Vegetarian Recipes The Whole Family Will Love

Here's the thing about vegetarian recipes: they have a bit of a reputation as being, well, boring. Meat-loving families might think they'd be hard-pressed to find vegetarian recipes that they'll eat, much less ones that they like enough to put into their regular meal rotation. But that's because there's a bit of an image problem with veggie-heavy dishes and we're going to put the blame directly on those awful frozen veggie burgers of ye olde times.

But vegetarian recipes have come a long way since then. It's no longer necessary to look at a meat-free meal as a chore that comes with an inevitable struggle at the dinner table. We've compiled a list of recipes that are incredibly delicious and just happen to be meat-free. If you're looking to mix up your meals with something that your whole family is going to love — and request again and again — then check out these meat-free options. Who knows? You might stop thinking of them as "vegetarian" and instead just think of them as another tasty meal your family loves.

Spanakopita is a classic Greek dish that, for those new to this meal, you can think of it as a form of lasagna. There's a lot of layering going on, after all, but don't worry. With the help of some phyllo dough, you'll find it's much, much easier than you might think at first. Our spanakopita recipe calls for a mix of frozen and fresh ingredients that create great flavor. 

The only catch here is that it's not a dish that you're going to want to keep for leftovers. The dough will get soggy overnight, but it's so good that's really not a worry, as you and your fellow diners will likely eat it all up on the first night.

Vegetarian recipes, it turns out, aren't always the healthiest option out there. But, we get it. There are nights when you just want something filling, comforting, and hearty, and there's nothing wrong with that on occasion. If you find yourself in that boat, then look no further than our rich and satisfying fettuccine alfredo recipe. 

Best of all? You can whip this together in just about 10 minutes. In other words, that's little more than the time it'll take you to cook the pasta. It doesn't get much better than that, unless you spend a little extra time making some homemade bread to go on the side. Yum!

Even if your family loves spaghetti, it can get a little same-old, same-old right? No worries! Just try our baked spaghetti recipe for something super tasty that still draws upon a favorite basic recipe.

This dish is essentially a casserole made with spaghetti, sauce, and cheeses. It's entirely possible you might end up thinking it's better than regular spaghetti. Why? Imagine your favorite lasagna. Now, imagine those crunchy edges. Think of that texture with spaghetti. Delicious, right? The only downside is that there might be a mad dash to get those crispy edges before anyone else.

Just because you're making something that skips the meat doesn't mean that you've got to sacrifice flavor, too. Just take our Buffalo cauliflower recipe as an example. Though it's meat-free, it still has all that hot-and-spicy zip you love in a good plate of wings, with none of the chicken.

You can bake or deep-fry these, although we recommend baking for a few reasons. Either way, they're tasty enough that they might be a meal on their own. They might just be your new go-to side for pizza night, too!

Pierogis are a traditional Polish food, and these filled dumplings might seem like they're the sort of time-consuming recipe that a grandmother and her eldest daughters might make, spending hours and hours in the kitchen in order to churn out scores of pierogis. While that's undoubtedly happened in many fine kitchens, our pierogi recipe proves that they're really not as difficult as you might expect, meaning you could theoretically make them all on your own.

They come together in just a few hours. Even better, they freeze well, so you can definitely plan ahead and make some for later. While we use a traditional cheese-and-potato filling here, they're also great for an almost infinite number of fillings of your own creation, so let your imagination soar.

Goulash is... well, it's kind of like a state of mind, rather than one particular dish made one particular way. This classic of Eastern European cuisine is incredibly versatile, which means that it can definitely be made vegetarian.

So, that's what we did with our vegetarian mushroom goulash. It's filled with all kinds of vegetables and has a hearty, stew-like quality that will guarantee you don't walk away from the table hungry. It's also got some serious, but not too spicy flavors that you'll surely love. Even if you've never had goulash, this is the place to start!

Seeing pasta on the menu might make you think of a hearty red sauce, but that's not the case with our pasta primavera. Instead, this calls for a red wine vinegar sauce that makes it so much lighter than what you might expect. Couple that with veggies like zucchini, asparagus, and tomatoes, and you've got a hearty meal that's packed full of goodness.

Even better, it's easy to make a little extra for leftovers, as they'll hold well in the fridge and still be amazing at lunch the next day.

If you love spaghetti because it's easy, you're going to love our cacio e pepe. It translates to "cheese and pepper" and that's the basis of the dish right there!

Some things are perfect in their simplicity, like this cacio e pepe. There's just four ingredients, with a prep and cook time that's quicker than your favorite half-hour sitcom. So, really, there's no reason not to have these simple ingredients on hand for those nights when you just don't feel like cooking something complicated.

If you love coconut, you're going to love our easy chickpea curry. Whether you serve it over rice or in a bowl with some naan on the side, it's exactly what you're looking for on those nights when you want something creamy, hot, but not too heavy. To be fair, it'll take a little TLC to get the most out of this dish. Cooking it low and slow will really allow the flavors to come together and work their way throughout the entire dish.

But, at the end of the day, cooking is just as much about the journey as it is about the meal, right?

Potatoes au gratin is another one of those dishes that seems like it's a lot of work. And why bother when they have those handy-dandy instant versions that come right out of the box? While we're all about taking some shortcuts when it's really going to help you streamline meal prep and save your sanity, that one isn't really needed. 

You can definitely take your cooking a step further in some strategic cases, especially with help from our potatoes au gratin recipe. It's actually easier than you think to make this classic dish, and while your knife skills will get some practice, it's totally worth it for serving up this hearty, creamy side of potatoes that everyone will love!

When it comes to celebrity chefs, there's arguably no one larger-than-life than Gordon Ramsay. Love him or hate him, his talent and charisma is undeniable. Fortunately for the rest of us, he's not just making super-fancy food, but he's also given us tips and tricks on how to perfect some simple but stubborn dishes, like scrambled eggs. 

We've taken his advice and used it as the basis for our own scrambled eggs recipe with a twist. Want to take the guesswork out of this classic breakfast? Look no further!

The words "cabbage" and "steaks" don't really seem to go together, but it turns out that they absolutely do. Our cabbage steak recipe is a super easy way to turn a head of cabbage into a pretty unique side dish, one that's full of flavor, and has a surprising amount of crispness to it. That is, as long as you're careful not to overcook it. You might not look at cabbage in quite the same way ever again!

Antipasto salad is one of those sides that you might opt to pick up at a Wegmans salad bar and otherwise not think twice about, but we have a super simple antipasto salad recipe that just might be your go-to for every summer night you need a vegetarian side that everyone's going to love. It's filled with all kinds of flavors, has vegetables like tomatoes and artichokes, and is covered in an olive oil and vinegar-based dressing that makes it so much healthier than mayo-covered salads. 

Best of all, it's easy to customize this to add — or subtract — some veggies that your family might pick out instead of enjoy. That makes it a win for everyone.