Need Dinnertime Inspiration? 15 ‘Go-To’ Meals from Food Bloggers

It happens to the best of us…we’ll be standing in the grocery store or in front of a full pantry with zero inspiration or ideas about what to make for dinner.

That is exactly what happened to me a few weeks ago. I had no ideas and after an extremely long day just felt like my brain couldn’t handle one more decision. I asked my husband to tell me what to make for dinner and he asked if I had a ‘go-to’ list. I did not, but instantly thought it was a genius idea! With the idea of ‘go-to’ dinners, I asked fellow food bloggers what their ‘go-to’ meals were and absolutely love all the responses, so here are 15 ‘go-to’ dinner ideas from food bloggers:

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1. 5 Ingredient ‘unfried’ cornflake chicken – I make this chicken ALL the time, it tastes like fried chicken but is baked, and is perfect on salads or with any side you can think of (green beans, mac n cheese,  rice, etc.)~Phi from the Sweetphi blog
2. Sausage and Marsala Pappardelle Pasta – “When I’m stumped as to what to make for dinner, I usually land on pasta and my Sausage and Marsala Pappardelle Pasta is a family fave. I usually have turkey or chicken sausage in the freezer and tomatoes on the counter with fresh mushrooms and rosemary in the crisper. If you don’t have a fresh red bell pepper on hand, jarred work just as well and half and half subs in fine for cream.” ~ Heidi from Foodiecrush
3. Turkey Bean Spinach Soup – “This soup can be made in 20 minutes and uses ingredients that I almost always have on hand. It’s healthy, hearty, and super flavorful. But don’t just take it from me — it’s a reader favorite too!” Rachel from Rachel Cooks
4. Carbonara – “I love this recipe, it takes the simplest of ingredients (that I usually already have on hand), barely any time, and minimal effort but tastes like you’re eating at a “ristorante” in Rome!” ~Lynn from Order in the Kitchen
5. Slow Cooker Italian Chicken and Vegetables Ragu – “is my go-to dinner. Inevitably, I always have chicken breasts in the fridge and a couple vegetables in the crisper that need to me used. We always have canned beans and tomatoes in the pantry so the dish literally comes together in minutes.” ~Liz from The Lemon Bowl
6. Chicken Stir Fry with Thai Peanut Sauce – “This Thai Peanut Stir Fry is my all time favorite dish. It’s easy to stir the sauce together, has oodles of flavor, and you can use any leftover protein or veggies you have on hand. Even frozen vegetables work famously. Serve with rice, noodles, farro, or just enjoy it on its own. You can’t go wrong!” ~Erin from The Law Students Wife
7. Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Chicken – “My go to is my Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Spaghetti Squash as I usually have most of the ingredients on hand, its filling, nutritious and who can turn down a creamy spinach and artichoke dip inspired dish?!” ~ Meg from Housewife in Training Files
8. Crispy Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs – “These crispy pan roasted chicken thighs are the perfect quick weeknight dinner. Ready in just 30 minutes and perfectly crisp.” ~ Brandy from Nutmeg Nanny
9. Red Curry Lentils – “It’s an old recipe but a good one! This is my go-to because it usually doesn’t require a trip to the store – most everything can be found in the pantry (like rice, lentils, curry paste, and canned tomatoes). It also comes together quickly and makes for some AWESOME leftovers.” ~Lindsay from Pinch of Yum
10.  Amish Egg Noodles – “When I’m uninspired I nearly always turn to thin sliced pork chops, seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and cooked on the stove in a bit of butter. But, the real start of the night is always the easily cooked, simply seasoned, and very comforting Amish egg noodles I serve alongside the chops.” ~ Karly from Buns In My Oven
11. Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup – “I love this roasted red pepper and tomato soup as my go-to meal because I always seem to have the ingredients on hand and it’s a breeze to throw together. The best news is that veggies are packed into this soup too, so I can eat extra cookies for dessert!” ~ Abby from The Frosted Vegan
12.  Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchilada Skillet – “One of my go-to dinner ideas is my Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchilada Skillet.  It has everything I want in a dinner – it’s quick, easy, satisfying (cheese!), and healthy.  It also makes great leftovers, which is always important for me!” ~ Taylor from Greens n Chocolate
13. Beef Enchilada Pasta – “Pasta is at the top of my list of go-to’s because I always have it on hand and everyone loves it. This pasta has my favorite flavors – Mexican – made into a super simple pasta dish with homemade enchilada sauce.  I have made it with both beef and chicken and we love it either way.” ~ Cassie from Bake Your Day
14. Tilapia with Cilantro and Lime – “Mine is DEFINITELY this Cilantro Lime Tilapia! It’s ready in only 20 minutes and uses ingredients that most people already have in their pantries! Plus it’s healthy and big on flavor, so it’s perfect for this kind of situation!” ~Taylor from Food Faith Fitness
15. Vegetable and Black Bean Enchilada Pasta – “This meal is fast, easy and I usually have almost everything on hand to whip it up. You can switch out the veggies based on what’s in your fridge or in season, and it is Mexican food after all (my favorite)!” ~ Ashley from Cookie Monster Cooking

Are you drooling as much as I am right now? I want to make each and every one of these! To help me keep track of the ideas, I’ve created a Pinterest board with all the images linking to the blogs where the recipes originate:
Follow Sweetphi’s board Recipes: Go-To Dinner Ideas on Pinterest.

I’ve already made Lynn’s Carbonara multiple times (left in the picture below or  here) and I’ve made Erin’s Chicken Stir Fry with Thai Peanut Sauce which I’m actually eating leftovers of this week (right in the picture below or here). Both are absolutely delicious and spot on amazing recipes, I cannot wait to continue trying all the different ideas! Thank you so much to all the bloggers who participated.

What are some of your dinner ‘go-tos’?