Our Favorite April Weeknight Dinner Recipes (2024)

An easy spring chicken dinner, these bowls combine nutritious powerhouses—brown rice, avocado, roasted asparagus, and sweet cherry tomatoes—with a creamy, herby goddess dressing (trust us, this stuff beats out the pre-packaged stuff any day).

Get the Goddess Bowls recipe.

This delicate, luscious pasta is the epitome of spring, showcasing fresh produce like red radishes, asparagus, and maiitake mushrooms. We love them for their pastel pops of color, but feel free to swap in whatever veggies you like this April.

Get the Pasta Primavera recipe.

Cabbage rolls just became a viable weeknight dinner with this quicker to make skillet dinner, which skips the cabbage rolling and gets dinner directly on the table. It’s less work (perfect for an ever-increasingly busy spring), yet the payoff of a comforting home-cooked meal all the same.

Get the Cabbage Roll Skillet recipe.

Quiche is a favorite in the canon of classic dishes, and this version is no exception. Soft, creamy filling studded with ham, chives, and Gruyère rests inside a crunchy, buttery pie crust to create the meal (breakfast OR dinner) of your dreams.

Get the Quiche recipe.

Seasoned chicken breast gets pan-seared until golden brown, smothered in a strawberry chipotle sauce, and topped with fresh strawberry-jalapeño salsa to create this playful, bright dish. Sweet-and-spicy lovers, this is bound to become your springtime go-to dinner.

Get the Strawberry Jalapeño Chicken recipe.

The weeknight dinner hall of fame is full of chicken, but we’d argue that salmon deserves a spot too. When you’re in the mood for a one-pan dinner that delivers on the comfort food factor, this recipe with creamy orzo and sun-dried tomatoes is the one to turn to.

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This flavorful handheld food has it all—tender marinated carne asada, an aromatic corn tortilla, and all of the classic street taco toppings. These are delicious with a hearty side of refried beans and rice, or you can keep it light with corn salad.

Get the Carne Asada Tacos recipe.

Think you don’t have enough time or space to cook Easter dinner? Think again. Featuring cheesy potatoes au gratin, maple-glazed ham, garlicky asparagus, and paprika-spiced carrots, our streamlined version of this notoriously complicated meal is as simple as 2 sheet pans and 30 minutes in the oven.

Get the Sheet-Pan Easter Dinner recipe.

If you’re familiar with our chicken piccata, our , or our creamy Tuscan chicken, you know that for some chicken dishes, it’s ALL about the sauce. This one—with balsamic vinegar, heavy cream, and chicken broth—is a touch sweet, a little tangy, and super-delicious as a full-flavored creamy sauce. It’s so good, we can’t believe we didn’t think of it sooner!

Get the Creamy Balsamic Chicken recipe.

This is an Italian Easter pie that, despite its name, doesn't have anything to with pizza! Think of it as better, more decadent version of quiche Lorraine that's as good for brunch as it is for dinner.

Get the Pizza Rustica recipe.

Whatever meatloaf means to you, one thing is for sure: Your go-to recipe should be simple and dependable, but also packed with flavor to keep you (and your family and guests) coming back for more. We tested this recipe again and again to guarantee that this WILL be your new forever go-to, never-fail meatloaf you'll make again and again.

Get the Classic Meatloaf recipe.

Sliced sugar snap peas are tossed with toasted tortellini, herbs, and plenty of lemon zest, then topped with salty, tender prosciutto and a ball of creamy burrata. Despite all of the rich and decadent ingredients in this dish, the sweet green peas take center stage and make this the ideal springtime pasta to make this April.

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Cozy and nourishing, we crave matzo ball soup pretty much year-round, though it's a MUST for Passover. Although schmaltz (AKA chicken fat) and chicken broth are typically included in this classic Ashkenazi Jewish soup, it’s not hard to swap in vegetarian-friendly ingredients.

Get the Vegetarian Matzo Ball Soup recipe.

There’s your average casserole… and then there’s this cheesy, loaded Mexican chicken casserole. While this is certainly not an authentic Mexican dish, it combines lots of flavors and ingredients that will remind you of tacos, enchiladas, and your favorite Mexican/Tex-Mex meals (meaning everyone in your family will LOVE it).

Get the Mexican Chicken Casserole recipe.

As much fruit salad as it was green salad, Panera's beloved salad featured a juicy orange and onion poppyseed dressing and pops of fresh fruit, like strawberries, blueberries, Mandarin oranges, and pineapple. We’re hoping it’ll one day return to the Panera menu so we can order it alongside other faves, but in the meantime, it’s crazy easy to make at home so you can enjoy it whenever you want.

Get the Copycat Panera Bread Strawberry Poppyseed Salad recipe.

Fried rice is the ultimate leftover food. Not only is it totally customizable with whatever additional food you have in the fridge, but it’s crazy simple to make. Though we know everyone has a soft spot in their heart for their favorite type of fried rice (we see you shrimp fried rice heads), this recipe is as straightforward and classic as you can get, perfect for a busy April.

Get the Fried Rice recipe.

Extra-flavorful shrimp, whole grains, fresh veg... these bowls have got you covered. Feel free to swap your favorite salsa in lieu of the corn and tomato mix here (cowboy caviar would be GREAT).

Get the Blackened Shrimp Bowls recipe.

This speedy one-pan dinner is 100% pure comfort. With chewy gnocchi, crisp-tender asparagus, and a light cream sauce imbued with smoky bacon, it's also suspiciously delicious for a dish that takes well under an hour. 😉

Get the Creamy Asparagus Bacon Gnocchi recipe.

One of the greatest pleasures of Mexican street food are sopes: round bundles of masa lightly fried and piled with refried beans, shredded chicken, salsa roja or salsa verde, and cotija cheese. These little antojitos, or snacks, can be eaten throughout the day, and make for a great light dinner too.

Get the Sopes recipe.

When smashing down your burger, really make sure you’re flattening it as much as possible. A helpful tip is to spray your spatula lightly with cooking spray to make sure the meat doesn't stick to it. As far as toppings go, we love a burger with the classics: mayo, pickles, lettuce, and tomato, but you do you!

Get the Smash Burgers recipe.