Weeknight Cooking – FoodWatcher

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5 Weeknight Dinners I’m Making Instead of Ordering Takeout (Again)

I moved into a new apartment a little over two weeks ago, and as anyone who’s ever moved knows, the process involves eating a lot of takeout—all your knives are in boxes, you don’t have any groceries, and you’re working in an unfamiliar, not-yet-home k…

I moved into a new apartment a little over two weeks ago, and as anyone who’s ever moved knows, the process involves eating a lot of takeout—all your knives are in boxes, you don’t have any groceries, and you’re working in an unfamiliar, not-yet-home kitchen. It’s a solid excuse for the first week or so post-move, but by now, I’m more or less settled into my new place. However, I’m still finding it hard to break the ol’ Doordash habit.

So, this week, I wanted to pick recipes that would get me cooking again. The main objective? Keep the stakes as low as possible: The recipes will be easy. The ingredients will be (relatively) few. Almost everything will be cheap, vegetarian, and rely on lots of pantry staples. I know these descriptors don’t sound exciting—that’s because they’re not—but they’re the kind of recipes that are ultimately the most reliable and comforting. Here’s what I'm making.

5 Weeknight Dinners to Make This Week, Family Edition

The Wall Street Journal just published a riff on the quiet quitting trend titled “Try Hard, but Not That Hard. 85% is the Magic Number for Productivity.” This is valuable advice (that I will probably never follow). But it leads me to wonder: If you giv…

The Wall Street Journal just published a riff on the quiet quitting trend titled “Try Hard, but Not That Hard. 85% is the Magic Number for Productivity.” This is valuable advice (that I will probably never follow). But it leads me to wonder: If you give even 85 percent of yourself at work, what does that leave for your weeknight meal game? In my home, it doesn’t add up to much.

On school nights, if my family of four can sit together at the table and actually eat the same thing two out of five weekdays, I consider that a win. The other nights, when practices and games and after-work drinks send us in different directions, I play short order cook or Doordash concierge. That means that the magic weeknight dinner effort in my household is at a measly 40 percent (though I often make up for lost time on the weekends).

8 Easy Weeknight Recipes Our Community Makes on Repeat

When we asked our community on the Hotline for their best, easiest weeknight meals, there was one dish that many gravitated toward. Let me give you some hints: It’s found in nearly every pantry, and you just add water.

You’ll see lots of variations on…

You'll see lots of variations on this go-to, quick dinner below (pasta, of course!), plus other simple recipes for when you reach 6 o’clock and realize you haven’t given a thought to what you’re going to cook. (This happens to you, too, right?)

21 One-Pot Dinners to Pull Out for Weeknight Magic

This article was originally published in September 2018. It has been updated to include even more of our favorite one-pot dinner recipes.

Some people (like my roommate) wake up as the day goes on. By the time they get home from work, they’re ready …

This article was originally published in September 2018. It has been updated to include even more of our favorite one-pot dinner recipes.

Some people (like my roommate) wake up as the day goes on. By the time they get home from work, they’re ready to tackle a workout, dinner, and a couple of episodes on Netflix.

22 Essential Eric Kim Recipes

You might know him from his New York Times cooking column or the videos he hosts on YouTube, but before that, Eric Kim was an editor right here at Food52—and, during his tenure, he created a lot of recipes, many of which remain community favorites to t…

You might know him from his New York Times cooking column or the videos he hosts on YouTube, but before that, Eric Kim was an editor right here at Food52—and, during his tenure, he created a lot of recipes, many of which remain community favorites to this day. From his column, Table for One, to his simple, streamlined takes on desserts like cheesecake and ice cream, you really can’t go wrong. But, if you’re looking for a place to start, we’ve got you covered. Here are 22 of Eric’s most popular and highly rated recipes.

From Our Shop

1. Miso-Eggplant Spaghetti

Tossing spaghetti with roasted eggplant and caramelized miso results in this quick, satisfying meal your weeknights need. Says Eric: “If ever there were a dish you'd want to eat on repeat, then this umami-packed eggplant spaghetti must be it.”

The Food52er Serving Up Our Community’s Favorite Weeknight Recipes

The best part about Food52 is our community. Take a peek at the lively debates in our articles’ comments sections, or check out the thousands (upon thousands) of recipes our community members have contributed, and you’ll see what we mean. Occasionally, one of these community recipes will become unexpectedly popular, generating the same kind of interest and buzz as the recipes from our Test Kitchen. This, of course, always catches our attention.

Anna Chwistek is a community member whose recipes have done just that. In total, she’s published 91 (!) recipes on our site, and while they all look delicious (her photography and food styling is top-notch), there are, of course, a few standouts. Her Creamy Tortellini Soup With Sausage, which incorporates store-bought tortellini and Italian sausage to maximize flavor and texture with minimal effort, boasts 23 five-star ratings and 17 glowing reviews. There’s also her Eggplant Halloumi Stir-Fry, complete with noodles and a deeply savory sauce. Honestly, there are so many others worth highlighting (think: Spicy Tomato Beans With ‘Njuda, Bloody Mary Pasta, and Fried Feta With Sesame & Spicy Honey, just to name a few) that we couldn’t possibly list them all.

11 Easy Dinner Recipes for When It’s Been a Loooong Week

As a line cook, I spent most of my time making dinner for other people, some time thinking about cooking for myself, and no time ever actually preparing dinner at home. When I stopped cooking in restaurants, this equation changed, slightly. While I now…

As a line cook, I spent most of my time making dinner for other people, some time thinking about cooking for myself, and no time ever actually preparing dinner at home. When I stopped cooking in restaurants, this equation changed, slightly. While I now give myself time to make dinner at home, most nights I’m not that interested in spending more than thirty minutes in my kitchen. (I guess Rachael Ray had it right all along.)

For me, weeknight dinners should be enjoyable to eat, but always easy to make. Though the possibility of the occasional weeknight kitchen catastrophe will never quite disappear, I can confidently report that the 11 recipes below will make easy, delicious meals after even the worst of weekdays.

Our 5 Favorite Instant Pot Chicken Thigh Recipes

Chicken thighs are a weeknight workhorse: They’re far more flavorful than other cuts (looking at you, chicken breast) and manage to stay juicy throughout cooking. However, when you’re exhausted from a long day, the idea of cooking a whole meal—and doing all those dishes—can still feel daunting. Enter: the Instant Pot. Using one of these electric pressure cookers speeds up the cooking process dramatically, meaning you can have dinner on the table in as few as 30 minutes.

To get you started, we’ve collected five of our favorite recipes that marry the versatility of chicken thighs with the quick-cooking abilities of an Instant Pot.

9 Comforting Dinner Ideas Made Easy With Store-Bought Pasta Sauce

We’re teaming up with Primal Kitchen® to bring cozy-fresh flavor to your fall cooking routine. It all starts with their lineup of delicious sauces, dressings, condiments, and more (including dairy-free options), made using thoughtful, high-quality ingr…

When it comes to weeknight dinners, I’m very much in the work-smarter-not-harder camp. Sure, I love taking on a big cooking project every now and then, but after a long day I don’t want to have to think too hard about what I’m making. Topping my checklist Monday through Friday are dishes that are quick, easy, and satisfying.

The Easiest, Breeziest Dinner Menu for Summer Fridays

We’ve teamed up with our friends at Line 39 for a guide to stress-free entertaining any night of the week—just add wine. All of their wines are crafted in California with care, from bright, lightly earthy Pinot Noir to Rosé that’s bursting with strawbe…

You know those hosts who seem like they just “threw everything together”? Who glide around the room, wine in hand, laughing with guests—and somehow also manage to get a feast on the table?

CrushGrind Billund Salt & Pepper Grinder $44.99

Sabre Bistrot Vintage Finish Flatware $68–$400

Serax Fish & Fish Bottle by Paola Navone $50–$54

1. Miso-Eggplant Spaghetti