Curry-glazed salmon, crispy gnocchi caprese, basil chicken stir-fry, and more weeknight meals for transitioning from summer into fall. September is a sweet spot for easy weeknight cooking: a little bit summer, a little bit fall, it’s raw produce’s time to shine. Tomatoes, peppers, and basil are coming in strong, and there’s so much zucchini, farmers are practically giving it away.
At the same time, the first signs of fall (apples! turning leaves! your coffee shop’s seasonal menu!) are popping up left, right, and center. All the while, schedules are filling up. Between back to school, soccer practice, the end of summer Fridays, and the post-Labor Day blues, your nightly meal plan should be a beacon. That means make-ahead recipes you can prep before the evening rush, one-pot dinners that save you from a sink full of dishes, and 30-minute meals for nights when hunger overcometh you.
There are dinners that rely on summer’s last tomatoes, a marinated lentil salad that’s even better by lunchtime the next day, and a couple of cozy soups because blustery days are right around the corner. This simple weeknight dinner combines tender chicken with heaps of sweet, fragrant basil. No basil on hand? Baby spinach makes an easy substitute. All of the components for these taco bowls are meal-prep friendly: Refrigerate the salsa and spiced beef separately in airtight containers, keep a stash of your favorite toppings on hand (tortilla chips!), and assemble when ready for a swift lunch or easy dinner.
Rotisserie chicken jump-starts this Vietnamese-inspired salad, but if
Rotisserie chicken jump-starts this Vietnamese-inspired salad, but if you’d rather start with leftover poached chicken breasts or grilled chicken thighs, that works too. This speedy stir-fry brings together thin strips of boneless pork shoulder and crisp-tender bok choy for a dinner that’s satisfying and weeknight-ready. Canned green curry paste does most of the work for a dish that tastes as if you tried much harder than you did.
These sheet-pan tacos are “super quick and easy to make,” writes one reader. Tossed in sriracha, the shrimp turn glossy and spicy as they mingle with the drippings from charred pineapple. “We paired it with cilantro lime rice.”
One of the easiest, most impressive weeknight dinners we know. One reader reports, “My husband said it was the best meal I’ve ever made.” Cheers to that!
This easy sheet-pan dinner pairs tender cod with a savory chorizo topping. Big flavor, minimal effort, and only one pan to wash. Pile the tofu over rice, tuck it into buns with the sauce as a spread, or serve it as tofu fingers with carrot or celery sticks for dunking. The creamy cilantro sauce, based on ají verde, makes a generous batch. This sheet-pan dinner has it all: jammy roasted tomatoes, crispy chickpeas, melty feta cheese, briny olives, and a flurry of peppery greens.
Serve with warm pita or regular old toast
Serve with warm pita or regular old toast for scooping up. Turns out you can achieve deeply flavorful ramen in 35 minutes. Umami-packed ingredients like tomato paste, kombu, dried shiitake mushrooms, and soy sauce make it possible. The beauty of this recipe lies in how simple it is: You just pop late-season tomatoes, frozen dumplings, butter, and a few pantry sauces into a cold skillet, turn on the heat, and let it steam.
Shelf-stable gnocchi, juicy tomatoes, and mozzarella turn into a hearty skillet dinner inspired by caprese. “Something I can easily make on a weeknight but just as well serve at a dinner party,” writes one reader. This Provençal classic is made from a medley of late-summer eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, and herbs. Our version keeps it simple, cooked in one pot, entirely on the stovetop.
Creamy, savory peanut noodles make a fast pantry-friendly dinner—and they’re highly adaptable. Use tahini or almond butter in place of peanut butter, honey or the dregs of some apricot jam instead of maple syrup, and whatever noodles you have on hand. This creamy vodka sauce comes together with pantry staples like tomato paste, garlic and onion, heavy cream, Parmesan, and, yes, a splash of vodka.
Tossed with rigatoni, it’s ready in about 30
Tossed with rigatoni, it’s ready in about 30 minutes—perfect for a weeknight pasta dinner or an easy date-night meal. Four ingredients are all you need for these grown-up buttered noodles. Toasted almonds and parsley are optional, but add welcome texture and freshness. Use store-bought rotisserie chicken (or leftover grilled chicken) to make this salad inspired by a street cart staple.
When dinner needs to get on the table pronto, a tuna melt is hard to beat: Pantry-friendly, cheesy, and comforting. Stack up your favorite vegetables, crisp greens, and spreads (don’t skip the giardiniera mayo) for a hearty sandwich that makes for a fuss-free and meatless weeknight dinner. Make this hearty lentil salad for a weeknight dinner this week, then pack it up for the next couple of days for a not-sad-desk-lunch.
(PS: No lentils in the pantry? Swap in any canned white bean.)
This verdant spin on pasta e fagioli is packed with beans, pasta, and vegetables for an infinitely cozy dinner.
Source: www.bonappetit.com
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