Easily plan dinner for Friday night and kick off your weekend celebration with this Friday Night Dinner Ideas Roundup! 

Each of these recipes are kid-friendly and kid-approved! They require minimal ingredients, are packed with flavor and only take 30 minutes or less to make!

Easy Friday night dinner ideas are shown in a collage of images.

We are kicking of this easy Friday night dinner ideas roundup with a BANG! This pesto tortellini pasta is seriously so crazy easy to make. You just need 4 ingredients — yep, just 4 — and 10 minutes! 

Pesto Tortellini Pasta
An easy 10 minute pesto tortellini pasta featuring cheese tortellini covered in fresh pesto sauce, sundried tomatoes, and roasted pine nuts. It's simple and delicious!
A close up photo of Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad tossed with sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts in a white bowl.
Get the recipe here! Pin Recipe

This is such a fun way to do Friday night pizza without having to make the dough, wait for it to rise, etc. etc. Using French bread makes it easy, quick and yet fun and delicious! 

French Bread Pizza
Dinner has never been easier! These French Bread Pizzas are easy to make and loved by everyone!
Overhead view of French Bread Pizza with pepperoni on top and a basil garnish.
Get the recipe here! Pin Recipe

This is an easy homemade meal that has simple ingredients and is very healthy, too! It’s a fun take on stuffed peppers and a quicker way to make them.

Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers
An easy dinner that takes only 30 minutes to make! It’s healthy and delicious!
A bowl of Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers on a white linen napkin.
Get the recipe here! Pin Recipe

This lemon pasta is creamy and delicious! It requires very few ingredients and yet is so tasty! It’s a favorite of ours and a frequent Friday meal for our family. 

Lemon Pasta Recipe
Whole wheat spaghetti noodles tossed in a delicious creamy lemon pasta sauce, then topped with fresh parsley. This is an easy dinner recipe that will become a family fave.
A white plate with a helping of lemon pasta on it, garnished with fresh parsley.
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Turn your pre-made/frozen chicken tenders into a restaurant-style menu item with this delicious homemade Wingers sticky fingers sauce! It’s a great dinner idea for a Friday night!

Wingers Sticky Fingers
These taste just like Wingers classic and iconic sticky fingers! They're finger-licking good!
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You may think the recipe list for this bucatini cacao e pepe is too simple, but believe me, it has a delicate and delicious flavor! It’s a great kid-friendly and easy dinner idea!

Bucatini Cacio e Pepe
Bucatini Cacio e Pepe is a simple pasta dish that comes together in just 20 minutes! With just 4 ingredients you can have an elegant, flavorful Italian dish on your table!
Bucatini Cacio e Pepe noodles in a skillet pan with kitchen tongs turning the noodles over.
Get the recipe here! Pin Recipe

I couldn’t make a Friday night dinner recipes roundup without including this sesame noodles recipe! My kids love it and so do my husband and I! It’s such a fun Asian take on noodles.

Sesame Noodles
This sesame noodle bowl is a quick dinner for those crazy weeknights. Your family will go crazy for it!
A black pot with spaghetti noodles coated in a sesame cilantro sauce topped with chicken, green onions, and cilantro.
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Salmon is a perfect Friday meal because salmon cooks so quickly! Add in some delicious (seriously so stinking good!) homemade sauce and you just made a fancy meal for Friday night in no time at all!

Healthy Salmon Burgers with Lemon Dill Sauce
Flavorful salmon burgers are topped with a homemade lemon dill sauce. You can serve these salmon burgers plain or between 2 buns.
Salmon Burgers with dill sauce on a bun against a white background.
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You’ve probably heard me say this already, but I make this meal like 4 times a month. It comes together so quickly, doesn’t require many ingredients, is deliciously creamy and such a fun and unique flavor. It’s got everything going for it 😂

Cajun Sausage Pasta
This creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta recipe features sliced peppers and sausage that's bathed in a creamy sauce. If you quick and easy dinner recipes that pack a lot of flavor, this is for you!
A plate of Cajun Sausage Pasta with sliced green and red pepper in the dish, on a gray plate.
Get the recipe here! Pin Recipe

Do you like doing Friday night pizza night? Mix it up with these homemade pizza rolls! Cut out some prep time by using store-bought pizza dough or pre-made pizza dough you’ve frozen and thawed! Queue up the movie night! 

Pizza Rolls
Cheese and pepperoni are encased in a ball of pizza dough then topped with a butter, herb, and parmesan sauce. These pizza rolls can be served for dinner or at a party.
Two hands pulling a pizza roll apart showing the stretchy mozzarella cheese and pepperoni inside.
Get the recipe here! Pin Recipe

A healthy burger? Really? Yes, truly. These taco turkey burgers are simple and easy to make and take a fun Mexican twist on hamburgers. 

Taco Turkey Burgers
Turn your tacos into a healthy taco turkey burger. This healthy meal comes together in 20 minutes.
A Taco Turkey Burger on a bun with lettuce and tomatoes and orange cheese, against a white background.
Get the recipe here! Pin Recipe

I believe that adding goat cheese to a dish is a surefire way to make something not fancy totally fancy! So break out the goat cheese and make your family think you spent tons of time making a restaurant-style pasta dish (they don’t need to know it took less than 30 minutes 😉!)

Asparagus Spinach Pasta
A light pasta recipe with asparagus, mushrooms, and creamy goat cheese. This pasta recipe takes only 20 minutes to make!
Asparagus Spinach Pasta in a black bowl on a dark gray colored linen napkin, with goat cheese garnishing the pasta.
Get the recipe here! Pin Recipe

Before you see the 3 hours bit on this recipe, let me ease your mind! This recipe takes like 5 minutes max to put together and then it cooks in the crockpot for 3 hours. I decided to include it in this roundup because the amount of time you need to worry about dinner is only 5 minutes! Let the crockpot do the rest!

BBQ Pineapple Meatballs
These Hawaiian meatballs make for the perfect dinner or appetizer! 
Overhead photo of easy crock pot BBQ Pineapple Meatballs in a bowl.
Get the recipe here! Pin Recipe

Want to make a special Friday night meal but don’t have the time to spending an hour in the kitchen? I’m telling you, salmon is the key! This easy salmon recipe is so flavorful and delicious and yet quick and easy to make!

Lemon Honey Glazed Salmon
This lemon honey glazed salmon is healthy and offers a lot of flavor! It's an easy dinner recipe that only takes 30 minutes to make, and to top it off this salmon recipe is made in a skillet.
Seared Lemon Honey Glazed Salmon in a black skillet.
Get the recipe here! Pin Recipe

My kids love these English muffin pizzas! They can help make them and customize them by choosing whatever toppings they’d like. It’s a fun way to make dinner time a family activity, too!

English Muffin Pizzas
These cute English Muffin Pizzas are so easy to make and perfect for kids, teenagers, and adults! This is the perfect weeknight dinner option because dinner is on the table in less than 30 minutes.
Three English muffin pizzas topped with mini pepperoni's on a gray plate.
Get the recipe here! Pin Recipe

Dinner is ready in 20 minutes with this chickpea gyros recipe! You can spend an extra 5 minutes and make my homemade tzatziki sauce, or don’t even worry about it and grab some homemade sauce from the store if you have 20 minutes and that’s it. Such a tasty recipe in no time at all!

Chickpea Gyros
A flavor-packed vegetarian gyro recipe.
Chickpea Gyros topped with feta, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
Get the recipe here! Pin Recipe

I know you are tempted to grab one of those store-bought bottles of Alfredo sauce, but with just a few ingredients and a few extra minutes you have have the best homemade alfredo sauce! You’ll taste the difference while being grateful it didn’t take long at all!

Fettuccine Alfredo
This creamy alfredo sauce makes for the perfect dinner. It takes just 20 minutes to make and it's delicious!
Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo in a black skillet with kitchen tongs being used to mix the creamy pasta.
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This creamy Tuscan chicken tastes great on its own or you can put it on top of pasta or rice. It’s a fun Italian dish the entire family will love!

Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Creamy Tuscan Chicken features seared chicken tenders bathing in a creamy sun-dried tomato and spinach sauce. It's a fast and easy meal that's full of so much flavor!
Creamy Tuscan Chicken in a black skillet with sun dried tomatoes and spinach in the sauce.
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You can probably tell my kiddos love pasta! Which is why I’ve had to get creative and find new and healthy ways to make pasta for dinner. This tuna carbonara is a fun twist, while still keeping the noodles simple for those young eaters!

Tuna Carbonara
This Tuna Carbonara is a simple meal that comes together in 15 minutes!
Tuna Carbonara on a plate that's resting on a mauve napkin.
Get the recipe here! Pin Recipe

Elevate your quick cheesy quesadillas by making this Greek spin! Quesadillas can be delicious and packed with flavor and healthy ingredients while still being easy to make! Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Greek Quesadillas
An easy and healthy dinner option that everyone will love. I like to serve it with tzatziki sauce for the ultimate WOW factor!
Cut Greek Quesadillas against a white background.
Get the recipe here! Pin Recipe

Pesto pasta is a frequent request for dinner. Adding some tiny mozzarella and some cherry tomatoes and a seemingly simple dinner is now fun, fancy and delicious!

Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes
This Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes uses a few simple ingredients but packs a lot of flavor into every bite. This dish is a perfect meal to make any time of year but especially during the summer as it uses basil pesto and roasted tomatoes.
A bowl of creamy pesto pasta with tomatoes and mozzarella balls.
Get the recipe here! Pin Recipe

Another delicious and creamy chicken recipe added to the docket with this creamy dijon chicken! Eat it alone with a side of vegetables or put it over rice. 

Dijon Mustard Chicken
A delicious seared chicken breast topped with a creamy dijon mustard sauce with chopped spinach. This dinner takes only 20 minutes to make!
A spoon pouring creamy mustard sauce over a Chicken Dijon breast.
Get the recipe here! Pin Recipe

Take a trip to southern Italy this weekend with this classic penne pomodoro pasta recipe! It’s easy and quick to make but packed with fresh flavors. 

Penne Pomodoro
This fresh penne al pomodoro pasta is an authetic Italian classic. A fresh oven roasted tomato red sauce bathes penne noodles to make for an easy and delicious entree!
A white plate full of red Penne Pomodoro pasta topped with fresh basil.
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This is a fun creamy pasta recipe with zucchini that everyone in the family will love! Feeding younger mouths? Cut out or reduce the red pepper flakes; dinner for two? Kick up the heat and double the red pepper flakes instead!

Ricotta Pesto Pasta with Zucchini
This Ricotta Pesto Pasta is made with zucchini and is refreshing, flavorful, and easy to make. The red pepper flakes add a hint of heat with the lemon zest bringing in a balanced freshness to the dish. It's the perfect dinner. 
A close up photo of Pasta with Zucchini and Ricotta in a black pot.
Get the recipe here! Pin Recipe

This recipe from How Sweet Eats is so simple and so delicious! I’m telling you, adding goat cheese is an easy fancy factor!

20 Minute Summer Squash Pasta with Brown Butter & Goat Cheese.
This summer squash pasta skillet is so super easy and delicious! You can have it made in 20 minutes and it will become your new favorite dinner!
20 Minute Summer Squash Pasta with Brown Butter & Goat Cheese.
Get the recipe here!

Did you make one of these recipes? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below the recipe card on each recipe post you made and let me know how you liked it! Stay up-to-date by following us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.