30 Spring Dinners to Make Every Night in April
Spring has officially sprung. While it might not exactly feel warm and flowery outdoors just yet, we're gearing up with meals that star allllll the seasonal produce. Think asparagus, peas, radishes and beyond. To get you in the spirit, here are 30 dinners to whip up every night in April, from goat cheese pasta with spinach and artichokes to lemon butter veggies and sausage.
April 1: Double Pea, Prosciutto and Burrata Platter
Sure, it's basically a charcuterie board. But with that much green, it crosses over into dinner territory in our book.
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April 2: Honey Mustard Sheet-Pan Chicken with Brussels Sprouts
Send off Brussels sprouts season in style with this 50-minute weeknight gem.
April 3: Orecchiette with Spring Greens
Can you believe this stunner only requires 15 minutes of your time? That's because the garlic, spinach and peas cook while the pasta boils.
April 4: Chicken and Snap Pea Stir-Fry
This 20-minute main never gets old. (Especially because it takes less time to make than if you ordered delivery from your favorite takeout spot.)
April 5: Sheet-Pan Lemon Butter Veggies and Sausage
Maximum flavor, minimal effort (and dirty dishes). It's loaded with radishes, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, zucchini and more fresh produce.
April 6: Joanna Gaines’s Spring Vegetable Risotto
This dish is a delicious cross between cold- and warm-weather food. Think decadent Parmesan risotto meets spring mushrooms, leeks, radishes, peas and spinach.
April 7: Scallion Pancakes
Also called green or spring onions, scallions are at peak deliciousness in early spring. Round out their sharp, peppery flavor with an authentic three-ingredient batter and zingy dipping sauce.
April 8: Spinach with Three-Cheese Stuffed Shells
Want to use frozen spinach? No problem. Just thaw and drain it, stir it into the ricotta stuffing and top it all off with Gouda and peppery tomato sauce.
April 9: Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Chèvre Ranch
It might look like a side at first glance, but the goat cheese dressing makes it a meal in its own right—one serving boasts nine grams of protein.
April 10: Spring Panzanella Salad
Wild mushrooms, asparagus, peas, scallions and watercress meet half a loaf of sourdough bread, because balance.
April 11: Goat Cheese Pasta with Spinach and Artichokes
This grown-up mac and cheese is super creamy and packed with vitamins, thanks to nutritious spinach and briny artichokes.
April 12: Shrimp with Cauliflower “Grits” and Arugula
You've had cauliflower rice, but did you know that it can be turned into low-carb grits with the help of milk, butter and goat cheese?
April 13: Greens Mac and Cheese
The recipe calls for baby spinach and broccolini, but feel free to use any fresh (or frozen!) greens that you have on hand.
April 14: Rainbow Collard Wraps with Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce
Aka our favorite way to get our veggie count up for the day. The collard green wraps stuffed with cucumber, avocado, herbs and more can also be made up to two days ahead. Just sayin'.
April 15: Salmon Noodle Bowls with Chili-Yuzu Relish and Pickled Radishes
Make the three-ingredient pickled radishes, soy-ginger dressing and relish in advance so all you have to do at meal time is assemble.
April 16: Skillet Steak with Asparagus and Potatoes
Repeat after us: I can cook steak at home. It truly doesn't get simpler than this one-pan meal that calls for a quick sear on the stove and a short stint in the oven.
April 17: Cold Lemon Zoodles
Spiralized zucchini + pink radishes + pantry staples = the prettiest, most refreshing 20-minute meal of all time.
April 18: Shaved Spring Vegetable and Apple Salad with Ginger-Dijon Dressing
We can see it now: You setting this gorgeous centerpiece down on the picnic table and your guests singing out in a chorus of oohs and aahs.
April 19: Salami, Artichoke and Ricotta Pasta Salad
Bookmark this savory number for your first barbecue of the season. (P.S.: Canned artichokes will save you time, but here's a guide to cooking fresh artichokes if you'd like to go the extra mile.)
April 20: Chickpea Vegetable Coconut Curry
Frozen peas and a can of beans are the base for this spicy one-pot curry. Serve it with basmati rice or scoop it up with toasted naan.
April 21: 15-Minute Cucumber-Avocado Blender Soup
Phew, where should we begin? The refreshing soup, the asiago-crusted baguette or the cool swirl of Greek yogurt?
April 22: Carrot Pasta
You can totally use frozen carrots to make these little pillows of heaven. Don’t forget to drizzle them generously with garlic-sage butter sauce before digging in.
April 24: Skillet Gnocchi with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
File this under Easiest Ways to Upgrade Store-Bought Pasta. Pass the Parm, please.
April 25: Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Chicken
This breaded chicken dish is much easier to make than it looks, and it’s stuffed with hidden veggies that the kids won't even notice. Win-win.
April 26: Cheater’s Skillet Paella
Spring peas never looked so elegant. This crowd pleaser is made with a ton of pantry and freezer staples (including the seafood and sausage).
April 27: Honey-Lime Chicken and Veggies in Foil
The second it's warm enough to grill outdoors, we trade our baking sheets and skillets for trusty aluminum foil. See ya, dirty dishes.
April 28: Cauliflower Sweet Potato Burgers
Forget the hockey puck-like veggie burgers you've had in the past. This one is perfectly moist and prime to serve at every warm weather soiree you host this year.
April 29: Grilled Flatbread Pizza with Artichoke, Ricotta and Lemon
Pizza *always* tastes better after a few minutes on the grill—especially when its base is no-fuss, store-bought flatbread.
April 30: Spring Crudités with Romesco Sauce
A snack platter this Insta-worthy deserves to be the main course, not an appetizer. All that's missing is a bottle of white.
RELATED: 55 Spring Desserts Starring *All* the Seasonal Produce