Main Course Dinner Ideas

Everyday main course dinner ideas should be easy, inexpensive, and delicious. If you're in a rut, check out these ideas for the grill, oven, Crock-Pot, stove top, and even some cold dishes.

Main Course Dinner Ideas for the Grill

The Number One choice for me is steak on the grill. Porterhouse, filet mignon and strip steaks are excellent choices. Some lower-cost options include cubed steak and pork steaks. Then there are pork chops, lamb chops or pork loin. Boneless, skinless chicken breast; barbecued chicken quarters; or beer-can chicken are delicious poultry options. There are all kinds of sausages that taste great when grilled -- Italian, bratwurst and kielbasa are popular. For a vegetarian main dish, try grilled zucchini or eggplant. Last, but not least, don't forget about hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill.

Main Course Ideas for the Crock-Pot

Two Crock-Pot favorites are pot roast and pork roast. They're essentially the same meal; one uses a chuck roast and the other a pork butt or shoulder. Either one can be made into Mexican meat by sprinkling taco seasoning over it and adding sliced peppers and onions before you cook it, and then serving it in tortillas with the appropriate condiments. Both chuck roast and pork shoulder can be made into barbecue by draining the excess fat, shredding the meat and mixing in barbecue sauce. (I like to make barbecue sandwiches on kaiser rolls.) Whole chickens and turkey breasts turn out nicely in the Crock-Pot, as does ham, corned beef and cabbage, and spaghetti sauce.

Main Course Ideas for the Oven

Turkey, ham, roast beef, pork roast, meatloaf, fish and baked chicken are all delicious main dish ideas for the oven. Casseroles are another great choice. Tuna noodle casserole, chicken casserole and moussaka come to mind. There are a lot of Italian dishes for the oven: baked ziti, lasagna and eggplant parmigiana top the list there.

Main Course Ideas for the Stove Top

Any kind of pasta (spaghetti, rigatoni) with any kind of sauce (marinara, vodka, Alfredo) is a good meal that you can prepare on the stove. Fried pork chops, hamburgers and pan-fried sausages also are delicious choices. A lot of one-pot meals such as goulash, chili, and macaroni and cheese go over big for dinner. Homemade soups are especially good in the winter, when the heat and aromas of the soup fill the house. Grilled sandwiches are another frying-pan alternative -- there's grilled cheese, grilled ham and cheese, or tuna melts. Pair a hot sandwich with a cup of soup (canned or homemade). I'll round out the stove-top main course dinner ideas with one of my son's favorites, Hamburger Helper, and one of my husband's favorites, BLT sandwiches.

Main Course Ideas: Breakfast for Dinner

Pancakes, waffles or French toast are delicious surprises at the dinner table. You can also serve fried eggs, scrambled eggs or omelets for your main dinner course. For some down-home goodness, try sausage gravy and biscuits. There are all kinds of breakfast sandwiches. Bacon, egg and cheese on a croissant; sausage, egg and cheese on an English muffin; steak, egg and cheese on a bagel; ham and egg with peppers and onions on toast; and scrambled eggs, cheese and salsa wrapped in a tortilla make great dinner choices.

Main Course Ideas: Cold Plate Dinner

A big salad can really hit the spot for dinner, especially if it's hot out. Caesar salad, chef salad and Greek salads are good choices. Years ago, I worked at a restaurant that had cold plate specials in the summer. One of the most popular was a tomato stuffed with tuna or chicken salad, served with a cantaloupe wedge and a scoop of cottage cheese. Cold sandwiches -- from submarines to pita wraps to the traditional PB&J on white bread -- are good cold dinner options, too.

I hope this has given you some easy, inexpensive and delicious main course dinner ideas.