There are easy dinners, and then there are EASY dinners. Meals you can shop for without a plan, or even a minute of forethought. Dinners you can cook with your eyes closed — or more like, while being a homework helper, dog caregiver, and human who still has at least 30 minutes more work to do. And when these meals are also ones that make everyone in your family happy, they become Magic Meals. Because all of it — getting dinner on the table, avoiding complaints, and actually enjoying every bite — feels like magic.

But it’s not: it’s you, with a little help from these recipes.

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No Thinking, Yes Eating

Whatever you call them — magic meals, go-to’s, meals without tears, brainless crowdpleasers — we all have those back pocket dinners that are easy to make and always win with our families. And we all can use more of them. Because when a meal comes together in a snap, without any planning or fussing, AND everyone eats it happily, there can never be enough.

Here are the recipes mentioned in this week’s episode:

• Stacie’s Creamy Lemon Pasta

• Lighter Fettuccine Alfredo (and on Stacie’s site, if that’s easier)

• Pasta with Spinach Pesto and Green Beans

• Meghan’s Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

• How to Make an Easy Pan Sauce in Minutes

• Sheet Pan Vegetarian Fajitas

• Ten Minute Tostadas

• Baked Tilapia with Fresh Herbs

• One-Pot Pasta Puttanesca

• Creamy Wild Mushroom One-Pot Pasta

• Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Tenders

• Duke’s Chocolate Frosting

• How to Make Sheet Pan Steak Frites

• Crispy Sheet Pan Gnocchi and Veggies

• How to Make Better-Than-Takeout Beef and Broccoli in the Slow Cooker

• Easy Ground Beef Tacos

• How to Make Homemade Taco Seasoning

• Quick and Easy Crispy Fish Tacos with Cabbage Slaw

• Snapshot Cooking recipes at The Kitchn

• Miracle Meals recipes at The Kitchn

• One Pot Cheesy Orzo and Sausage

• 12 No-Recipe Dinners Made With a Store-Bought Rotisserie Chicken

• How to Microwave a Sweet Potato

• Seven-Minute Salt and Pepper Green Beans

Other DIJFY Episodes You’ll Love

If you loved this episode, we think you’ll also love these past episode. Binge listen, activate!

• Our Best Dinner Shortcuts — and Shortcut Dinners with Kelsey Nixon

• How to Lazy Genius Kitchen Clean Up

• Simple Family Meals Using Pantry Basics

• How to Build a Bowl Meal

• How Sauces Can Save Your Weeknight Cooking

• Why Pasta is a Busy Family Cook’s Best Friend

• Reclaiming Chicken Nuggets

• How to Turn Hummus Into a Legit Family Dinner

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Fave Picks

These are some of our favorite products mentioned in this episode:

• Stacie’s book Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner: 50 Winning Ways to Cook It Up!

• Trader Joe’s Chipotle Black Bean Dip

• A review of Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken

• Not Just pantry staples (we’re obsessed, especially with their dressing)

• Haven’s Kitchen sauces

• Litehouse Foods Guacamole Herb Blend

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Get Social With Us

Be sure to join our private Listener’s Group on Facebook (our favorite cocktail is WHISKEY — you’ll understand when you try to join). This week, we’re going to collect YOUR favorite magic meals. Because the more ideas, the better!

And of course, don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss a thing.

You can also find us at @didntijustfeed you on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. And if you happen to love us as much as we love you (because y’all are very real), you can find Meghan as @meghan_splawn and Stacie as @staciebillis on Instagram.

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