When it comes to cooking, especially for beginners or those short on time, the phrase “dinners you’d have to actually try to ruin” sounds like a dream. Let’s face it, not every dish we attempt turns out to be a culinary masterpiece. But what if I told you there are meals so forgiving and straightforward that you’d really have to make an effort to mess them up? These recipes are not just delicious and hearty, but they also come with the added advantage of being nearly foolproof.
From casseroles that meld flavors effortlessly in the oven to salads that give you creative leeway, these 21 recipes feature a variety of dishes that are both practical and almost impossible to ruin. Whether you’re a cooking beginner looking to build your skills or a seasoned home chef needing some low-maintenance meal ideas, this list has something for everyone.
Loaded Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
Steaming vegetables is one of the simplest techniques in the cooking world, and combining them with cheese and bacon elevates the dish to comfort food status. This casserole only needs to be tossed together and baked, eliminating complicated cooking steps. The recipe’s flexibility allows you to adjust portions and substitute ingredients to your liking. If you overcook it a bit, the cheese will give it a forgiving texture. This is the kind of dish that’s not only delicious but is practically impossible to ruin.
Get the Recipe: Loaded Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
Spinach Chicken Bake
With a straightforward recipe that involves layering chicken, cheese, and spinach, the chances of messing up are slim. The creaminess of the cheese is a great fallback, masking any overcooked elements. With minimal chopping and mixing involved, this dish is not just practical but also a great time-saver. The recipe’s flavor-to-effort ratio is superb, making it ideal for new cooks.
Get the Recipe: Spinach Chicken Bake
Creamy Italian Sausage Soup
Soups are often considered an “everything but the kitchen sink” kind of dish, making them great for improvisation. This soup recipe is straightforward and can be customized with spices you have on hand. The cream cheese adds a luxurious texture that’s forgiving even if the ratios aren’t perfect. Whether you add a bit too much or too little of an ingredient, the final product will still offer a comforting, creamy texture and rich flavor. A single pot also means minimal clean-up, another bonus for cooking novices.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Italian Sausage Soup
Creamy Garlic Chicken
A single pan is all you need to unlock a world of garlicky, creamy goodness. The simple steps involve searing chicken and then making a sauce, which is forgiving due to its creamy base. If you accidentally overcook the chicken, the sauce is a great cover, keeping the dish tender and flavorful. The dish pairs well with rice or vegetables, offering flexibility in serving options. It’s a go-to option for beginner cooks looking for something foolproof yet tasty.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Garlic Chicken
Canned Chicken Patties
Using canned chicken significantly reduces prep time and room for error. The canned chicken is already cooked, so you’re mainly heating and seasoning, which is hard to get wrong. The patties are a convenient, quick option that can easily be turned into sandwiches or served on their own. If you can mix ingredients and shape patties, you can make this dish.
Get the Recipe: Canned Chicken Patties
Cabbage and Sausage
The heart of this dish’s simplicity lies in combining two main ingredients: cabbage and sausage. A one-pan meal, this recipe is highly forgiving, especially since both cabbage and sausage are robust and flavorful on their own. Even if you go a little overboard with cooking time, both ingredients hold up well without losing their basic textures or flavors. Plus, the simplicity of the dish allows for easy cleanup. Beginners will find it tough to ruin this straightforward, tasty meal.
Get the Recipe: Cabbage and Sausage
Sausage and Veggies Sheet Pan Dinner
The beauty of sheet pan dinners is their simplicity: everything cooks together on one pan, which minimizes clean-up. In this case, you’re roasting sausages and veggies together, allowing their flavors to meld. If you happen to cut your veggies too thick or thin, it’s not a problem; just adjust the cooking time a bit. The roasted nature of this dish is also forgiving when it comes to accidental overcooking. Overall, it’s a hands-off, low-stress dish that’s hard to mess up.
Get the Recipe: Sausage and Veggies Sheet Pan Dinner
Crock Pot Taco Soup
Slow cookers are a lifesaver for beginner cooks. This taco soup is extremely forgiving because the slow cooker does most of the work. As long as you can brown ground beef and open some cans, you’re good to go. The slow cooker’s long cooking time and moisture prevent most overcooking sins. It’s not just easy to prepare, it’s also easy to serve and store, making it a practical choice for busy individuals.
Get the Recipe: Crock Pot Taco Soup
Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
This dish offers a luxurious sauce that forgives many culinary missteps. If you’ve got a pan and 30 minutes, you’re well on your way to a delicious, nearly foolproof meal. Chicken and mushrooms are both forgiving ingredients that retain their integrity even if slightly overcooked, and the creamy sauce unifies all the elements. Pair it with rice or noodles for a complete, hard-to-ruin meal.
Get the Recipe: Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Cheesy Beef Casserole with Cauliflower Rice and Spinach
Casseroles are one of the most forgiving forms of cooking. You mix your ingredients together, throw them in a dish, and let the oven do the rest. If you slightly overcook or undercook this casserole, it’s still likely to taste delicious thanks to the melding of ground beef, cheese, and veggies. The cauliflower rice also offers a grain-free alternative, making it flexible for various dietary needs. Plus, it’s a one-dish wonder, making cleanup a breeze.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Beef Casserole with Cauliflower Rice and Spinach
Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole
This casserole features a spicy kick from jalapeños and a creamy blend of chicken, cream cheese, and bacon. Like all casseroles, it’s incredibly forgiving. The process is simple: mix your ingredients, put them in a dish, and bake. If you’re worried about the heat, you can easily decrease the amount of jalapeños to your liking.
Get the Recipe: Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole
Ground Beef Skillet with Cauliflower Rice
Skillet meals are beginner-friendly by nature because they allow you to adjust on the fly. Ground beef and cauliflower rice are both forgiving ingredients; even if you overcook them a bit, they still taste great. The cheese in the recipe adds a creamy texture that’s both delicious and forgiving. Plus, with everything cooking together in one pan, clean-up is a breeze.
Get the Recipe: Ground Beef Skillet with Cauliflower Rice
Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad
Salads are generally easy to prepare and hard to ruin, and this one is no exception. Chicken and jalapeños add a spicy and hearty element to this dish, and the creamy base binds everything together. If you add a bit too much of one ingredient, you can easily balance it out with more of another. This dish gives beginner cooks the freedom to experiment without much risk.
Get the Recipe: Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad
Tuscan Garlic Shrimp and Spinach
Shrimp may seem intimidating, but they cook quickly and turn pink when done, making it easy to know when they’re ready. The garlic sauce, tomatoes, and spinach are all sturdy flavors that meld together well, forgiving minor errors. This one-pan dish is easy to clean up and offers a gourmet feel without the effort.
Get the Recipe: Tuscan Garlic Shrimp and Spinach
Shawarma Kebabs
These kebabs are a great way to experiment with flavors. The skewered meat and vegetables are easy to cook and hard to ruin. Even if you’re not familiar with shawarma seasoning, the spices are generally pre-mixed, making it a simple sprinkle-on affair. Since you’re cooking small pieces of meat, they cook quickly and it’s easy to tell when they’re done, reducing the risk of overcooking.
Get the Recipe: Shawarma Kebabs
Fried Cabbage with Bacon
This dish brings together just a few simple ingredients — cabbage, bacon, and onion — and turns them into a savory, satisfying meal. Cabbage is a sturdy vegetable that’s hard to ruin, and bacon adds a forgiving smoky, fatty element. If you cook the cabbage a bit too long, it simply becomes softer; it won’t lose its appeal. The recipe also only requires one pan, making both cooking and cleaning simple and practical.
Get the Recipe: Fried Cabbage with Bacon
Creamy Dill Cucumber Onion Salad
Salads are generally pretty foolproof, and this one is no different. If you add too much dill or mayo, you can easily balance it out with more cucumber or onion. The creamy, tangy dressing made of sour cream and mayo is a flavor that’s hard to get wrong. Plus, it’s a no-cook dish, so you only have to worry about chopping and mixing, making it an ideal starting point for beginners in the kitchen.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Dill Cucumber Onion Salad
Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken
Another one-pan, 30-minute recipe makes this dish a practical choice for those short on time or new to cooking. The sun-dried tomato sauce is robust and forgiving; even if you overcook the chicken a bit, the sauce can save the day. The process is straightforward: sear the chicken, make the sauce, and combine them. It’s almost impossible to mess up, yet it tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken
Fajita Baked Chicken
This dish takes the flavors of fajitas and turns them into an easy, one-dish meal. The combination of seasoned chicken, cream cheese, and peppers is forgiving, making it hard to ruin the dish even if you’re a cooking newbie. Plus, baked dishes are often easier since the oven does most of the work. As long as you can layer ingredients, you can make this delicious and straightforward dish.
Get the Recipe: Fajita Baked Chicken
Big Mac Salad
If you can cook ground beef and bacon and chop up lettuce, you can make this dish. It takes all the flavors of a Big Mac and turns it into a salad, making it easier and slightly healthier. The special sauce is simple to blend together and difficult to mess up. It’s a fun, quick meal that’s practical for weeknights and sure to be a hit with the family.
Get the Recipe: Big Mac Salad
Chicken Bacon Ranch Poppers
These poppers are essentially meatballs with a twist, filled with flavors that most people love: chicken, bacon, and ranch. As long as you can mix ingredients and shape them into small balls, you’re good to go. The recipe is very forgiving, so if they’re a bit uneven in size, it shouldn’t be a problem. The flavors meld well together, making it hard to create a bad batch.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Bacon Ranch Poppers