10 Easy Family Dinner Ideas for When You’re Sick of Turkey
Turkey dinner is lovely, and a turkey sandwich the next day can be pretty good, too. But when you’re ready for something different, these 10 easy family dinner ideas give you a break from turkey without another big cooking project. Choose from cheesy tortilla pizza, shrimp fried rice, simple pasta dinners, beef rice bowls, and no-cook subs.
These easy weeknight dinners use straightforward cooking methods, with options for different appetites and energy levels. Some come together quickly on the stove, while others need a little oven time. The comparison table below shows the time each dinner takes and anything you’ll need ready beforehand, so you can choose what works for tonight.
Choose Your Dinner at a Glance
| Dinner | Time | Before You Start |
|---|---|---|
| Skillet Tortilla Pizza | 38 minutes, plus resting | No dough to make. Layer tortillas, sauce, cheese, and toppings. |
| Shrimp Fried Rice with Eggs | 25 minutes* | Have cooked, chilled rice and precooked shrimp ready. |
| Spicy Peanut Noodles with Jammy Eggs | 11 minutes | The recipe serves two. Increase quantities for more people. |
| Cream Cheese Pasta Bake | 45 minutes | Four ingredients. Boil the pasta before assembling and baking. |
| Cold Cut Sub Sandwiches | 10 minutes per sub | No cooking required. Multiply the ingredients for more subs. |
| Chicken Chop Suey with Baby Corn | 30 minutes* | Prepare the vegetables first. Cook rice separately if serving it. |
| Mushroom Linguine | 20 minutes* | Cook pasta alongside the sauce. The recipe uses chicken stock. |
| Japanese Beef Rice Bowls | 35 minutes* | Coordinate cooking the beef, rice, and soft-boiled eggs. |
| BBQ Chicken Wraps | 30 minutes* | Allow for salad preparation. Use prepared BBQ sauce for convenience. |
| Hamburger Gravy with Onions | About 25–30 minutes* | Prepare mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles separately. |
*Times follow the published recipe cards; where no total is listed, preparation and cooking times are added together. The fried-rice time assumes you already have cooked, chilled rice. Separately prepared sides and homemade BBQ sauce can add time.
1. Skillet Tortilla Pizza
Layers of tortillas, pizza sauce, pepperoni, bacon, and cheese make this an easy change from roast turkey. There is no dough to knead or leave to rise. Assemble the layers, bake, and let the pizza settle briefly before cutting.
An optional salad or some raw vegetables can round out dinner while the pizza bakes. Give it a short rest before slicing so the cheesy layers hold together.
Get the skillet tortilla pizza recipe
2. Shrimp Fried Rice with Eggs
Turn cooked rice into a full meal with shrimp, eggs, frozen peas and carrots, and savoury pantry sauces. Everything comes together in the wok, so you do not need to prepare several side dishes.
Have your cooked, chilled rice ready before you start; the 25-minute timing doesn’t include cooking and cooling it. Frozen peas and carrots and precooked shrimp keep the remaining preparation manageable.
Get the shrimp fried rice with eggs recipe
3. Spicy Peanut Noodles with Jammy Eggs
Instant noodles get a generous coating of peanut sauce flavoured with sriracha and gochujang, then a jammy egg on top. This is a good choice when you want a quick hot dinner with flavours far removed from the holiday meal.
The recipe makes two servings, so increase the quantities if you’re feeding the whole family. Reduce the sriracha and chili flakes if you prefer less heat.
Get the Japanese beef rice bowls recipe
4. Cream Cheese Pasta Bake
Penne, spinach, small tomatoes, and garlic-and-herb cream cheese make a four-ingredient dinner. Bake the assembled dish covered, then stir so the softened tomatoes and melted cheese coat the pasta.
Boil the penne until just al dente before assembling the casserole, since it will continue cooking in the oven. This is a useful choice when you want a short ingredient list and don’t mind some baking time.
Get the cream cheese pasta bake recipe
5. Cold Cut Sub Sandwiches
Some nights, an easy dinner should mean leaving the stove off. Layer ham, Genoa salami, Calabrese salami, mozzarella, lettuce, and tomato into sub buns. The Miracle Whip and pickle-juice sauce adds a tangy finish. Set out the fillings so everyone can build a sandwich.
The recipe lists ingredients for one large sub, making it straightforward to multiply for your household. Put the fillings on the table and let everyone choose how much meat, cheese, and vegetables to add.
Get the cold cut sub sandwiches recipe
6. Chicken Chop Suey with Baby Corn
Chicken, mushrooms, celery, onion, baby corn, water chestnuts, and bean sprouts cook in a savoury sauce. Have everything sliced and drained before heating the wok, because the stir-frying moves quickly. Serve over rice if you would like a more substantial meal.
Slice the chicken and vegetables and drain the canned ingredients before heating the wok. If you’re serving rice underneath, get it cooking first so everything is ready together.
Get the chicken chop suey with baby corn recipe
7. Mushroom Linguine
White button mushrooms and garlic flavour a chicken-stock sauce thickened with cornstarch. Toss with linguine and fresh parsley, then finish with Parmesan if desired. It is a change from tomato sauce without needing cream.
Start the pasta water first, then prepare the mushroom sauce while the linguine cooks. Keep the chicken stock handy—this sauce gets its body from stock and cornstarch rather than cream.
Get the mushroom linguine recipe
8. Japanese Beef Rice Bowls
Thinly sliced sirloin and onions cook with garlic, ginger, and a sweet-and-savoury sauce. Serve the beef over rice with a soft-boiled egg. This version includes gochujang, giving the bowls a little heat as well as plenty of flavour.
Get the rice underway before cooking the beef, and prepare the eggs alongside it. Having the sauce ingredients measured and the beef thinly sliced helps the stovetop cooking move smoothly.
Get the japanese beef rice bowls recipe
9. BBQ Chicken Wraps
Cooked chicken joins corn, white kidney beans, tomatoes, avocado, onion, and parsley in a filling wrap. Cheddar and thick BBQ sauce finish the meal. Use naan, roti, or flour tortillas, and adjust the jalapeño to suit your household.
Use a thick prepared BBQ sauce to keep dinner preparation simple. There are several fresh ingredients to chop, so prepare the salad mixture while the chicken cooks and add the avocado close to assembly.
Get the bbq chicken wraps recipe
10. Old-Fashioned Hamburger Gravy with Onions
A pound of ground beef, softened onions, beef bouillon, and garlic powder make a savoury brown gravy thickened with cornstarch. Spoon it over potatoes, rice, or egg noodles. If plain mashed potatoes remain from the holiday meal, this gives them a new dinner partner.
The timing covers the gravy itself, so allow for cooking your potatoes, rice, or noodles. Start that base first, then make the beef and onion gravy while it cooks.
Get the old-fashioned hamburger gravy with onions recipe
Make Tonight’s Dinner Easier
Choose the cold cut subs when you want to leave the stove off, or the peanut noodles for a fast hot meal. Have cooked rice ready? The shrimp fried rice gives you dinner without planning extra sides. If you prefer a short ingredient list and don’t mind some oven time, start with the cream cheese pasta bake.
Pick the meal that suits the ingredients and energy you have tonight. There’s no need to make another feast just because you’ve finished the last one. For more meals with straightforward prep, browse our Fast Dinner Recipes and find something that fits tonight’s appetite.
What does your family ask for once they’ve had enough turkey? Let me know in the comments.
