Fit as a Mama Bear

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Protein Challenge
  • Fitness
  • Shop
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Protein Challenge
    • Fitness
    • Shop
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » roundup

    10 Weeknight Meals That Taste Like a Day Off

    Modified: Jan 25, 2026 · by Shelby Stover · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Weeknights are busy, but dinner doesn’t have to be another chore. These easy meals bring that “day off” feeling right to your kitchen. They’re warm, comforting, and somehow make staying in feel like a treat. Whether you’re cooking for the family or just need a break from the chaos, these recipes make dinner the calmest part of your day. So kick off your shoes, grab a fork, and let dinner take care of you tonight!

    Gluten-Free Beef Fajitas

    Beef fajitas in tomato sauce with peppers in a black slow cooker.
    Photo credit: Fit as a Mama Bear

    The perfect recipe to come home to! These slow cooker beef fajitas are delicious no matter how you serve them. Made with homemade, healthy fajita seasoning and simmered all day in a savory blend, these steak fajitas are a recipe you’ll want to keep on hand!

    Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Beef Fajitas

    Teriyaki Broccoli Chicken Skillet

    White bowl with teriyaki chicken pieces and broccoli with chopsticks beside it.
    Photo credit: Fit as a Mama Bear

    A 15 minute dinner perfect for busy weeknights. This chicken teriyaki broccoli skillet combines bite-sized, tender chicken cooked in a homemade, gluten-free teriyaki sauce. A dinner recipe perfect for busy moms. To learn more: Teriyaki Chicken Skillet

    Quick and Easy Sweet Peach Curry

    Sweet peach curry with green beans over rice in a black bowl.
    Photo credit: Fit as a Mama Bear

    A flavorful sweet peach curry recipe made with immune-boosting ingredients. This easy curry recipe is the perfect blend that combines traditional curry flavors with a sweet twist. A 30-minute meal perfect for weeknights. To learn more: Peach Curry

    Crockpot BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

    barbecue chicken legs inside a crockpot
    Photo credit: Fit as a Mama Bear

    Juicy bites of kitchen coated in a savory, seasoned sauce, these crockpot BBQ chicken legs are perfect for busy weeknights or potluck dinners. Made with just 3 ingredients these slow cooker drumsticks are a budget-friendly way to feed a crowd.

    Get the recipe: Crockpot BBQ Chicken Legs

    One-Pan Sausage and Rice with Peppers

    Black skillet with rice, sausages, and peppers in a tomato sauce.
    Image Credit: Image credit goes to.

    This Italian Sausage and Rice Skillet is a cozy, one-pan dinner made for busy weeknights. Savory sausage, sweet bell peppers, leeks, and garlic are simmered in a simple tomato sauce for big flavor with minimal effort. Naturally gluten-free and hearty enough to feed a family, it’s the kind of meal everyone goes back for seconds of.

    To learn more: Sausage Peppers and Rice Skillet 

    Baked Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

    Cooked teriyaki chicken thighs in sauce in a glass baking tray with green onions on top and a spoon holding one chicken thigh up from the tray
    Photo credit: Fit as a Mama Bear

    Super tender, this baked teriyaki chicken is coated in a sweet, gluten-free teriyaki sauce. This gluten-free dinner recipe uses boneless chicken thighs to make for easy weeknights! To learn more: Teriyaki Baked Thighs

    Honey Garlic Chicken

    Paleo honey garlic chicken shredded on white rice in a bowl.
    Photo credit: Fit as a Mama Bear

    Tender, juicy bites of shredded chicken simmered in a paleo honey garlic sauce. This 5 ingredient crockpot chicken makes for the perfect weeknight dinner.

    Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

    Sheet Pan Sausage and Green Beans

    Sausage, green beans, cherry tomatoes, on a sheet pan with sauerkraut beside it.
    Image Credit: Fit as a Mama Bear

    An easy sheet pan dinner recipe for busy nights! This sausage and green beans come together in just 30 minutes. Juicy sausage bites covered in a quick honey garlic sauce and paired with whole-30 approved vegetables. To learn more: Sheet Pan Sausage and Green Beans

    Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon Poke Bowl

    a bowl of rice with shredded carrots, salmon, and edamame on top of a kitchen towel with chopsticks on the side
    Image Credit: Fit as a Mama Bear

    Tender bites of glazed salmon paired with bright, crunchy vegetables, and sliced avocados, this gluten-free poke bowl is a tasty lunch! Made with air fryer salmon bites and great for meal prep, this teriyaki poke bowl is packed with flavor and nutrients.

    Get the recipe: Gluten-Free Poke Bowl with Air Fryer Salmon

    Inside Out Egg Rolls

    Inside out egg roll in a skillet with green onions on top and a wooden spoon and white plates behind it.
    Image Credit: Fit as a Mama Bear

    A delicious blend of savory and umami flavors these inside out egg rolls are a 25-minute variation on the classic recipe. It’s lighter, faster, and made in just one skillet to make busy weeknights easier. You’ll fall in love with his unstuffed egg roll recipe in no time.

    Get the recipe: Inside Out Egg Rolls

    More roundup

    • Two images with text between them top of a woman washing her face and the bottom of beauty products.
      Natural Beauty Routine For Glowing Skin
    • A woman in a sports bra performing a hip mobility drill on the floor.
      The One Hip Mobility Move You Need to Feel Amazing Every Day
    • Woman in blue shorts and organge sports bra performing a thoracic exercise.
      60 Second Thoracic Spine Exercise To Improve Posture
    • Woman in blue shorts and black sports bra performing a back exercise.
      The Ultimate Upper Back Exercise To Banish Back Pain

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Blond haired woman in a black sweater outside smiling at the camera

    Welcome!

    I'm Shelby, a Certified Strength & Nutrition Coach who has spent the last 10 years helping women feel more comfortable in their skin though home strength training and healthy food- no diets, no shortcuts

    More about me

    Dairy Free Valentines Recipes

    • Three chocolate protein brownies stacked with protein powder behind them.
      Flourless Banana Protein Brownies [Dairy-Free]
    • An apple slice being dipped into high protein edible brownie batter topped with chocolate chips in a white ramekin with more pretzels and apple slices around it.
      Protein Brownie Batter Recipe
    • Chocolate protein cupcake with buttercream frosting with a bite taken out of it on a white chupcake liner with more gluten-free cupcakes on a cooling rack behind it.
      Rich Chocolate Protein Powder Cupcakes
    • Three glass jars of chocolate protein mousse topped with coconut whipped cream on a wooden cutting board with strawberries around them and a spoonful in front.
      Rich Chocolate Protein Mousse (Dairy-Free)

    Trending

    • Small jar with chocolate protein overnight oats topped with chocolate chips and a lid beside it.
      High-Protein Chocolate Overnight Oats [Dairy-Free]
    • Homemade pancake mix in a mason jar.
      Homemade Protein Pancake Mix [Gluten-Free]
    • Baked pumkin oats with chocolate chips in a baking pan, placed on top of a wooden board.
      High Protein Pumpkin Baked Oats [Dairy-Free]
    • Caramel Apple Overnight Oats [High Protein]
    • Mini dairy-free egg bites with bell peppers in them on a white plate.
      Dairy-Free Egg Bites
    • Peanut butter chocolate buckeyes on top of a parchment paper.
      Protein Buckeyes [Dairy-Free]

    Fitness Tips

    • Woman laying on floor with one knee bent and other in a hamstring stretch.
      5 Best Hamstring Exercises for Runners
    • Woman in blue shorts and tank top running outside.
      Want to Run Better? These 11 Tips Change Everything
    • Woman performing a squat with a pink mini band around her legs.
      36 Mini Band Exercises + A Full Body Workout
    • Woman in piegon pose on a bench for a glute stretch.
      9 Best Glute Stretches
    • Woman in maroon shirt and black pants on her hands and knees performing a glute exercise.
      What Is A Glute Burnout
    • Woman on elbows and knees on a yoga mat performing a mobility drill.
      Full-Body Mobility in Just 5 Minutes with This One Move

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    DISCLAIMERS As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.The content on Fit as a Mama Bear is provided for educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with a qualified health care professional before acting on any information presented here. Statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. No products mentioned are intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.