• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
always use butter
  • Recipes
  • Air Fryer Resources
  • Blogging Resources
  • Subscribe!
  • About
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Air Fryer Resources
  • Blogging Resources
  • Subscribe!
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Air Fryer Resources
    • Blogging Resources
    • Subscribe!
    • About
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipe Roundups

    21 Impressive Dinners That Are Easier Than They Look

    By Emmeline Kemperyd updated June 10, 2026 · Published June 21, 2026 · Leave a Comment

    Cooking a luxurious dinner at home is a great way to treat your friends and family without the cost of dining out. From rich pasta dishes to elegant pork dishes, there are plenty of recipes that can transform your kitchen into a fine dining experience. With a little creativity and the right ingredients, you can create memorable meals that will leave everyone talking!

    Pork with Mushrooms and Peas

    Pork with Mushrooms and Peas
    Photo Credit: Tried and True Recipes.

    This dish combines a tender bone-in pork chop with a rich white wine and mushroom sauce, making it a great choice for a cozy evening at home. The addition of peas and parsley adds a nice finish to this comforting meal.

    Save This Recipe Form

    Want to save this recipe?

    Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get more great recipes from us each week!

    Get the recipe

    The Best Chicken Street Tacos

    The Best Chicken Street Tacos Recipe
    Photo Credit: Midwest Foodie.

    This is an easy, delicious meal you can whip up with just a few ingredients. Marinate the chicken in a flavorful seasoning, grill it, and you'll have dinner ready in a flash!

    Get the recipe

    Air Fryer Skirt Steak

    Sliced air fryer skirt steak.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    This is a quick and easy way to enjoy a tasty steak dinner at home. With a simple marinade, you can have a juicy and tender steak ready in just 6-10 minutes.

    Get the recipe

    Orzo Pesto Salad

    Orzo Pesto Salad.
    Photo credit: Healthfull Blondie.

    Orzo pesto salad combines fresh veggies and mozzarella with a homemade nut-free basil pesto. It's a great choice for lunch, dinner, or as a side at your next dinner party.

    Get the recipe

    Salmon Risotto with Leeks & Lemon

    Salmon Ristotto with Leeks & Lemon
    Photo credit: always use butter

    This Salmon Risotto comes together in under 40 minutes and doesn't require you to stir it constantly. With fresh lemon, leeks, and parsley, it's a flavorful dish that looks impressive but is easy to prepare, making it perfect for dinner parties or a quick weeknight meal.

    Get the recipe

    Lamb Burgers with Tahini Sauce

    A plate with salad, a lamb burger, and dressing.
    Photo credit: FODMAP Everyday.

    This lamb burger is full of Mediterranean flavors, featuring herbs like oregano, mint, and dill, along with feta and cumin. The Tahini sauce adds a special touch that really elevates the dish!

    Get the recipe

    Beef Chow Fun

    beef chow fun.
    Photo Credit: always use butter.

    Beef Chow Fun is a great option for a fast weeknight meal, taking only 20 minutes to prepare. With rice noodles, bean sprouts, scallions, and flank steak, this dish is sure to satisfy.

    Get the recipe

    Easy Turkey Shawarma Meatballs

    Easy Turkey Shawarma Meatballs
    Photo Credit: Tried and True Recipes.

    These Middle Eastern meatballs are easy to prepare and pair perfectly with saffron rice and a zesty hummus sauce. They make for a delicious and impressive meal right from your own kitchen.

    Get the recipe

    Crispy Tofu

    Air fried crispy tofu.
    Photo credit: Sarah Cook.

    This air fryer tofu is a simple and delicious dinner option that's packed with flavor. It's a great choice for anyone looking for a quick meal, taking less than 30 minutes to prepare.

    Get the recipe

    Salmon Piccata

    Salmon piccata in a skillet.
    Photo credit: Emmeline Kemperyd.

    This delicous salmon dish is all done in under 20 minutes, and you just need one pan to make. It comes out super creamy with lots of buttery lemon flavor - and with a sauce so good you will want to eat it by the spoonful!

    Get the recipe

    Air Fryer Rib Eye

    How To Cook A Rib Eye Steak
    Photo Credit: always use butter.

    Cooking rib eye steak in the air fryer is a fantastic way to enjoy a delicious meal at home. It turns out tender and packed with flavor, while also being a healthier option compared to other cooking methods.

    Get the recipe

    Lamb Meatballs with Cilantro & Lemon

    Lamb Meatballs with Cilantro & Lemon
    Photo credit: always use butter

    These meatballs are easy to make and packed with fresh lemon and cilantro flavors. They work great as a main dish with mashed potatoes or as a tasty snack for gatherings.

    Get the recipe

    Shrimp Kabobs

    Shrimp Kabobs.
    Photo credit: Scarlati Family Kitchen.

    Grilling seasoned shrimp and veggies with a tasty banana pepper sauce makes for a delightful meal. This light and zesty dish is ideal for an impressive dinner at home.

    Get the recipe

    Orange Ginger Chicken

    Whole orange ginger chicken.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    This is a simple yet impressive dish that transforms a whole chicken and fresh oranges into a tasty roast dinner. The combination of sweet oranges, zesty ginger, and savory dark soy sauce creates a delightful meal perfect for any evening.

    Get the recipe

    Black Lentil Feta Salad

    Black Lentil Salad with Feta.
    Photo credit: Evergreen Kitchen.

    This Mediterranean salad is full of great flavors and is easy to prepare. It's loaded with protein from lentils, creamy feta, fresh vegetables, and a flavorful vinaigrette.

    Get the recipe

    Air Fryer Flank Steak

    Sliced flank steak.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    Make perfectly tender Air Fryer Flank Steak with just 8-10 minutes of cooking. The flavor-packed marinade tenderizes the meat for you, so you end up with a juicy steak in no time.

    Get the recipea

    Eggplant Moussaka

    Eggplant Moussaka with Lamb.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    Eggplant Moussaka is a hearty dinner filled with vegetables, ground beef or lamb, and lots of cheese. This Mediterranean dish skips the potatoes and Bechamel sauce, using extra eggplant for a healthier and simpler version.

    Get the recipe

    Vegan Gochujang Cauliflower Tacos

    Vegan Gochujang Cauliflower Tacos
    Photo credit: Urban Farmie.

    Cauliflower tacos packed with avocado, corn, red onions, and cilantro offer a delicious option for dinner. They're perfect for a cozy night at home or when you want to impress your friends.

    Get the recipe

    Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken

    Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken.
    Photo Credit: Garden in the Kitchen.

    Tender chicken breasts are simmered for hours in a rich onion broth and then covered with Gruyere cheese. Enjoy comfort food at its best in this easy recipe!

    Get the Recipe

    Creamy Chicken Pasta with Red Wine & Mushrooms

    Red wine chicken pasta.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    This creamy chicken pasta comes together in just 30 minutes and is always a hit. With rich flavors from red wine, mushrooms, and thyme, it makes for a great dinner and is perfect for leftovers the next day.

    Get the recipe

    Shrimp Scampi Without Wine

    Shrimp scampi.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    Make Shrimp Scampi without wine in just 10 minutes for a flavor packed appetizer or meal. Your kitchen will smell so amazing with all those garlic, lemon, chili and parsley flavors mixed together.

    Get the recipe

    More Recipe Roundups

    • Macaroni salad.
      21 Best 4th of July Recipes You Can Prep the Night Before
    • Baked chicken breast.
      20 Baked Chicken Breast Recipes Even Picky Eaters Can't Resist
    • Chicken and rice casserole.
      26 Dump Dinners So Simple They Feel Like Cheating
    • 18 Hearty Dinners Perfect for When You Need Something Extra Satisfying

    About Emmeline Kemperyd

    Emmeline Kemperyd is a writer, food blogger, recipe creator and food photographer and the founder of alwaysusebutter.com. She has 20+ years experience creating and simplifying recipes so they taste good, and are quick, easy, and approachable. She is a regular contributor to MSN and her work has been featured by The Guardian, Well+Good, Vulture, SheKnows, Good Men Project, and The Feed Feed, among others.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    No Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Emmeline! I love tasty food, but I'm always in a hurry. And I have the quick and easy recipes to prove it!

    More about me →

    Readers Love These Recipes

    • close up of an air fryer drumstick
      Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
    • A spoonful of gouda mac and cheese being lifted out of the pan with a cheese pull.
      Gouda Mac and Cheese
    • A slice of crispy air fryer bacon on a blue plate.
      Air Fryer Bacon
    • a cinnamon muffin cupcake in front of a tin full
      Cinnamon Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar Topping

    Popular Easy Summer Dinners

    • side view of a healthy salmon fish taco with ginger avocado salsa, and a lime wedge
      Easy Salmon Tacos with Ginger Avocado Salsa
    • Beef stew.
      22 Easy Summer Crockpot Dinners That Do All the Work for You
    • Sliced medium-rare air fryer skirt steak with a pink center.
      Air Fryer Skirt Steak
    • Lemon pepper salmon in a non-stick pan with lemon wedges.
      Baked Lemon Pepper Salmon

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    All affiliate links are always marked with "*" or "affiliate".

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    A collage of sites where always use butter content has been featured.

    About

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Disclaimer
    • Disclosures
    • Editorial Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up!

    Contact

    • Contact
    • info@alwaysusebutter.com
    • Pink Giraffe Ventures AB, Runstens Byväg 51, 147 91 Grödinge, Sweden
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Copyright © 2026 Pink Giraffe Ventures AB