100+ Ways to Win at Weeknight Dinners

Like a cross between pasta carbonara and mac and cheese, this creamy option is ultracomforting.

You only need 20 minutes to make these sheet-pan chicken fajitas.

If you have an Instant Pot, you're familiar with how quickly it cooks everything. Try this Instant Pot chicken curry for a speedy dinner packed with flavor. Our favorite shortcut is using Trader Joe's Thai yellow curry sauce.

Boneless skinless chicken breasts are far from bland and boring when napped in a mustard cream sauce.

With its broth-y base, abundance of carrots and celery, and noodles, this cold-busting soup shares much in common with chicken noodle. Where it diverges is by swapping a handful of chickpeas for the poultry, making it vegan-friendly (provided you use vegetable broth).

Made with staple ingredients like eggs, garlic, soy sauce, and rice, this gingery fried rice might not even require a trip to the grocery store.

Everything in Chrissy Teigen's Cravings cookbook is delicious, especially this lemony arugula spaghetti cacio e pepe.

Scallops sound fancy, but follow this step-by-step seared scallops recipe, and you'll realize it's a totally doable (and quick) dish. Serve the scallops with your favorite roasted vegetable.

Wilted watercress adds bite to this simple soba supper.

When stuffed with black beans and butternut squash, a quesadilla becomes meal-worthy.

Cooking an entire chicken takes a while. If you're in a rush, these lemon-garlic drumsticks are a delicious alternative that will cut down the work for you.

You can't go wrong with beef and broccoli.

Greens and chickpeas bulk up an otherwise basic plate of linguine.

Perfect for a chilly night, this one-pot chicken miso ramen takes just 30 minutes to make.

Roasted on one sheet pan, this fast and fresh fish option cleans up with a minimal amount of effort.

Homemade honey sesame chicken is better than takeout.

You won't believe how flavorful this steak's miso mustard sauce is.

This hearty option packs three of our favorite things — kale, meatballs, and white beans — into one broth-y, piping-hot bowl.

A quick and easy chicken parmesan recipe doesn't require much more than panko breadcrumbs, tomato sauce, and mozzarella. The key is pounding the chicken thin enough so that it gets crispy all over.

For a nostalgic option, you can do no better than this homemade take on Hamburger Helper.

With a few key ingredients like soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and black peppercorns, this traditional Filipino chicken adobo is ridiculously tasty.

Kids and adults alike will love devouring grilled cheese dippers with tomato soup.

Once you master a basic recipe for spaghetti with garlic white wine sauce, you'll add it to your weekly rotation.

Inspired by the island of Santorini, Greece, this Greek pasta dish is made primarily from pantry staples, making for a short grocery list.

The fancy French name of this baked cod dish might make you assume that it's tricky to make, but that couldn't be further from the case.

This bistro classic makes weeknight dinners feel instantly fancier.

Pureed butternut squash gives pasta carbonara an extracozy spin.

An unconventional cooking method — you marinate the steak after it's grilled, as it rests — makes for a ridiculously juicy platter of meat.

A batch of homemade pesto is so much better than the jarred stuff. Toss it with cooked pasta and the protein of your choice for a quick dinner.

Boneless skinless chicken breasts can be bland and boring, but not when napped in a lemon-bright white wine butter sauce.

You can add your own touch to this pasta dish by tweaking the recipe to fit your personal preferences. Translation: for best results, add as much garlic and cheese as your heart desires.

Don't feel limited by the assortment of vegetables used in this colorful pasta dish; use pretty much whatever veggies that look good at the market or that you have on hand.

Give ramen a Fall-ready spin by adding a dollop of pumpkin puree and chunks of butternut squash.

Creamy but not heavy, this pureed butternut squash soup is even tastier the second day, making it a great candidate for leftovers.

Macaroni and cheese might not seem like a speedy, weeknight-friendly affair, but when simmered on the stovetop (rather than baked) like this caprese-salad-inspired stunner, it's totally doable.

The pairing of butternut squash and sage is a classically delicious one, and this easy pasta recipe utilizes the flavor combination in a magically flavorful way.

Ground beef Tex-Mex tacos make for a fun and affordable family meal.

>The secret ingredient to this 10-minute pasta's success — fish sauce — might sound odd, but know that it adds a salty-savory punch, rather than an overwhelmingly fishy flavor.

Kale salad is dinner-party-worthy when pine nuts and shavings of pecorino romano are added to the mix.

Chicken chow mein is picky-eater approved.

Low in carbs and high in flavor: lemon parmesan zucchini "noodles" with artichokes.

When you don't really feel like cooking, grab the ingredients for a light and refreshing tuna poke bowl with avocado.

Unlike traditional pho recipes, which can take hours to make, this speedy version is weeknight appropriate.

Follow the easy method for these perfectly crisp chicken thighs, and you'll never want to make chicken another way again.

For the best results, allow this Mediterranean-influenced orzo pasta salad (and virtually all pasta salads) a few hours in the fridge to chill to let the flavors mingle and make friends. That said, it's still very tasty when eaten just after assembling, the prep time is minimal, and leftovers only improve overnight.

Basil, bell peppers, and tomatoes combine in this simple recipe to create a sweet, summery sauce that's perfect on pasta shells and in other dishes.

A mustardy dressing, kumquat coins, and dried cranberries add interest to shredded kale and brussels sprouts.

Put a Tex-Mex spin on pasta with this bold chicken spaghetti casserole.

If you make the buttery pie crust "crackers" ahead of time, you'll have Chrissy Teigen's chicken pot pie soup on the table pretty quickly thanks to the shortcut of rotisserie chicken.

If you like tomato sauce with a bit of a kick, try this spicy tomato sauce with pancetta.

Transform leftover grains like quinoa, brown rice, or farro with inspired toppings like tangy teriyaki sauce, eggs, and quick pickled carrots.

It doesn't get much simpler or more speedy than this Italian classic, spaghetti aglio, olio, e peperoncino. Even if your pantry is almost empty, you likely have all of its ingredients — spaghetti, garlic, chili flakes, and olive oil — on hand.

When you don't want to bother going out on a weeknight, make Olive Garden's chicken alfredo at home instead.

Come home to dinner that's already done with this slow-cooker chili-orange beef recipe.

There's a reason that Marcella Hazan's tomato-butter sauce is a classic.

Essentially a spin on pasta amatriciana, this hearty pasta dish packs in the bold flavors of bacon, tomatoes, and parmesan cheese.

It doesn't get much simpler: these lemon-pepper chicken breasts are made with a mere five ingredients, including salt and pepper.

Fire up the grill: these spicy shrimp tacos topped with corn and black bean salsa are a must make.

Keep both dinner prep and clean-up simple with this one-pan wonder.

Like a greener take on pasta carbonara, this scaled-for-one dinner satisfies.

Even out-of-season cherry tomatoes will shine in this pesto-slicked option, as a brief trip to the oven concentrates their flavor. For a final flourish, toss the linguine with garlicky toasted breadcrumbs for crunch.

A dish as elegant as lemon and lavender chicken can be yours on a weeknight, provided you plan ahead and get it marinating before you head to work.

Unlike traditional tabbouleh, which has much more parsley than grains, this bulked-up quinoa-based recipe can serve as a stand-alone meal.

Cheesy spaghetti squash with black beans and tomatoes is perfect for dinner and leftovers the next day.

A sandwich may sound more like an option for lunch, but this chicken parmesan sub is robust, meaty, and worthy of your evening meal.

Bring this bold, colorful pasta salad to a potluck dinner and prepare to get inquiries for the recipe.

Thanks to a few ingenious shortcuts, cider-spiked butternut squash soup can be ready in under 30 minutes.

Served at room temperature, this soba noodle salad is nearly as tasty the following day as leftovers.

This chopped green salad is far from wimpy.

Broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, snap peas, and mushrooms add plenty of fresh flavor to this chicken stir-fry.

Relive your childhood by digging into a spicy, smoky sloppy joe.

For an easy introduction to Korean cooking, try this vegetarian bibimbap recipe.

These creamy noodles taste like Kraft mac and cheese, except creamier, cheesier, and just plain better.

Bulk up leftover chicken by stuffing it in homemade tacos. Corn tortillas with guacamole, pico de gallo, hot sauce, and cotija cheese are all you need to make that chicken shine.

You'll love this comforting combination of clams, garlic, and brown butter for any occasion.

Nutty brown butter, walnuts, and brussels sprouts make for an irresistible bowl of orecchiette.

Give traditional shrimp and grits a lighter spin by using cauliflower rice and lemony sauteed shrimp in this healthy shrimp and grits recipe.

If you're craving a banh mi sandwich but don't want something quite so heavy, make flavorful lettuce wraps.

Cheeseburger soup is an ingenious take on a classic.

This instant pot meatloaf recipe can be served with mashed potatoes and green beans.

Easy to make and decadent, lemon butter shrimp pairs perfectly with a glass of crisp white wine and a hunk of baguette to mop up the sauce.

Some nights, junk food like nachos is all you crave. This cheesy recipe with chicken sausage fits the bill.

This homemade sesame chicken is perfect for dinner with friends.

Come home to a delicious-smelling, healthy dinner packed with protein. This slow-cooker vegan chickpea curry is made with budget-friendly staples like canned chickpeas, canned coconut milk, and vegetable broth.

For something a little unexpected, try this pasta with nettles, almonds, feta, and sesame seeds. Nettles not in season? Substitute spinach.