10 Easy Meatless Dinners That Everyone Will Love

Cutting back on meat has never been so easy ... or delicious.

By
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves is a food and beverage writer.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
and
Sara Bir
Sara Bir
Sara Bir
Sara is a chef, culinary educator, and author of three cookbooks, The Pocket Pawpaw Cookbook, Tasting Ohio and The Fruit Forager's Companion. The latter won a 2019 IACP Cookbook Award.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Published January 08, 2025
A closeup of a bowl with a serving of the black bean and egg bake recipe served with a corn tortilla, garnished with fresh cilantro

Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Pearl Jones

January is a time of new beginnings and resolutions. One thing about making New Year's resolutions is that it's hard to stick to them perfectly. So why not try a perfectly imperfect resolution? If you want to cut back on your meat consumption, simply resolve to add a few more meatless meals to your weekly menu.

These 10 recipes will get you started. Some are vegetarian. Some are vegan. Pick a few and resolve to take part in Meatless Monday or perhaps even Veganuary. Not only will you cut down on your meat consumption, but you'll also discover some tasty new recipes that you can add to your repertoire for the whole year.

  • Vegetarian Biscuits and Gravy

    Vegetarian biscuits and gravy on a white plate.

    Simply Recipes / Wanda Abraham

    Rather than crumbled sausage, the gravy for these biscuits contains rich mushrooms seasoned with crushed red pepper flakes, fennel, and fresh thyme. It goes over quick and easy cream biscuits for a comforting meal.

  • Stacked Enchiladas with Corn and Black Beans

    Vegetarian Stacked Enchiladas
    Sally Vargas

    Think of these as deconstructed enchiladas. Instead of the time-consuming task of filling and rolling each corn tortilla, dip the tortillas in enchilada sauce and create stacks with a filling of onion, corn, and black beans. Hot tip: save yourself time and use store-bought enchilada sauce.

  • Vegetarian Meatloaf

    Vegetarian Meatloaf on a Plate with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

    Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

    Plant-based meatless grounds have improved over the years, and now they're perfectly good substitutes for ground beef in a classic meatloaf.

  • Easy Vegetarian Chili

    vegan chili topped with avocado slices and diced onions
    Alison Bickel

    Kidney beans, bulgar wheat, and mushrooms create the hearty "meat" for this chili. Combine them with cooked mushrooms and veggies, spices, and brown sugar, and simmer. It's a meatless chili that's so incredibly flavorful and ready for toppings such as sliced avocado and red onion.

    Continue to 5 of 10 below

  • Mushroom Toast With Fried Egg

    Mushrooms on toast with egg
    Sheryl Julian

    Quickly sauté sliced mushrooms and serve over toast with a runny-yolk egg. Brinner was never so easy or healthy.

  • Pressure Cooker Saag Tofu

    Pressure Cooker Saag Tofu
    Coco Morante

    Frozen spinach and canned tomatoes make up the bulk of this Indian-style vegan meal, with tofu standing in for the paneer. It's so fast in an Instant Pot.

  • Slow Cooker Chickpea Curry With Sweet Potatoes and Red Peppers

    Slow Cooker Chickpea Curry
    Sabrina Modelle

    This crockpot dump virtually recipe cooks itself. Pile all ingredients—onions, dried chickpeas, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, canned tomatoes, coconut milk plus seasonings—in your slow cooker. Serve over top of chopped spinach with a side of optional cooked rice.

  • Vegan Mac and Cheese

    Two Bowl of Vegan Mac and Cheese Next to Two Spoons and a Table Napkin

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    The cashew-based sauce for this dairy-free mac and cheese comes together quickly in a blender. It's faster than making the traditional kind, and it's every bit as creamy.

    Continue to 9 of 10 below

  • Lentil Sloppy Joes

    Cooked green lentils in vegan sloppy joes ingredients
    Nick Evans

    Affordable lentils cook fast on the stovetop in a classic sweet and tomatoey sloppy Joe sauce. A great pantry recipe.

  • Black Bean and Egg Bake

    A closeup of a bowl with a serving of the black bean and egg bake recipe served with a corn tortilla, garnished with fresh cilantro

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Pearl Jones

    The egg bake is delicious straight out of the oven, scooped up with warmed tortillas, tostadas, or tortilla chips. To make it even better, add some cheese and greenery on top—my favorites are crumbled cotija and fresh chopped cilantro.

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