27 Dump Dinners That Are Hands-off & Perfect for Weeknights
These are true dump dinners that require little prep work (if any), and no ingredients need to be cooked beforehand.
You’ll love these easy dinners, which you can bake or make in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.
Hands-off dinners are the best! You won’t have to put much effort into getting dinner on the table, which is perfect for busy weeknights.
1. Meatball Casserole
With very little prep time and only seven ingredients, this meatball casserole is a quick and easy dump dinner perfect for any night of the week.
All you need to make this tasty casserole are frozen meatballs, noodles, cheese, marinara sauce, and some Italian seasoning.
Get the Recipe: Meatball Casserole
2. Crockpot Chicken and Rice
Cheesy chicken and rice is a cozy and easy-to-make dinner for the family. This one is made in the slow cooker until the chicken, veggies, and rice are tender.
Get the Recipe: Crockpot Chicken and Rice
3. Mississippi Pot Roast
Just a few minutes of prep time and the slow cooker does the hard work for you. This is a dump dinner the family will love, and you can serve it with your favorite sides for a complete meal.
Get the Recipe: Mississippi Pot Roast
4. Baked Chicken and Potatoes
This tasty dish consists of chicken thighs drizzled with olive oil and paired with golden potatoes. This baked chicken and potato recipe is a filling meal you’ll want to make all the time.
Get the Recipe: Baked Chicken and Potatoes
5. Slow Cooker Cube Steak
Cube steak in creamy brown gravy slowly cooks to tender perfection, creating the ultimate comfort meal.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Cube Steak
6. 7 Can Soup
If you’re craving soup for dinner, this recipe is a budget-friendly option. It uses canned pantry ingredients, so you won’t have to worry about fancy ingredients.
Get the Recipe: 7 Can Soup
7. Crockpot Honey Mustard Chicken
This satisfying recipe combines chicken, honey, mustard, and some garlic. For a filling meal, serve the honey mustard chicken over rice.
Get the Recipe: Crockpot Honey Mustard Chicken
8. Slow Cooker Queso Chicken Tacos
Queso chicken tacos will become your new favorite meal. Dump all the ingredients in the slow cooker, then quickly assemble your tacos in the evening when you’re ready to eat.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Queso Chicken Tacos
9. Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
Look no further than this chicken spaghetti if you want a cheap and easy meal. The entire family, including kids, will approve of this meal.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
10. Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs
Made with cream of mushroom soup, these Swedish meatballs have the creamiest sauce.
They’re delicious served with a side salad and bread, or if you have a little more time for prep, you could serve them over noodles or rice.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs
11. Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken
A fun twist on Mississippi pot roast, this chicken recipe features pepperoncini peppers, gravy, and ranch flavor.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken
12. Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
Casseroles are supposed to be easy, yet I’ve seen so many casserole recipes that call for many ingredients and are overly complicated to make. That’s why I was excited to stumble upon this cheesy chicken rice casserole that’s practically foolproof.
While it’s great to make any time, it’s incredibly wonderful when you want some warm comfort food in the fall and winter months.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
13. Crockpot Country Style Pork Ribs
Dump the pork ribs, BBQ sauce, garlic, onion, and some seasonings into a Crockpot, and you’ll have a mouthwatering dinner. The boneless pork ribs come out perfectly tender in the BBQ sauce.
Get the Recipe: Crockpot Country Style Pork Ribs
14. Chicken Biscuit Casserole
Tender chicken mixed with veggies and a creamy sauce is topped with biscuits to create this comforting dinner. It’s an easy one-dish dinner that requires little work and not much cleanup.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Biscuit Casserole
15. Sheet Pan Sausage and Vegetables
Sheet pan dinners are one of the easiest dinners to make. With most, all you have to do is add some chopped veggies and meat, season, and bake, which is exactly how you make this filling sausage and vegetable dinner.
Get the Recipe: Sheet Pan Sausage and Vegetables
16. Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs
Add a little sweetness to the dinner table with these Hawaiian meatballs. The simple mixture of frozen meatballs, pineapple chunks, and BBQ sauce tastes yummy over rice.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs
17. Instant Pot Honey Mustard Pork
This incredible honey mustard shredded pork makes the best sandwiches, or you could serve it with some store-bought sides for an effortless dinner everyone will love.
You can, of course, make some sides to go along with the pulled pork, like potato salad, coleslaw, or cornbread. But, if you’re trying to prep as little as possible, premade store-bought sides will save you so much time.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Honey Mustard Pork
18. Slow Cooker Mexican-Inspired Chicken and Quinoa
This healthy Mexican-inspired chicken and quinoa dish uses fajita seasoning, so you get that fajita taste without all the prep involved.
Some very minimal prep is involved, like dicing the chicken into small pieces. If you’re short on time, you could prep it ahead of time or buy the chicken prediced.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Mexican-Inspired Chicken and Quinoa
19. Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
Use the Instant Pot to make a hearty minestrone soup. This soup combines vegetables, noodles, beans, seasonings, and stock. It’s a copycat Olive Garden recipe, so you know it’ll be tasty.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
20. Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops
Ranch dressing and cream cheese create a creamy and flavorful sauce that’s combined with bone-in pork chops. This is an easy dump-and-go slow cooker recipe you’ll want to make every week.
Get the Recipe: Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops
21. Lazy Enchiladas Casserole
When you think of enchiladas, you don’t typically think dump and go dinners, but these enchiladas cleverly use frozen taquitos.
They take only five minutes to prep, and all you do is throw some frozen taquitos, canned ingredients, and cheese into a casserole dish. It’s so easy!
Get the Recipe: Lazy Enchiladas Casserole
22. Slow Cooker Dill Pickle Roast Beef
If you’re a pickle fan, you’ll love this tender beef roast that slowly cooks in pickle juice. Plus, it’s a pretty inexpensive meal since it doesn’t require many ingredients.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Dill Pickle Roast Beef
23. Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowls
If you have five minutes, you can easily prep these flavor-packed chicken taco bowls. Your family can customize these bowls to their tastes with different toppings.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Taco Bowls
24. Chicken Dumpling Casserole
Chicken and dumplings are a cozy dinner idea that’ll make your taste buds happy. This dump-and-bake casserole is made with rotisserie chicken, mixed vegetables, and a creamy, savory broth.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Dumpling Casserole
25. Instant Pot Beef and Noodles
This comforting beef and noodle instant pot meal is about as hands-off as it gets. The beef comes out so tender and goes perfectly with the noodles and flavorful broth.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Beef and Noodles
26. Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ Chicken
This is truly a set-it-and-forget-it recipe; dump all the ingredients in the crockpot and come home to a delicious dinner.
Serve the chicken with sides or use it to make sandwiches or tacos.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ Chicken
27. Crockpot Bacon, Chicken, and Ranch Recipe
Chicken, bacon, and ranch combine to make a mouthwatering dish that’s perfect for making sandwiches or enjoying on its own.
Get the Recipe: Crockpot Bacon, Chicken, and Ranch Recipe
