Got the winter blues? Break out of your hibernation and enjoy some quality time with your family! The easiest way to spend more time together is to organize a Sunday night dinner. But this is so much more than just takeout. We have a few ideas on how to make your weekly meal a special event. Gather everyone around the dinner table (or kitchen counter, living room floor—whatever works!), turn off the TV and enjoy a great meal with some much needed flair!
From easy dinner ideas like grilled cheese and tomato soup to hearty dishes like pork chops or stir fry, we’ve got something for every taste. These family dinner ideas make it easy to gather around, share laughs, and enjoy delicious food, even on the busiest weeknights.
Tour The World
Get creative with themed dinners from around the globe! Focus on French cuisine one night, order Chinese takeout the next week and have spaghetti and meatballs the next. For our dinner, we took the French theme to the max by using our new, everyday Profile collection to serve delicious crêpes by the Eiffel Tower.
Cook With Your Kids
When it comes to fun family dinner ideas for the kids, the opportunities are endless. Get your kids involved with preparing, cooking and assembling. It makes them a part of the process and they’ll be able to enjoy the compliments once everyone takes a bite! If you’re preparing a themed dinner, ask your kids to help find new, interesting recipes. It’ll get their curiosity going and help introduce them to special ingredients and flavors. For the younger ones, you can always choose a recipe that doesn’t require a lot of cooking on their part, but is still fun to put together. Assemble crêpes, create a taco bar or have a build-your-own pizza night!
Happy Helpers
Many hands make for short work: everyone can help set the table for dinner! Have a teen who’s glued to their phone or a husband who only makes messes in the kitchen? Let them get creative and have fun with table decorations and place settings, especially for themed dinners! While you can teach them the basics of how to set a table, we suggest encouraging them to place plates, flatware and glasses where they want, rather than following any guidelines for table settings. They might surprise you with something ingenious! Set them up with a modern dinnerware set, then step back and let their creativity take over. Sometimes the best table settings come from thinking outside the box.
Kick-Start The Conversation
Now that the meal is ready and the dinnerware is set, keep the momentum going with memorable conversation. For your themed dinners, add little fun facts about the location you’re touring to the table. Or you can play the classic game of Two Truths & A Lie to test how much you really know about everyone. Our favorite way to get everyone talking is to go around the table playing Highs & Lows, where everyone shares the best and worst parts of their week. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate each member of your family’s little achievements and help them with their struggles. Of course, you don’t have to stick to these all meal long. The best conversations will flow naturally!
Let Everyone Pick a Dinner Idea
Each week, assign a different family member the role of “Dinner Captain.” They choose the dinner recipe—whether it’s a slow cooker recipe, chicken tater tot casserole, or even shrimp tacos—and help with prepping or plating the meal. This keeps everyone involved, gives kids ownership, and adds a layer of surprise to your family dinners.
Rotate Easy Weeknight Dinner Themes
To keep things fresh, consider assigning a fun theme to each day of the week. Meatless Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, Comfort Food Fridays, whatever suits your family’s tastes! This makes meal planning easier and gives everyone something to look forward to. Think chicken lettuce wraps on Asian night, beef enchilada casserole for Mexican-inspired meals, or a hearty chicken broccoli rice casserole for a cozy midweek dinner. These recurring themes turn your weekly routine into something special.
Build Balanced, Healthy Meals
Not every family dinner needs to be a decadent comfort food feast (though mashed potatoes and fried chicken absolutely have their place!). Sprinkle in healthy dinner ideas throughout the week like sweet potato and grilled chicken bowls, rice casserole with veggies, or a stir fry loaded with color. These easy family recipes strike a balance between flavor and nutrition, and encourage good habits for the whole crew.
Make Every Family Dinner Feel Special
At the end of the day, it’s not just about the food—it’s about creating meaningful moments with the people you love. Whether you’re serving a cozy chicken tater tot casserole, dishing up a hearty lasagna soup, or trying a new easy weeknight dinner idea, the magic happens when everyone comes together. And when you’re setting the scene, Lenox’s dinnerware collections—like the timeless Butterfly Meadow dinnerware or the elegant Opal Innocence® dinnerware—help turn everyday meals into memorable experiences. Because a thoughtfully set table has the power to transform even the simplest family dinner into a cherished tradition.
Have any other great ideas? Share them by tagging @lenox on Instagram and Facebook. We’d love to see what you came up with!
