25 quick and easy weeknight recipes for back-to-school

Whether your family prefers ground beef or turkey, this speedy and simple stovetop meal is a must. Keep the meat in the freezer until the day of, then heat it up on the stove with your favorite seasoning and serve in taco shells with your choice of toppings.

Skip the premade pies in the frozen food section, and pick up your own dough and toppings from the grocery store. Your kids will probably want to jump in and help make their own pizzas, which will help cut down cooking time.

Have leftover ingredients from pizza or taco night? Throw everything into a big salad bowl along with the family's go-to salad dressing, and voila — you have a hearty salad that ensures that everyone will eat his or her veggies.

FoodNetwork.com suggests this spin on cheap, store-bought ramen noodles. The kicker? It only takes a half hour to prepare!

Toss whatever ingredients you choose — beans, vegetables, meats — into this little wonder before the kids even get home from school, and you have a delicious stew by dinner time. (Click here for weeknight slow-cooker recipes.)

A quick-and-easy favorite for kids of all ages and families of all sizes, dinner is made easy when you scramble some eggs, cut up some seasonal fruit and pop a couple slices of bread in the toaster.

Like the ease of stovetop macaroni but want to give the recipe a bit more bite? Add veggies — broccoli always goes well with cheese — and stick it in the oven. Dinner will still be ready in under an hour! (Click *here* for Rachel Ray's weeknight-friendly broccoli mac-n-cheese.)

For when you have time to make more than tacos but want to keep dinner simple, homemade enchiladas can be altered to fit every family's preferences, and the leftovers can be reheated for lunch — or another dinner later in the busy week. (Click here for MyRecipes.com's version of chicken enchiladas.)

Perhaps the quickest and most hassle-free weeknight dinner out there, who doesn't love melty grilled cheese and tasty tomato soup on a cold autumn weeknight?

Forget fast food. It takes little more than bread crumbs and an oven to make Betty Crocker's homemade tenders. And they only take an estimated 30 minutes to make, too. (Click here for the recipe.)

The great thing about this meal is that you can make both the main course — the chicken — and the side dish — the veggies — at the same time by putting them together in the oven. (Click here for recipe ideas from AllRecipes.com.)

No need to slice any bread! This is a speedy weeknight meal solution for the family on the go.

Whether your family likes them full of veggies or prefers the meat-and-cheese variety, it just takes a household stovetop to prepare these stuffed pastas. For a quick homemade ravioli, check out this great ravioli shortcut to keep the prep time at a minimum.

Want to make a fancier pasta dish but don't have all day to play in the kitchen? This dish from Martha Stewart Living is your solution. (Click here for the recipe.)

Have ground beef in your freezer? Fire up the broiler and try TasteOfHome.com's family-friendly mini burgers. (Click *here* for the recipe.)

No need to call for takeout when you can put all the ingredients in the crock pot before rushing to drive the kids to their after-school activities and have a meal ready by the time the family gathers around he dinner table. (Click here to check out Life in the Lofthouse's take on crock pot beef and broccoli.)

Another weeknight meal courtesy of your slow cooker. Letting the ribs sit for a couple hours makes the meat extra tender — sure to make them a big hit at the family dinner table. Try this Midnight Baker slower-cooker braised ribs recipe to start.

No need to fire up the stove — just make a trip to the deli counter! Make a single sandwich out of a giant bread loaf, slice into small pieces and serve in the middle of dinner table, picnic-style.

This is more of a side dish than an entree, but it is easy to prepare and plays well with any of the meat dishes on our list.

Adding shrimp to your greens makes for a great late-summer salad or a quick dinner on a back-to-school night when the temperature outside is still high.

Mix up your usual weeknight salad routine with this pick. It is a breeze to put together, and the kids will enjoy it. Food Network has a tasty version that takes about a half hour when all is said and done.

So easy to make you can make them in bulk, serve as an entree, then keep the rest in the freezer for a night that cooking is rushed. They make a great topper for spaghetti, of course. (Click *here* for Food.com's recipe for homemade meatballs.)

Add some oil and spices to seasonal veggies, and even the pickiest eaters will gobble down this simple dish.

It's a small victory any time you can get the kids to eat broccoli. Luckily, this green is made tastier with the addition of cheese and is an easy meal solution at back-to-school time. (Click here for AllRecipes.com's broccoli and cheese bake.)

Chili is a hearty meal that you can prep just after the kids leave for school and let simmer during the day so it's perfect by dinner time. Bonus: This isn't just a back-to-school dish; it is a simple weeknight meal idea year-round. (Click here for this easy Betty Crocker chili recipe.)