Ditch the Meat, Embrace Flavor! 30 Meatless Dinner Ideas (2024)

Looking for some easy meatless dinner ideas? Whether you’re observing Meatless Monday or just looking for some tasty meatless meals for the family, these recipes are sure to please. Even the biggest meat lovers will enjoy these meat-free recipes, and the kids will chow down without complaint. Make vegetarian lasagna, vegetarian chili, meatless casseroles, and all kinds of delicious family favorites!

Meatless Meals the Family Will Love!

Meatless Monday is a great opportunity to see just how good vegetarian meals can be! Don’t get me wrong, I love eating meat, and so does my family. But it’s nice to have easy and affordable dinners that help us cut back from time to time. Plus, some of these meatless recipes are a little bit healthier too, without sacrificing flavor.

These meatless dinner ideas include all your typical family favorites, like chili, hearty casseroles, and lasagna; along with healthy recipes, like grain bowls, creamy soups, and vegetarian-friendly proteins.

Whatever you choose, trust me when I say, you won’t even miss the meat!

Meatless Dinner Ideas for Families

If you need to feed the whole family, picky eaters and all, these meatless dinners are just the thing! Just like all your family’s favorite meals, but without the meat.

• Vegetarian Lasagna: This easy lasagna has all the cheesy, saucey goodness you expect, with healthy veggies hidden inside for a boost of nutrition.
• Taco Pizza: Combine taco night and pizza night into one meal with this quick recipe that’s sure to please.
• Vegetarian Chili: You don’t need meat to make a delicious, cozy, and hearty bowl of chili! This recipe is filled with veggies, beans, and flavorful spices.
• Baked Ziti: This meatless pasta dish is a long-time family favorite, and a reader favorite too! It only takes 5 ingredients to make this cheesy ziti.
• Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers: These vegetarian-friendly stuffed peppers are filled with rice and cheese, and cooked up in just 15 minutes.
• Vegetable Stir Fry: Broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, and carrots are cooked in the most delicious stir fry sauce, and served with rice for a tasty and easy meatless meal.
• White Pizza: This quick pizza recipe is loaded with sun-dried and roma tomatoes, feta, garlic oil, and more cheese.
• Black Bean Burgers: This meatless burger is filled with black beans, corn, nuts, and a few other flavorful ingredients that make this slightly-spicy burger so good.

Vegetarian Meals for One (or Two)

These meatless dinner recipes are just the right size for one or two people, or for meal prep!

• Buddha Bowl: This is the ultimate nutrient-packed vegetarian meal idea, with whole foods such as crispy chickpeas, fresh vegetables, healthy grains, and healthy fats. It truly has everything you need!
• Vegetable Curry: This Thai-inspired curry is loaded with vegetables swimming in a creamy, flavorful sauce. Served with rice, it’s a filling meatless meal.
• Ramen Cups: This recipe is designed to be made ahead of time, so you can have a tasty cup of noodles & veggies ready to go. It’s the perfect meal prep recipe!
• Teriyaki Tofu: Tofu gets super crispy in the Air Fryer, and the homemade teriyaki sauce is lip-smacking good! Serve it with rice and vegetables for a full meal, or add it to other dishes for a meatless protein option.

Meat-free Casserole Recipes

Casseroles are one of my favorite things to make for family dinners any night of the week, and these meatless recipes are crowd-pleasers!

• Stuffed Pepper Casserole: Bell peppers, rice, black beans, corn, cheese, enchilada sauce, and more make up this easy meatless family dinner.
• Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole: The hearty combination of rice, broccoli, water chestnuts, cream of mushroom, and lots of cheesy goodness makes this classic casserole.
• Mac and Cheese Casserole: Macaroni and cheese just got better, with the addition of a crunchy breadcrumb topping and a range of rich cheeses.
• French Onion Casserole: The rich and cozy flavor of french onion soup is turned into this amazing casserole recipe.
• Spinach Stuffed Shells: Jumbo pasta shells are stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, marinara, and spinach. It’s the perfect vegetarian meal for weeknights.

Quick & Easy Meatless Meals

When you need to get something on the table fast, these meatless dinner ideas are perfect!

• Easy Ramen: This warm, flavor-packed ramen is filled with noodles, veggies, and healthy ingredients, and served with crispy tofu.
• Parmesan Spinach Gnocchi: Pillowy gnocchi is paired with nutritious spinach and plenty of cheese to make this 30-minute meal.
• Vegetable Lo Mein: Noodles, fresh veggies, and a delicious sauce make this simple meatless Monday meal–and it only takes 20 minutes to make!
• Egg Drop Soup: This soup is so easy to make, and the savory mix of flavors can’t be beat!
• Cauliflower Fried Rice: Riced cauliflower makes a veggie-filled and nutritious change to typical fried rice. It’s a good side dish for meatless dinners, but also makes a quick and easy lunch on its own.

Healthy Meatless Dinner Recipes

These vegetarian meals are all good for you and totally delicious! They’re great for Meatless Mondays, tasty lunches, and weeknight family dinners.

• Cauliflower Tikka Masala: This healthy, meatless version of a takeout favorite is so flavorful, and really easy to make for weeknight dinners. Be sure to make some naan!
• Hearty Vegetable Soup: This soup is filled with tons of nutritious veggies, plus potatoes to make sure it’s satiating. It’s one of my absolute favorite soups for winter!
• Cucumber Tomato Salad: Cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and feta are tossed in a lemon pepper dressing to make a super fresh and flavorful salad you’ll love eating for lunch or dinner.
• Cauliflower Steak: The “meaty” texture of this cauliflower is perfect when you’re trying to cut out meat, and the peanut sauce is delicious!

Meatless Soups for Cozy Meals

These cozy soups make the best meatless meals, because they’re easy, tasty, healthy, and sure to fill you up!

• Cabbage Soup: This weight-watchers-friendly soup is filled with cabbage, carrots, green beans, zucchini, and tomatoes. Just swap out the beef broth for a veggie broth.
• Butternut Squash Soup: Winter squash, carrots, apples, ginger, and more make a totally cozy and creamy soup. Again, swap out the broth if you want it to be vegetarian-friendly.
• Parmesan White Bean Soup: White beans, kale, fennel, celery, plenty of Parmesan, and more tasty ingredients make this delicious soup recipe.

With all of these meatless dinner ideas (pastas, soups, casseroles, and more!), Meatless Monday will be a breeze, and I guarantee the family is going to love these meals!