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    Home » Recipe Roundups

    20 Easy Dump-and-Bake Dinners You'll Want to Make Every Week

    By Emmeline Kemperyd on April 27, 2025, updated March 21, 2025 - Leave a Comment

    Finding quick and easy dinner ideas can be a challenge, especially after a long day. These 20 dump-and-bake dinners are perfect for busy weeknights, allowing you to throw everything together in one dish and let the oven do the work. With minimal prep and cleanup, these meals are not only simple but also satisfying, making them a great addition to your weekly menu.

    Old Fashioned Chicken & Rice Casserole

    Chicken baked on top of rice.
    Photo credit: Food Folks and Fun.

    Chicken and Rice Casserole is a classic dish that everyone loves. With well-seasoned chicken and perfectly cooked rice, this is a simple meal that fits right into a busy evening.

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    King Ranch Chicken Casserole

    King ranch chicken casserole.
    Photo credit: Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons.

    This easy casserole is a comforting Southern classic. With gooey cheese, chicken, and southwest flavors, it’s a delicious meal that requires very little effort.

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    Meatball Casserole

    Meatball Casserole.
    Photo Credit: Savory Experiments.

    Pasta and meatballs are a family favorite, and this cheesy meatball casserole is a simple way to enjoy them. With just frozen meatballs, marinara sauce, and pasta, it’s a quick meal that’s great for busy weeknights.

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    Baked Cod in Foil

    A foil pack with cod and potatoes.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    These baked cod packs are simple to prepare and only take 5 minutes to get ready. With cod, tomatoes, potatoes, and lemon all cooked together, this dish is a complete meal that’s easy to enjoy.

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    Baked Butter Chicken

    Baked Butter Chicken.
    Photo Credit: Masala & Chai.

    This Easy Baked Butter Chicken is a simple way to enjoy a classic dish at home. It combines all the rich flavors of Butter Chicken with a one-pan oven-baked method, so you can have dinner ready in under an hour.

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    Melt in Your Mouth Chicken

    Melt in Your Mouth Chicken.
    Photo Credit: The Cookin' Chicks.

    Melt in your Mouth Chicken is a simple dish that uses just 6 ingredients. Boneless chicken breasts are smothered in a creamy Parmesan sauce and baked until they're juicy and tender, making it a great choice for busy weeknights or relaxed weekends.

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    Chicken Parm Casserole

    Chicken Parm Casserole.
    Photo credit: Golden Grace Kitchen.

    This easy casserole combines classic Italian flavors into a simple meal. With tender chicken, rich marinara sauce, pasta, and gooey mozzarella, it's a great choice for any night.

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    Cheesy Chicken

    Cheesy Chicken.
    Photo Credit: Fantabulosity.

    Cheesy chicken is a simple casserole that the whole family loves, making it great for weeknight meals. This baked cheesy chicken breast can easily become a staple at your dinner table.

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    Sheet Pan Gnocchi With Bacon & Mushrooms

    Gnocchi with bacon and mushrooms.
    Photo credit: Emmeline Kemperyd.

    This simple meal uses just 8 ingredients and is perfect for a tasty dinner any night. Featuring soft gnocchi, crispy bacon, earthy mushrooms, and crunchy pine nuts, it’s a dish that everyone will love.

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    Oven Baked Chicken Breast

    Oven Baked Chicken Breast.
    Photo Credit: Cucina by Elena.

    This oven-baked chicken breast is packed with the comforting flavors of Thanksgiving, making it a great choice for your holiday meal. It's also perfect for a simple and satisfying dinner any night of the week.

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    No-Boil Ravioli Casserole

    This cheesy ravioli casserole is one of the simplest dishes you can make. With just four simple ingredients and store-bought shortcuts, you can prep this dish in 5 minutes, and eat in under 40!
    Photo credit: Emmeline Kemperyd.

    This dish is super easy to prepare. With just four ingredients and some ready-made items, you can have it ready in 5 minutes and on the table in under 40.

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    Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

    A spoonful of Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole.
    Photo Credit: Quiche My Grits.

    This casserole has creamy chicken, mixed veggies, and a crunchy layer of tater tots on top. It’s perfect for busy nights, and you can either freeze it for later or bake it right away to enjoy a meal that everyone will like.

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    Baked Chicken Drumsticks & Veggies

    Drumsticks and veggies.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    This sheet-pan dinner is perfect for quick weeknight meals. With just a little chopping to begin, you end up with a delicious mix of chicken, veggies, and sauce all cooked together in one pan.

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    One Pan Chicken & Potatoes

    Chicken and potatoes.
    Photo credit: Healthy Seasonal Recipes.

    This chicken and potatoes dinner is a simple one-pan meal featuring juicy chicken thighs and drumsticks, tender potatoes, roasted garlic, and mushrooms all cooked together. It’s quick to prepare, taking just 15 minutes to get everything into the oven, which means less cleanup afterward.

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    Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole

    Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole.
    Photo Credit: Cook Dinner Tonight.

    Ritz cracker chicken casserole features tender chicken in a creamy sauce, all topped with crunchy, buttery cracker crumbs. This is a quick and simple dinner that you can whip up in no time.

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    One-Pan Lebanese Freekeh with Chicken and Apricots

    One-Pan Lebanese Freekeh with Chicken and Apricots.
    Photo Credit: Little Black Skillet.

    Chicken thighs seasoned with spices cook together with freekeh, onions, and apricots in one skillet. This dish is simple to prepare and perfect for a quick meal.

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    Creamy Pesto Pasta Bake

    A creamy pesto pasta bake.
    Photo credit: Rich and Delish.

    This creamy pesto pasta bake is extra creamy and cheesy, made in one baking pan, and doesn't require a lot of kitchen skills! It is done in under an hour and tastes like restaurant pasta.

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    Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs

    Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs.
    Photo Credit: Courtney's Sweets.

    This baked boneless chicken thighs recipe is quick and full of flavor, combining sweetness, saltiness, and garlic. It’s a simple way to enjoy a juicy and tender chicken dinner in under 30 minutes.

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    Baked Lamb Chops & Veggies

    Baked lamb chops with veggies.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    This sheet pan meal is a simple way to enjoy lamb without the stress of overcooking it. The lamb chops cook in the flavorful juices from the vegetables, resulting in tender meat that is delicious.

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    Cheesy No-Boil Lasagna

    Cheesy No-Boil Lasagna.
    Photo Credit: Midwest Foodie.

    No-Boil Lasagna is super quick to prepare, taking only 10 minutes. You can skip the step of boiling the noodles, making it an easy option for dinner.

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    More Recipe Roundups

    • Antipasti pasta salad.
      21 Vibrant Summer Salads That Are Perfect for Dinner
    • Sheet pan chicken fajitas.
      28 Dump-And-Bake Recipes That Will Feed a Crowd
    • Lemongrass grilled chicken.
      Memorial Day BBQ: 24 Recipes That Will Make You the Grill Master
    • Feta stuffed chicken.
      19 Simple Sunday Night Dinners Your Whole Family Will Love

    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.

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    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!

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