Weeknight meals
My go-to weeknight favorites and how I plan my week
Meal prep has never worked for me. I don’t like cooking everything on a single day and eating it the rest of the week, mostly because it takes hours to do that (and who has time for that?!) and my husband (god love him) doesn’t really like leftovers. I do require, meal planning, to be successful at getting dinner on the table during the week. I work full time out of the house, 5 days a week, so there’s no time to grocery shop during the week. My planning and shopping happens on the weekend. Here’s what a typical week looks like at our house:
Monday: Neighbor dinner swap (either I cook for our neighbors, or they cook for us)
Tuesday: I cook dinner
Wednesday: leftovers/potluck (a term I grew up with meaning, figure it out for yourself)
Thursday: I cook dinner
Friday: Order food/pick up pizza
Saturday: I never plan - we usually are out with friends or order in
Sunday: Sunday dinner (the kind of dinner I cook that takes planning and time. It’s my favorite!)
Looking for some weeknight inspiration? Most of the recipes listed below I’ve made and are winter winners, and a few are new to me, but look delicious. Generally speaking, I cook with the seasons, focusing on in-season ingredients. It’s January in Ohio right now, so you’ll see a lot of warm, comforting dishes.
Rice bowls are a weeknight staple. We always have frozen rice or bowls of rice waiting to be heated up (they’ve come a long way from Uncle Ben’s minute rice - we get these). Add protein, veggies, and a sauce and you have an easy meal.
I’ve already mentioned our love for eggs and rice here and you can find Love and Lemon’s version here.
Curries: We make curries a lot during the winter. They’re warm, creamy, and flavorful and come together in less than 30 minutes.
This coconut curry chicken meatball is a favorite!
Simple Thai Yellow Chicken Curry with Spicy Garlic Butter
Tacos: Cheesy Gordita Crunch Tacos (I don’t usually make it a gordita crunch, but the recipe for the taco meat is so good!)
Quick soups: Egg Drop Soup (you wouldn’t believe how easy this is to make at home)
Squash Soup with Lentils and Herbs
Creamy Sesame Miso Ramen: Andrew has made this for me numerous times and it’s as close to restaurant-tasting miso ramen as we’ve found.
Pasta: I usually save spaghetti and meatballs for a Sunday dinner. Weeknights are for noodle stir-fries. For days I don’t feel like cooking, a jar of Rao’s red sauce or jar of pesto over noodles always pleases the Hamilton crowd.
Better Than Takeout Thai Drunken Noodles
Other ideas:
Shakshuka - don’t forget the crusty bread!
Love and Lemons Easy Dinner Ideas
What's Gabby Cooking 50 Easy Dinner Ideas
Half Baked Harvest Sheet Pan Meals
What are your favorite weeknight meals? Which of my weeknight favorites are you going to try?
