20 Easy Dinners for the Week Between Christmas and New Year's

It’s the laziest week of the year!

By
Theodora Kaloudis
Theodora Kaloudis
Theodora Kaloudis
Theodora's passion for cooking began early on as a young girl, working in the kitchen at her father's Greek diner in Brooklyn, NY. Her recipes have appeared on Delish, Spruce Eats, Today.com, Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon, Dinnerly, Simply Recipes, and in various cookbooks.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Published December 26, 2025
Theodora Kaloudis
no-peek chicken in a casserole dish at a table setting with two glasses and a table napkin

Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

The last week of December feels like a total whirlwind. You got through Christmas (yay!) and now New Year’s is quickly approaching. You’re exhausted (boo!), and dinner still needs to get on the table. So, what’s the plan? This is when you lean on easy dinner recipes to help you cross that finish line into the new year, and we’re here to help. From Hands-Off Beef Stew to One-Pot Chicken and Orzo, we’ve rustled up a collection of recipes perfect for what should be the laziest week of the year—because you deserve it!

Love these recipes? With MyRecipes, your personal home for recipes, easily save and organize your favorites, plus thousands more, in one convenient place.

  • Grandma Patty’s Chili (30 Minutes)

    Bowl of Grandma Patty’s Chili with sour cream shredded cheese and Fritos alongside a bowl of Fritos and a yellow napkin

    Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

    “Chili is usually topped with tortilla chips or saltines, but I have my own secret topping I’ve kept to myself all these years. My grandma’s pantry harbored a litany of snacks, and I knew exactly where to find all of my favorites. For a savory, crunchy bite, I reached for Fritos, and now I rarely eat her chili without them.” —Joey Firoben, Recipe Developer

  • Salmon with Potatoes and Pesto (4 Ingredients, 1 Pan)

    A sheetpan with salmon fillets topped with pesto, green beans, potatoes and basil

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Pearl Jones

    “For customization, you can easily swap pesto for other sauces or allow people to add their own toppings to the salmon. Try garlic butter with herbs, a swipe of hummus and a drizzle of olive oil, or a bit of Dijon mustard and dill. You can even stick with seasoning simply with salt and pepper, then serve with lemon wedges.” —Sara Haas, Recipe Developer

  • Easy Chicken Cobbler

    Angled view of a white plate of chicken cobbler and fork on a speckled countertop

    Simply Recipes / Ali Redmond

    “This super easy cobbler is made all in one baking dish—right down to melting the butter! Just assemble all the layers (no stovetop cooking required) and pop the dish in the oven to cook all together, freeing you up for other tasks.” —Afton Cyrus, Senior Editor

  • Creamy White Beans and Greens (10 Minutes)

    Overhead view of a bowl of beans and greens with a chunk of bread all next to a spoon and resting on a blue cloth napkin

    Simply Recipes / Ali Redmond

    “Two things set this recipe apart from the other beans and greens out there. First, some beans are mashed before they’re added, and second, I make use of an oft-discarded ingredient: the bean liquid, aka "aquafaba." Both lend a velvety body to the dish and give it a rich, creamy texture.” —Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 5 of 20 below

  • No-Peek Chicken

    no-peek chicken in a casserole dish at a table setting with two glasses and a table napkin

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

    “With the help of some clever pantry items, you can have creamy, flavorful chicken and rice with almost no effort. While the one-dish meal bakes, you’re free to do some laundry, help the kids with homework, or just lay back with a glass of wine.” —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

  • Southern Swamp Soup

    Swamp soup in a dutch oven at a table setting with bowls, a glass, utensils, and a kitchen towel

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    “The most common combo you’ll find in swamp soup recipes is turnip greens, smoked sausage, and white beans. And it really is a winning combo. However, it’s easy to tweak this recipe to suit your tastes, your diet, and what you have handy.” —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

  • Cheesy Baked Tacos Recipe (20 Minutes)

    Plateful of cheesy tacos topped with sour cream and cilantro

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    “My top reasons for baking tacos are ease and crispy cheese. It’s flat-out easier to toss a bunch of tacos in the oven instead of flipping them in a skillet, and they all cook at once.” —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

  • Sheet Pan Mini Meatloaves with Crispy Broccoli and Mustard Glazed Potatoes

    Sheet pan meatloaf dinner on a plate with broccoli and potatoes.
    Sharon Lehman

    “After a bit of prep, dinner cooks in the oven, so most of the time is hands-off, and you’re free to hang with your kids or finish up odds and ends before sitting down to dinner. This is a weeknight recipe I’m sure you’ll add to your dinner rotation.” —Sharon Lehman, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 9 of 20 below

  • Ravioli Lasagna

    4-ingredient ravlioli lasagna in a casserole dish

    Simply Recipes / Meghan Splawn

    “The ravioli cooks as the whole dish bakes in the oven (no need to boil), so most of the cooking is hands-off. The result is a casserole that has all the flavors of slow-cooked Sunday lasagna but with a time commitment that makes it realistic for a Wednesday during the school year.” —Meghan Splawn, Recipe Developer

  • Dump-and-Stir White Chicken Chili (15 Minutes, No Chop)

    overhead view of a bowl of Dump-and-Stir White Chicken Chili

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Craig Ruff / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle

    "Need a nourishing meal in a hurry? Don’t want to chop a single thing? This dump-and-stir white chicken chili is for you. From start to finish, this soup is ready in 20 minutes or less, and all you’ll need is a can opener and a pot. Dinner doesn’t get much easier than that.” —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

  • Johnny Mac (4-Ingredient Casserole)

    plate of Johnny Mac (4-Ingredient Casserole)

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    “When I first left the nest and needed to fend for myself, I turned to Johnny Mac over and over. It checked all the boxes: yummy, easy, filling, and I never had to write down the recipe—it was too simple to forget. The other big plus? This makes a lot of food, so I had leftovers for days.” —Joey Firoben, Recipe Developer

  • One-Pot Spiced Lentils (4 Ingredients)

    A pot of spiced lentils with carrots garnished with greens and a serving spoon inside

    Simply Recipes / Jazzmin Kaita

    “It’s so easy to make, and it’s perfect reheated for lunch the next day. I serve it as-is, without any side dishes or accompaniments. Think of it like a thick spiced lentil soup. There’s almost no prep and very few ingredients, and once it’s on the stove, it requires almost no hand-holding.” —Amanda Blum, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 13 of 20 below

  • Colu Henry's Pasta e Ceci

    Soup in a pink bowl

    Simply Recipes / Tara Donne

    "Ultimately, what I love most about this recipe is its adaptability. If I have kale that’s seen better days in the crisper, into the pot, it goes. If escarole happens to be on sale, that bitter gem is coming home with me for this recipe. This recipe is the modern-day Stone Soup; a handful of modest ingredients transforms into a nostalgic, nutritious, and crowd-pleasing dinner.” —Molly Adams, Recipe Developer

  • Sheet Pan Gnocchi With Mushrooms, Sausage, and Kale

    Sheet Pan Gnocchi With Mushrooms, Sausage, and Kale in a Bowl

    Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

    "This recipe takes very little time to pull together, but if you want to do some prep in advance, you can stem and chop the kale and prepare the mushrooms. Store them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.” —Katie Morford, Recipe Developer

  • Hands-Off Beef Stew (15-Minute Prep)

    Overhead closeup view of a teal colored dutch oven of beef stew and a wooden spoon all on a tile countertop next to a pink bowl and blue hotpad

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Rachel Vanni / Food Styling by Tiffany Schleigh

    "I don’t always have time or inclination for all that prep, plus browning the meat makes a mess of my stovetop. So I set out to make a hands-off stew that is easier to throw together—no browning, no sautéing of any kind, but just as delicious as classic versions. Just dump and go!” —Ivy Manning, Recipe Developer

  • BBQ Chicken Sheet Pan Nachos (One Pan, 20 Minutes)

    overhead close-up view of BBQ Chicken Sheet Pan Nachos

    Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

    "This is one of those recipes where the measurements suggested are just that: suggestions. Feel free to add or subtract according to your family’s taste buds!" —Claudia Cash, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 17 of 20 below

  • One Pot Chicken and Orzo

    Skillet Chicken and Orzo
    Elise Bauer

    "It's a winner! And the best part? Aside from it being absolutely delicious, is that it's really easy to make, all in one large skillet. You can do most of the prep while the chicken is browning, so the whole shebang takes maybe 35 minutes.” —Elise Bauer, Founder

  • Italian Sausage Pasta Bake (6 Ingredients)

    Italian Sausage Pasta Bake in a dish with a serving scooped out

    Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

    "You can assemble the dish ahead of time and bake it later if you like. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to two days. If you’re baking it from the fridge, add another 15 to 20 minutes to the cooking time and skip the broiling step—the cheese on top will get plenty browned with the extra oven time.” —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

  • Copycat Olive Garden Chicken & Gnocchi Soup

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Morgan Hunt Ward / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser

    "Olive Garden adds roast chicken to the soup. You can take their lead and pick up a roast chicken from the grocery store—that's what I did to develop the recipe." —Myo Quinn, former Associate Editorial Director

  • Lentil Shepherd’s Pie (5 Ingredients, 40 Minutes)

    Overhead shot of lentil shepherd's pie in a skillet, with a serving spoon having scooped a serving of the dish out on a plate to the right of the skillet

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless

    "This recipe uses not only one but two genius hacks to do just that and only needs five ingredients total. To make a super-speedy yet flavor-packed vegetarian shepherd’s pie, reach for a couple of cans of veggie lentil soup plus some pre-packaged mashed potatoes, and you’re more than halfway there.” —Afton Cyrus, Senior Editor

Explore More: