delicious stir fry sauce, and served with rice for a tasty and easy meatless meal.
- White Pizza : This quick pizza recipe is loaded with sun-dried and roma tomatoes, feta, garlic oil, and more cheese.
- Black Bean Burgers : This meatless burger is filled with black beans, corn, nuts, and a few other flavorful ingredients that make this slightly-spicy burger so good.
Buddha Bowls
Vegetarian Meals for One (or Two)
These meatless dinner recipes are just the right size for one or two people, or for meal prep !
- Buddha Bowl : This is the ultimate nutrient-packed vegetarian meal idea, with whole foods such as crispy chickpeas, fresh vegetables, healthy grains, and healthy fats. It truly has everything you need!
- Ramen Cups : This recipe is designed to be made ahead of time, so you can have a tasty cup of noodles & veggies ready to go. It’s the perfect meal prep recipe !
- Teriyaki Tofu : Tofu gets super crispy in the Air Fryer, and the homemade teriyaki sauce is lip-smacking good! Serve it with rice and vegetables for a full meal, or add it to other dishes for a meatless protein option.
Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Meat-free Casserole Recipes
Casseroles are one of my favorite things to make for family dinners any night of the week, and these meatless recipes are crowd-pleasers!
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole : Bell peppers, rice, black beans, corn, cheese, enchilada sauce, and more make up this easy meatless family dinner.
- Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole : The hearty combination of rice, broccoli, water chestnuts, cream of mushroom, and lots of cheesy goodness makes this classic casserole.
- Mac and Cheese Casserole : Macaroni and cheese just got better, with the addition of a crunchy breadcrumb topping and a range of rich cheeses.
- French Onion Casserole : The rich and cozy flavor of french onion soup is turned into this amazing casserole recipe.
- Spinach Stuffed Shells : Jumbo pasta shells are stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, marinara, and spinach. It’s the perfect vegetarian meal for weeknights.
Ramen
Quick & Easy Meatless Meals
When you need to get something on the table fast, these meatless dinner ideas are perfect!
- Easy Ramen : This warm, flavor-packed ramen is filled with noodles, veggies, and healthy ingredients, and served with crispy tofu.
- Parmesan Spinach Gnocchi : Pillowy gnocchi is paired with nutritious spinach and plenty of cheese to make this 30-minute meal.
- Vegetable Lo Mein : Noodles, fresh veggies, and a delicious sauce make this simple meatless Monday meal–and it only takes 20 minutes to make!
- Egg Drop Soup : This soup is so easy to make, and the savory mix of flavors can’t be beat!
- Cauliflower Fried Rice : Riced cauliflower makes a veggie-filled and nutritious change to typical fried rice. It’s a good side dish for meatless dinners, but also makes a quick and easy lunch on its own.
Vegetarian Tikka Masala
Healthy Meatless Dinner Recipes
These vegetarian meals are all good for you and totally delicious! They’re great for Meatless Mondays, tasty lunches, and weeknight family dinners.
- Cauliflower Tikka Masala : This healthy, meatless version of a takeout favorite is so flavorful, and really easy to make for weeknight dinners. Be sure to make some naan !
- Hearty Vegetable Soup : This soup is filled with tons of nutritious veggies, plus potatoes to make sure it’s satiating. It’s one of my absolute favorite soups for winter!
- Cucumber Tomato Salad : Cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and feta are tossed in a lemon pepper dressing to make a super fresh and flavorful salad you’ll love eating for lunch or dinner.
Cabbage Soup
Meatless Soups for Cozy Meals
These cozy soups make the best meatless meals, because they’re easy, tasty, healthy, and sure to fill you up!
- Cabbage Soup : This weight-watchers-friendly soup is filled with cabbage, carrots, green beans, zucchini, and tomatoes. Just swap out the beef broth for a veggie broth.
- Butternut Squash Soup : Winter squash, carrots, apples, ginger, and more make a totally cozy and creamy soup. Again, swap out the broth if you want it to be vegetarian-friendly.
- Parmesan White Bean Soup : White beans, kale, fennel, celery, plenty of Parmesan, and more tasty ingredients make this delicious soup recipe.
With all of these meatless dinner ideas (pastas, soups, casseroles, and more!), Meatless Monday will be a breeze, and I guarantee the family is going to love these meals!
More Easy Dinner Ideas
If you’re looking for more dinner recipes, I’ve got you covered! Find casseroles, comfort foods, kid-friendly meals, and more.
20 Chicken Casserole Recipes
37 Easy Dinner Ideas for Kids
40 Comfort Food Recipes
40+ Taco Night Ideas (Guide to Taco Tuesday)
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
