14 Thursday Night Dinners That Will Have Everyone Fed Before Kickoff

The only thing you’d want to be scrambling for at kickoff is the remote. Dinner, ideally, is already on the table—and the person who cooked it gets to sit down, too! Unlike a leisurely football Sunday, Thursday comes with a workday, homework, and all the usual evening chores. These easy Thursday night dinners help make room for a good meal and the game.

“I love all game day foods with my whole heart,” Ree Drummond says, and we’re right there with her. You’ll find plenty of familiar tailgate favorites here, including saucy sandwiches, cheesy nachos, and a Buffalo chicken dinner that doesn’t require frying a single wing. But you don’t have to eat stadium-style to enjoy the evening! A creamy skillet supper or a big bowl of taco salad deserves a spot on the menu, too.

Some recipes come together in 30 minutes or less; others let you get a head start before the evening rush. You can put one of these slow cooker dinners on earlier in the day or prep a casserole filling the night before, then finish it when you get home. There’s no need to make an entire party spread on a school night! Choose a dinner below, pass the napkins, and save your energy for cheering.

1) Pull-Apart Chicken Parmesan Sliders

That bag of frozen chicken nuggets is about to make a very respectable dinner! Tucked into soft rolls with marinara, pesto, and melted cheese, they become a pan of sliders in just 35 minutes. Even the tops get a brush of garlic-herb butter!

Get Ree’s Pull-Apart Chicken Parmesan Sliders recipe.

2) Pizza Smash Tacos

Here’s a new use for the tortillas in your fridge: sausage pizza you can fold in half and eat like a taco! Mozzarella, provolone, and a tangy pepper topping make these feel like something you’d order, but they’re ready at home in 45 minutes.

Get Ree’s Pizza Smash Tacos recipe.

3) Creamy Tuscan Gnocchi

Not every football dinner needs a bun! These soft potato gnocchi cook right in their creamy sauce with pancetta and sun-dried tomatoes, which means no separate pot of water to watch. Less than half an hour later, everyone has a bowl and you have just one skillet to wash.

Get Ree’s Creamy Tuscan Gnocchi recipe.

4) Pepperoni Pizza Burgers

A pizza-topped burger sounds like the sort of thing you’d order at a sports bar, but this one takes just 25 minutes at home. There’s no chopping and no grill to heat up—just beef-and-sausage patties, plenty of melted cheese, and a very good reason to toast the buns.

Get Ree’s Pepperoni Pizza Burgers recipe.

5) BBQ Chicken Cornbread Bake

Barbecue chicken, baked beans, and cheesy cornbread belong together, especially when they arrive in the same skillet. Get ahead by making the chicken filling the night before, then rewarm it and add the topping when you’re ready to bake. Allow 40 to 45 minutes in the oven and a short rest, then dinner is served! This pick requires a little planning ahead, but it’s so worth it.

Get Ree’s BBQ Chicken Cornbread Bake recipe.

6) Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes

The Buffalo wing fans can have their favorite flavors without anyone hauling out a deep fryer. These spicy ground-chicken sandwiches are ready in 35 minutes, with blue cheese and a drizzle of ranch to finish them off. But, yes—you’ll still want the extra napkins!

Get the Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes recipe.

7) Chili Mac and Cheese

Ree insists that “comfort food isn’t supposed to be glamorous,” and this beefy, cheesy supper makes her case beautifully. The macaroni cooks with the chili, so dinner is ready fast without leaving an extra pasta pot in the sink. A little hot sauce on your own bowl is highly encouraged!

Get Ree’s Chili Mac and Cheese recipe.

8) Shrimp and Veggie Quesadillas

There’s more tucked into these crisp tortillas than cheese: shrimp, peppers, and spinach make them a proper supper. They’re ready in 35 minutes, and Ree suggests sliced mango with lime and chile powder alongside. We appreciate a side dish that doesn’t require another burner!

Get Ree’s Shrimp and Veggie Quesadillas recipe.

9) Hot Honey Pork Chops

The crunchy panko coating and hot honey make plain pork chops feel like quite an event. Better yet, the recipe includes a tangy broccoli slaw, so you have a main and a side in just half an hour!

Get Ree’s Hot Honey Pork Chops recipe.

10) Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Those pretzel rolls piled with tender pork and onions are another one worth planning ahead for. The slow cooker does the long part—eight to ten hours on low—with just ten minutes of prep and no stovetop searing. Add your favorite sauce, throw some chips on the plate, and dinner is served!

Get the Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe.

11) Sheet Pan Sausage and Pepper Hoagies

A good sausage-and-pepper sandwich doesn’t require a trip to the stadium—or even the grill. With just ten minutes of prep, these hoagies leave most of the work to the oven, where the sausages and vegetables roast together. Choose hot or sweet Italian sausage, depending on who’s coming to dinner.

Get Ree’s Sheet Pan Sausage and Pepper Hoagies recipe.

12) Chicken Nachos

The secret to nachos for dinner is making sure the chicken and cheese reach more than the top few chips. Ree builds hers in layers, and you can cook the saucy chicken up to two days ahead. Reheat it, pile everything together, and serve while the cheese is still gloriously stretchy.

Get Ree’s Chicken Nachos recipe.

13) Chicken Enchilada Casserole

All those creamy, cheesy layers, and not a single tortilla to roll! Rotisserie chicken keeps the filling easy, and you can assemble the casserole a few hours ahead and refrigerate it until baking time. It feeds eight to ten, which is helpful when “just watching with the family” turns into a few extra people at the table.

Get Ree’s Chicken Enchilada Casserole recipe.

14) Taco Salad

With seasoned beef and black beans, this is dinner—not the bowl of greens passed around beside it. It takes just 15 minutes, then everyone can add their own avocado, cheese, and crushed chips. (The jalapeños, thankfully, are not a team decision.)

Get the Taco Salad recipe.

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