This book presents recipes that are sorted by Kitchen Essentials, weeknight wonders, comfort classics, hands off around the world, from the garden, and elevated. There is an appendix and an index, which makes it easy to select recipes and plan the meal.
The pictures of the food are beautifully photographed and are making me hungry already.
There are more than 60 options to inspire home cooks. Written in recognition of making a meal for those we love guarantees an assortment of cooking methods too, such as braising, marinating, slow-cooking and others, all of which allow the food to cook without a lot of worry or effort, especially for those who go to work.
They have paid careful attention to details thus making it easier and more pleasant for the person cooking. The 764 recipes show a great variety of cuisines, and I was finding lots of dishes to make.
It is time to start cooking!
Chicken de Championes is chicken and mushrooms with a Mexican flavor, and i have the ingredients in my pantry. Chicken cutlets, a shallot, garlic, salt and pepper , and cumin cooked in a light olive oil are already fragrancing my home, and smell divine,. The cooking time is quick ! White wine, heavy cream, shredded cheese make a perfect sauce. If anyone is allergic like I am, you can omit that ingredient. My dish is extremely satisfying. This is a win and the best part is how quickly it came together.
There are soups, salads and dishes from the grill too.. There are so many options to keep the family interested. Lunch and dinner are well-explored. We can eat well with dishes from around the world. What a great ride!.
I have listed the following from my list of things to cook,: Garden Sesame Noodles- a taste of Asia!
Avocado Toast
Beef Tacos- comfort food in about a half hour
Spaghetti alla Putanesca- a yummy taste of Italy!
Grilled Pork Loin with Green Goddess Dressing
The number of ingredients in these recipes is so reasonable.
The Wagon Wheel Soup made me feel like a little kid. Comfort food at its best.
Lobster Cioppino in 90 minutes
Spaghetti alla Carbonara in 4 ingredients plus salt and pepper.
Sloppy Joes. I am a 7th grader again
There is something for everyone,, from beginners to experienced cooks. A great assortment awaits the entire family. The pictures Re gorgeous,, the dishes fragrant and luscious, and fun will reign in the kitchen. I am impressed with the choices and can see it becoming an instant favorite!. Good food, lots of options, good company...this is a winner for me and I can see giving it as a gift.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the Arc that left my family pleasantly stuffed!

This is a HUGE book full of enough dinner recipes for a different meal nearly every night of the year. It's an interesting compilation, and some of the recipes sound more accessible than others. If you are looking to add some variety to your meal plan, this is a great book for you! There are recipes from all over the world contained inside, and there are photos for every recipe!
What gives me pause to recommending the book are 2 things: 1 I don't love the way the recipes are organized. I don't really understand the reasoning behind the chapters, and it would be more helpful to be organized by types of dish (soups, salads, sandwiches, roasts, stir fries, etc.) and by main ingredient. 2. It would be helpful to have some markers on the recipes, such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, etc. to help the reader find the appropriate recipes for the occasion. Overall a great addition to your bookshelf, keeping these things in mind! It's a great value for the number of recipes you receive!
Thank you to Cider Mill Press and Netgalley for the advance read copy!

Family Dinners really lives up to its name – it’s packed with recipes that are perfect for busy weeknights when you just want to get something tasty on the table without too much fuss. The recipes are straightforward, and I appreciate that they use ingredients I usually have on hand. There’s a good mix of classics and a few unexpected twists that keep things interesting, and the instructions are clear and easy to follow. Whether you're cooking for picky eaters or trying to switch up your routine, there’s something in here for everyone.

One thing I really enjoyed was the variety of cuisines represented – you’ll find everything from hearty casseroles to lighter, veggie-forward dishes. It’s great for families who like a bit of everything or are looking to try new flavors. I also loved the helpful tips sprinkled throughout, like how to repurpose leftovers or adjust recipes for smaller or larger groups. If you’re looking for a cookbook to make family dinners less stressful and more enjoyable, this one is a winner.

This cookbook features very easy recipes. I highly recommend it; it's worth buying. If you love to cook, this book is for you. The recipes are simple to make

It's a bold claim to be declaring yourself 'the ultimate cookbook' – but I guess it helps if you have over 800pp to pack everything in, and don't waste space with the typical food porn imagery. This certainly doesn't have the bumf that goes to explain each recipe's inclusion, and never gets to photograph each dish, meaning it can just plough through things like a hot knife through green shakshuka.

We start with a large chunk of recipes that cover what might be standard midweek meals – tacos, simple salads and pastas, and the like – although most dishes have a kind of cross-border feel, with Thai, Cajun and teriyaki flavours. The next chunk is 'comfort food', but isn't too far removed from the first – once again you get burgers, then soup, then breakfast, then fish, then burgers again, and it's all rather random but just geared up to flood you with ideas. If you've wanted to make your own corn dogs, they're here – and if you've ever wanted to make your own mashed potato pizza, well, therapy is probably available. The key here is that this is for those with much more time – a three-hour goulash, instead of the much quicker dishes of before. We're soaking pulses overnight, and not using tinned.

That's the ethos of part three, too, as it's throw-in-a-pot-and-forget, slow-cooker bourbon brisket and so on. This is the ultimate for the work-from-homer, or someone who prefers to get it all done and dusted after the morning school run, not the teatime one. Further sections cover more exotic dishes,
things for the vegetarian-minded, and then things ramped up for special occasions, and fancier weekend fair, like porchetta or lobster cioppino.

OK, it seems counter-intuitive to declare yourself as a cookbook aware of how there's always one who doesn't fancy what you're cooking, and then give a recipe for six servings. Just how many mouths are you feeding? But that aside, the biggest flaw here is the lack of structure – why am I seeing sweet fruity pancakes next to a soup, and wrapped up in stews? Why does the global section zip from Yucatan to Italy, with a stop-off for Polish bigos? Why does the traditional 'you should cook B to have with A' section include so much that is only ever seen with one A – twin them up!

A neutral observation is that this is for an American audience – there are certainly a few ingredients that don't commonly reach us here in the UK, and half-and-half is very much one of them, fernbrake another. A credit here is that the whole is big on lamb, to a noticeable extent at least, and that while it's doing the expected dishes it can quirk them up as well when it feels like it – a gazpacho with raspberries in as well as the tomato.

Another credit is the practically-every-ingredient-by-dish index, which goes some to defeat the quibbles about ordering and randomness. But all the same. Ultimately this is a jumble, yet such a treasure trove it has to get four and a half stars. It's not for the complete novice, but not at expert level – but boy you'd be well-fed by the end.

Family Dinners focuses on quick and easy dinners perfect for a weeknight. There are a large range of different recipes.

The Sections are
Kitchen Essentials
Weeknight Wonders
Comfort Classics
Hands Off
Around the World
From the Garden
Elevated
Appendix

Each recipe has yield, active time, total time, recipe blurb, ingredients, and directions. The recipes are very short and to the point. Personally, I wish that the organization of the cookbook was slightly different. I enjoy when they are based on similar time of day or diets a little better.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't tried the recipes yet but I will definitely do in the future. I liked the wide variety of foods in this book. I just have my doubts that many of the recipes are for (young) children. But I really like the idea of learning children the variety of foods in the world and self cooked meals.

I loved this cookbook! There are a wide variety of recipes in this. The photos are fantastic! I would recommend this! The recipes I'm most excited to try are BBQ Chicken Sandwiches,Banana and Walnut French Toast, Macaroni and Cheese Soup,Chicken Parmesan, Country Fried Steaks and Gravy and Popcorn Chicken. Special Thank You to Cider Mill Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This cookbook is exactly what I need on chaotic weeknights—quick, easy, and no weird, impossible-to-find ingredients. With over 300 recipes, there’s plenty of variety, from cozy comfort food to lighter, fresher options. The instructions are simple, and the photos? Gorgeous.

I especially love the little tips for repurposing leftovers (because let’s be real, I always make too much). It’s not reinventing the wheel, but if you’re looking for solid, stress-free meal ideas, this book delivers. Perfect for anyone who wants home-cooked meals without the hassle!

The book begins with some kitchen organization tips and kitchen secrets (such as folding, zesting citrus, and tempering eggs). This makes it an ideal book for a new cook (perhaps a college graduation gift, new home gift, or newlywed cookbook). There’s a long list of suggested pantry essentials, too.

I didn’t like the way the ingredients were listed in all caps, but at least the typography font was large and readable. Measurements were provided in Imperial style (pounds and ounces). The photographs are oddly narrow and quite disappointing from a publishing house that usually does better design and photography work. I wish there were more, and larger, photographs of the dishes.

Overall, though, this is a useful dinner cookbook that will help inspire you and get a meal on the table quickly and easily.

This is a truly comprehensive guide to home cooking. Family Dinners is packed with over 300 recipes that cover everything from quick weeknight meals to slow-cooked comfort foods. I love how practical and accessible the recipes are—nothing too fancy or complicated, just solid meals that work for real-life schedules.

The variety is great, with options for different tastes and cooking styles. I especially appreciated the slow-cooker and one-sheet recipes, which make cleanup easier. The suggestions for repurposing leftovers were also a nice touch. Whether you’re feeding picky eaters or more adventurous palates, this book has something for everyone.

This is the perfect cookbook for my family! It has recipes I am already familiar with and that my family enjoys, but it has many new ones I am excited to try. The recipes is easy to follow with easy to find ingredients at the store. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy.

Really enjoyed the recipes in this book. Easy recipes for busy families and parents looking to get a good hearty dinner on the table.

This is a very big cookbook with a massive array of recipes. All recipes are easy to follow and there truly is something for everyone in this book

Family Dinners is a treasure trove of recipes! I love all the pictures because there are plenty, they are stunning and enticing. They capture the beauty of the dish as well the ambiance that’s created when families come together around a meal. The chapter on kitchen essentials is great because it’s more than what you should have in your kitchen; it covers how to properly care for your kitchen tools. Each chapter covers various themes, or topics, such as weeknight wonders, comfort classics, hands off, around the world (and there are so many recipes from all over the world gathered in here), from the garden, and elevated (explore your passions, artistic side, or take your time to create intricate dishes). The appendix is full of extras as well that you won’t want to miss. I am in love with this collection of recipes. They all seem fairly easy to follow with everyday ingredients that you can find in most grocery stores.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

This is a thick cookbook that reads more like a resource because there are so many recipes. Since there's not a focus it's more like an "anything you could want to cook" cookbook. With that said, the pictures are beautiful and make me want to cook every recipe. I haven't tried any of the recipes so I can't speak to how easy they are to make or how successful the directions are or I would be in making them. It's a very straight forward cookbook so if you want just recipes and no fluff this one is for you.

This is a very informative and well put together cookbook with tons of interesting recipes and great photos. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a new cookbook. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

If you’ve ever dreamed of simplifying dinnertime without sacrificing flavor, Family Dinners: The Ultimate Cookbook is here to make your life easier and tastier. Packed with over 300 recipes, this cookbook covers everything from no-fuss weeknight dinners to impressive meals for special occasions. Whether you’re a fan of comfort foods like Sunday roasts or looking to keep it light with Garlic Broccoli Shrimp Stir-Fry, there’s a recipe for every craving. The best part? These meals require minimal prep and use affordable, everyday ingredients—perfect for busy schedules and budgets. Plus, clever tips for repurposing leftovers mean you’ll waste less and enjoy more.

What really sets this cookbook apart is its ability to cater to both picky eaters and adventurous palates. With recipes like Slow-Cooker Bolognese and mess-free Honey Mustard Chicken, it’s clear these dishes are designed with real families in mind. The variety ensures no one gets bored, and the ease of preparation makes even hectic weeknights feel manageable. Whether you’re embracing one-sheet meals or whipping up a 30-minute masterpiece, this cookbook is your go-to guide for making dinnertime stress-free and delicious. Forget takeout—this is home cooking at its best!

2.5 stars

I was very conflicted reading this cookbook, as I went into this looking for recipes that I could add to my weeknight dinner rotation. In fact, in the introduction, the author says "This book intents to lower the bar slightly, so that the unquestionable rewards of putting something nutritious and delicious on the table each and every night for one's family becomes a bit easier to remain focused upon."

However, the one word I kept coming back to is "disconnected."

While the goal for this book is to make family dinner seem more accessible, this is not for a family with two working parents or young children. In the "Weeknight Wonders" section, there is a strange mix of very simple and uninspired dishes (BBQ Chicken Sandwiches - do I really need a cookbook for that?), and dishes I would never ever have the energy to make after a long day of work and daycare pickup (Red Snapper With Tomatillo Sauce).

There were some recipes that sounded delightful and manageable: pork fried rice, Roasted Duck Breast With Cranberry Mostarda and Crispy Kale, Veal Schnitzel & Spatzle in a lemon & caper beurre blanc (although there was no picture for this recipe), while other dishes sounded absolutely horrid; Peanut Butter & Bacon Oats with Fried Eggs (NO THANK YOU) and Spiced Buttermilk Stew (why would I have 8 cups of buttermilk??).

In the Elevated Section, the meals are supposed to be "substantial enough to provide leftovers for the next night's meal," but the first recipe is for
"Everything spice tuna with scallion cream cheese." While the dish looks delicious in the attached picture, this would not be able to nourish my family of four, but would be a wonderful appetizer for a fancier dinner party.

I understand that this cookbook is trying to get people to think outside of the box, but ingredients such as lobster, capon, and RABBIT are not accessible to the average person that might be looking for more dinner inspiration.

So many recipies I want to try out!
I always find cookbooks hit and miss, but these recipes just hit the spot and the instructions are clear and easy to follow.
Cannot wait to get started!