29 Quick Dinners to Make in April
Updated: Feb. 29, 2024
From grilled salmon to pretty pastas, consider this your April meal planner. You'll have a delicious dinner on the table every night in less than 30 minutes.
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Day 1: Quick Beef and Noodles
We love stroganoff, and this beef and noodles dish is my lightened-up version. Using meat from the deli saves the hours spent cooking a beef roast. I serve this with a salad for a great, homestyle meal. —Pamela Shank, Parkersburg, West Virginia
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Day 2: Lemon Shrimp Orzo
What I love about this recipe is that it's so tasty and it can be eaten hot or cold. If you're allergic to shrimp, it tastes great with chicken too. —Aleni Salcedo, East Elmhurst, New York
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Day 3: Rosemary Lime Chicken
I experimented with herbs and seasonings quite a bit before creating the final version of this entree. The tartness of the lime juice really complements the rosemary. Everyone loves it.—Nicole Harris, Mt. Union, Pennsylvania
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Day 5: Quick Chicken Lo Mein
I can throw this chicken lo mein together on a weeknight when my kids are doing their homework. It uses frozen veggies, which I always have on hand, so I don't need to run to the grocery store for ingredients. —Natasha Kennedy, Orlando, Florida
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Day 6: Sugar Glazed Ham
Whip up a gorgeous holiday centerpiece with this easy glazed ham recipe. Our Test Kitchen experts share their best tips and tricks for how to cook a ham for special occasions.
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Day 7: Buttery Grilled Shrimp
These buttery grilled shrimp are so good you'll want to eat them all summer long! Learn how to grill shrimp as an easy appetizer or topping for salads, grain bowls and more.
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Day 8: Savory Pork Roast
I love this herbed roast so much that I make it as often as I can. It's wonderful for special occasions, particularly when served with sweet potatoes and corn muffins. —Edie DeSpain, Logan, Utah
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Day 9: Glazed Roast Chicken
I like to make this for weeknight dinners. You can make this roast chicken with apricot glaze or quince jelly. —Victoria Miller, San Ramon, California
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Day 10: Baked Tilapia
Your weeknight fish dinner doesn't get much easier or tastier than with this 20-minute baked tilapia recipe.
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Day 11: Artichoke Florentine Pasta
Pasta loaded with artichokes and creamy cheese is everything a Sunday dinner should be: rich, tasty and memorable. Add cooked chicken, shrimp or crab if you like. —Nancy Beckman, Helena, Montana
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Day 12: Parmesan Chicken
The savory coating on this chicken has the satisfying flavor of Parmesan cheese. It's easy enough to be a family weekday meal yet impressive enough to serve to guests. When I make this baked parmesan crusted chicken for dinner, we never have leftovers. —Schelby Thompson, Camden Wyoming, Delaware
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Day 13: Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwiches
Parmesan cheese and dill make this the most incredible chicken salad I’ve ever tasted. These sandwiches are a simple entree to serve at parties, showers or picnics.—Jaclyn Bell, Logan, Utah
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Day 14: Creamy Herb Grilled Salmon
This creamy herb grilled salmon recipe is rich but still light-tasting, thanks to its fresh herbs. It's fast enough for weeknights, but impressive enough for company.
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Day 15: Classic Cobb Salad
Making this salad is a lot like putting in a garden. I plant everything in nice, neat sections, just as I do with seedlings. —Patricia Kile, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
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Day 16: Classic Crab Cakes
There's no need to travel to the shore for crab cakes. Our easy crab cake recipe makes crispy cakes that show off the rich, sweet flavor of crab without deep-frying.
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Day 17: Shrimp Pasta Primavera
This no-stress shrimp pasta primavera highlights the flavors of spring with the freshest seasonal veggies. It's a weeknight-friendly meal that'll get you fed quickly, so you can go out and enjoy the warm weather.
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Day 18: Cream Cheese & Chive Omelet
The first bite of creamy filling lets you know this isn’t any old omelet. Make it once, and we suspect you’ll be fixing it often. —Anne Troise, Manalapan, New Jersey
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Day 19: Parmesan Chicken with Artichoke Hearts
I've liked the chicken and artichoke combo for a long time. Here's my own lemony twist. With all the praise it gets, this dinner is so much fun to serve. —Carly Giles, Hoquiam, Washington
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Day 20: Skillet Mac & Cheese
This skillet mac and cheese takes a few more minutes than the boxed stuff, but we promise the final result is worth it. A thick and creamy cheese sauce is stirred together with perfectly cooked pasta, then topped with whatever you like.
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Day 21: Mushroom Burgers
This mushroom burger recipe is perfect for your next meatless Monday. This 30-minute recipe makes vegetarian burgers that are moist, tender and full of flavor.
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Day 22: Tortellini Carbonara
Want a creamy pasta dish that's neither macaroni and cheese nor Alfredo? This tortellini carbonara hits all the right notes when it comes to cheesy goodness, not to mention the bacon. It's decadent, delicious and decidedly easy to make.
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Day 23: Baja Pork Tacos
This delicious pork tacos recipe is my copycat version of the most excellent Mexican food we ever had, when we were visiting Flagstaff, Arizona. The original recipe used beef instead of pork, but this comes mighty close to the same taste. —Ariella Winn, Mesquite, Texas
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Day 24: Garlic-Butter Steak
This garlic butter steak recipe is the restaurant-quality steak you've been looking for. The pan-seared steak is deliciously rich and garlicky, and the butter makes it oh, so tender—even if you use a budget cut like top sirloin or flat iron steak.
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Day 26: Ravioli with Snap Peas & Mushrooms
Topped with the toasty texture and flavor of hazelnuts, this pasta makes an easy, earthy weeknight dinner. I serve it with an herb and lettuce salad and white wine. —Charlene Chambers, Ormond Beach, FloridaGoes Great With: Mixed Greens with Lemon Champagne Vinaigrette
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Day 27: Quick Chicken Piccata Recipe
Laced with lemon and simmered in white wine, this stovetop entree is super easy and elegant. Just add a side of veggies and bread to make it into a wonderful meal. —Cynthia Heil, Augusta, Georgia
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Day 28: Asparagus Beef Lo Mein
This springtime beef lo mein recipe is as easy as it gets. Ramen noodles make it extra fun. —Dottie Wanat, Modesto, California
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Day 29: Raspberry Pork Medallions
Pork served with a luscious raspberry glaze is fancy enough for company. We bring it to the table with wild rice pilaf and steamed veggies. —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho
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Day 30: Asparagus Swiss Quiche
Fresh asparagus stars along with bacon, onion and Swiss cheese in this hearty quiche. —Mary Ann Taylor, Rockwell, IowaOriginally Published: March 25, 2020
