Four dinner recipes that will convince you to cook more homemade meals

With a busy schedule, it can be tempting to order takeout instead of making a meal at home. However, if you find the time, a homemade dinner is the perfect reward after a busy day. To ease back into cooking, try one of these four dinner recipes.  

Steak Fajita Tacos 

This Tex-Mex meal is easy to make and can be customized to your liking. For this recipe, you will need a red pepper, onion, fajita seasoning and one serving of Sirloin steak. 

1. Cut up your onion and red pepper into thin strips and sauté them in a pan on medium high until the vegetables are soft and slightly charred. 
2. Slice up your steak into 5 thick slices. Put the steak in the pan and allow the meat to cook with the vegetables while the vegetables finish cooking.  
3. Sprinkle the fajita seasoning on the vegetables and steak in the pan. Make sure the seasoning is evenly spread throughout the vegetables and steak. 
4. Take the pan off the stove and enjoy these tacos with your array of toppings. I like to top my tacos with lettuce, guacamole and shredded cheddar cheese.   

Turkey Pesto Panini  

Feeling pressed? You deserve a turkey pesto panini for dinner. For this recipe, you will need deli turkey, provolone cheese, sourdough bread and pesto sauce. 

1. To assemble your sandwich, spread the pesto on the bread and place an even amount of cheese and turkey on each slice of bread. 
2. Spray a generous amount of cooking spray on your pan and place your sandwich on the pan. If you have a panini press, you can also press your sandwich.   
3. Cook the sandwich until your cheese melts and the bread is crispy. 

Pan Sheet Sausage and Roasted Pepper Bowl  

This low-maintenance dish is the perfect recipe to use when you are in a time crunch. For this recipe, you will need one Italian sausage link, red peppers and instant rice.  

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Cut your sausage link and red peppers into small even pieces and place them on a greased sheet pan. 
3. Roast the sausage and peppers in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Make sure to periodically flip the ingredients.  
4. Cook your instant rice according to its instructions as you wait for the sausage and peppers to cook.   
5. Once the sausage and peppers are finished, pair them with the rice. 

Mediterranean Bowls  

This chicken and rice bowl is easy to make and full of Mediterranean flavors. For this recipe you will need chicken, instant rice, chickpeas, a block of feta cheese and Greek yogurt.   

1. Dice your chicken and place it in a pan to cook for seven to 10 minutes.  You can season the chicken to your liking, but I recommend either garlic or Greek seasoning.  
2. While your chicken is cooking in the pan, cook your instant rice and make your dips. To make hummus, pour a can of chickpeas, a tablespoon of olive oil and a few drops of lemon juice into a blender. Blend the mixture until smooth.  
3. Pour the hummus out of the blender and assemble your items for the second dip. To make a whipped feta dip, pour 3/4 of a cup of Greek yogurt and the block of feta cheese into the blender. Blend the mixture until the consistency is thick and bumpy. Add flavor to your whipped feta with a little olive oil and lemon juice.
4. Finally, assemble your bowl. Scoop rice, chicken and the two dips into your bowl and customize it to your liking. I like to add shredded lettuce, sliced dill pickles and store-bought tzatziki.