Simple Mix and Match Dinner Ideas

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Use these simple mix and match dinner ideas for easy meal planning and busy weeknights when you don’t know what to have for dinner.

Mix and Match Dinner Ideas for Pork, Beef, Seafood and Chicken

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Last week, when I sat down to make my Ultimate List of Dinner Ideas, I included some of my family’s favorite recipes. The purpose of doing this was to create a resource of quick and easy dinners to make meal planning easier. 

There is nothing more frustrating than trying to plan your meals for the week when you have no idea what to make. Especially when you need simple, kid-friendly meals that are not only frugal but good for picky eaters. It can be challenging. 

Many of the recipes, I included in that dinner guide involve casseroles, one-pot dinners, crockpot meals, and sheet pan dinners. And, as wonderful as these recipes are for saving time in the kitchen, they can sometimes require a lot of ingredients that you may not have on hand.

This is where mix-and-match dinners come in. Mix-and-match dinners are simply an easy way of using ingredients that you may already have in your pantry and creating simple meals that even picky eaters will love.

Many picky eaters (at least my boys when they were younger) liked many of their foods plain. They didn’t like a lot of flavors mixed together so I concentrated on making dinners that focused on a meat, a starch and a vegetable. Simple dinners that anyone could make which is how this list of mix-and-match dinner ideas came to be.

I thought it might be helpful to create a printable that would list the various meats, sides and vegetables so that the choices could be mixed and matched to create different meals. Just hang it on the side of your fridge and when you need a quick meal idea, you can mix and match the ingredients you have on hand to make the perfect dinner for your family. 

Kitchen background with cutting board and plant with list of dinner ideas

Mix and Match Dinner Ideas Printable
Looking for more easy dinner ideas?

 Mix and Match Dinner Ideas for Easy Meal Planning

When it comes to mix and match dinners, the main course is usually some type of protein, followed by a carbohydrate, and a vegetable. Of course, you can add in some type of bread if you would like, as well as fruit and dessert.

Meat/Seafood

Here are some meat options when you are picking your main course for your dinner. Most of these meat/seafood options can be roasted, grilled, broiled, pan-fried, or cooked in a slow cooker, air fryer, or instant pot.

Simply pick one of these choices and one of the seasonings below and your method of cooking. Remember not to overcomplicate things. It can be as simple as chicken breasts drizzled with some olive oil and Italian seasonings and grilled or baked in the oven. Add in a baked potato, and some broccoli and you have a meal.

Get creative and if all else fails, you at least have a starting point when sitting down to make your meal plan. 

Chicken Legs Potatoes and Asparagus on White Plate

Poultry

Since we always have some type of chicken in our freezer, it’s probably what I reach for most when making these simple mix and match dinners. We also love keeping rotisserie chicken on hand when we need a quick meal. It can be paired with some mashed potatoes and corn on the cob for an easier no-fuss dinner.

  • Chicken Breasts
  • Chicken Thighs
  • Chicken Legs
  • Chicken Drumsticks
  • Chicken Tenderloins
  • Chicken Wings
  • Whole Chicken
  • Ground Chicken
  • Whole Turkey 
  • Ground Turkey

Do you have an air fryer? Here are 21 Healthy Air Fryer Chicken Recipes you can try.

Steak, green beans and mashed potatoes on white plate

Beef

Ground beef dinners are what I turn to when I want to save money on my groceries because it so economical. Whether we are enjoying it in some of our favorite pasta dishes or in the crockpot, it’s a must-add to my meal plan. Here are some cuts of beef that you can get for your mix and match dinners.

  • Chuck Roast
  • Beef Tenderloin
  • Steak
  • Ground Beef
  • Brisket
  • Hot Dogs

Pork with Potatoes and Broccoli on a white plate

Pork

Although we don’t have pork as much as chicken or beef, we still enjoy pork recipes every now and then. Here are a few options for pork:

  • Pork Chops
  • Pork Ribs
  • Pork Tenderloin/Loin
  • Pork Steak
  • Sausage
  • Ham

Looking for some easy meals to make with your leftover ham? Find 32 Easy Recipes for Leftover Holiday Ham.

Shrimp on mashed potatoes on white plate

Seafood

  • Salmon
  • Haddock
  • Tilapia
  • Cod
  • Tuna
  • Shrimp
  • Scallops

Seasoning for Meat

Marinades

When you want to add some bold flavor to any of the meat options above, a marinade is a great way to achieve this. Here are a few that we love:

  • Mesquite
  • Teriyaki
  • Garlic and Herb
  • Lemon Pepper
  • Bourbon and Brown Sugar

Seasoning Packets

There are so many different types of seasoning packets you can get for your meat and seafood. Here are a few of our favorites.

  • Montreal Steak
  • Italian 
  • Ranch 
  • Garlic Parmesan
  • BBQ 

Barbecue Sauce

Barbecue sauce tastes great on any grilling recipe including chicken, beef, pork, and vegetables.

  • Honey
  • Brown Sugar
  • Hickory
  • Sweet and Spicy

Dry Rub

Dry rubs can be used for all meat, seafood, and vegetables to add extra flavor.

  • BBQ
  • Smoky Brown Sugar
  • Cajun Spice
  • Mesquite

Spices

These are just a few of my go-to spices but there are so many more that can help enhance the flavor of your dishes.

  • Italian Seasoning
  • Garlic
  • Onion Powder
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Paprika
  • Salt & Pepper

Bread Crumbs

Bread crumbs along with flour, cornflakes, crackers, and even crushed tortilla chips can all add some crispiness to the outside of your meat and vegetables giving it a little extra flavor and crunch.

  • Italian
  • Panko

Mashed potatoes in brown bowl, french fries, macaroni and cheese in skillet and pasta salad

Sides

Side dishes can sometimes be better than the main dishes. These sides can be as simple as picking up fresh or frozen premade options at the grocery store. You can also create your own dishes or get inspiration from some of our favorite recipes below.

Love cooking in your air fryer? Me too! It’s one of my very favorite small kitchen appliances and I use it to cook many of these sides all the time. Here are 29 Delicious Air Fryer Side Dishes.

Baked Potato

Baked potatoes are an easy side for busy weeknights. Just scrub your russet potatoes, and then dry them, pierce with a fork a few times, season them with salt, and place them on a baking sheet for about 45 minutes or until soft at 425°. Of course, you can also just pop them in the microwave (most microwaves have a baked potato setting) if you need a quicker option.

Mashed Potato

Mashed potatoes are the perfect comfort food any time of year. Simply peel your potatoes and cut them in quarters, add them to a pot of water with salt, and boil until they are soft (usually for about 15 minutes). Once the potatoes are cooked, I usually add in some milk, butter, salt, and pepper. Then, mash with a potato masher.

Scalloped Potatoes

French Fries

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are deliciously roasted in the oven ( 425° for 45 minutes),  in the slow cooker (4-5 hours on high), or even in the microwave (10 minutes). Just make sure to pierce with a fork first before cooking. Here are a couple more sweet potato side dishes you can make:

Sweet Potato Fries

Roasted Potatoes

Roasted potatoes are so easy to make for a delicious side. Simply wash and cut your potatoes into cubes (making sure they are all about the same size so they will cook evenly.)  Then, preheat the oven to 425°, while the oven is preheating toss your potatoes in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese. Spread evenly onto a baking pan and bake for about 40 minutes (turn them halfway).

Onion Rings

Baked Beans

Macaroni & Cheese

Here are some more crockpot recipes you may like:

Pasta (any)

When using pasta as a side dish, it can be as simple as adding butter, garlic, and parmesan cheese. You can also toss it in marinara, alfredo, or pesto sauce. Here are some different types of pasta to use for an easy side to your main course.

  • Spaghetti
  • Macaroni
  • Rotini
  • Penne
  • Shells
  • Egg Noodles

Quinoa

Couscous

Rice

Orzo

Legumes

Coleslaw

Potato Salad

Pasta Salad

You can find delicious pasta salad, coleslaw, and potato salad recipes in my 12 Best Summer Salad Recipes and 32 Summer BBQ Side Dish Recipes.

Corn on the cob, asparagus, carrots and sugar snap peas

Vegetables

When it comes to adding vegetables to our meals, I usually like to keep it pretty simple. In the summer, we enjoy vegetables from our garden or the farmer’s market. In the winter, we use fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables (to save money). 

You May Like: A Beginners Guide to Planting Vegetables

Here are a few different ways you can prepare your vegetables to add some pizazz to your dinner plate.

Green Beans

Sugar Snap Peas/ Peas

Corn

Carrots

Beets

Asparagus

Cauliflower

Zucchini

Squash 

  • Butternut Squash
  • Acorn Squash
  • Spaghetti Squash

Spinach

Brussels Sprouts

Broccoli

Onions/Peppers

Mushrooms

Salad 

  • Garden Salad
  • Chef Salad
  • Cobb Salad
  • Caesar Salad
  • Greek Salad
  • Tomato Salad

You can find these easy salad recipes in my 17 Quick 5-Minute Cold Lunch Ideas and 27 Easy 10-Minute Lunch Ideas.

Homemade bread with sliced bread on green towel

Bread

Just as with everything else, you can pick up any of these breads at the store to serve with dinner to make things easier. But, I’ve included some recipes just in case you want to bake them yourself.

Homemade Bread

Italian Bread

French Bread

Biscuits

Rolls

Croissant

Breadsticks

Garlic Bread

And that’s it! Simple mix and match dinner ideas for easy meal planning. Hopefully, these meal ideas will help to make dinner time less stressful and more enjoyable. 

Don’t forget the dessert! Try these easy & delicious dessert recipes:

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