5 Weeknight Dinners You'll Crave Again Next Week

Every Monday, our editors bring you Simply (Weeknight) Recipes, five quick and easy dinner recipes to make this week.

My family is planning a big move abroad—7,000 air miles and two-ocean skips away, as my kids like to say. I'm sorting out where we'll live and the school my 7th, 5th, and 2nd graders will attend. The list of things to figure out before we go is long, but what stresses me most is how I'll feed my family in our new home.

Because we'll only be gone for one year and shipping our belongings overseas is expensive, I'm leaving behind all my cookware, kitchen tools, and gadgets. I'll outfit our new kitchen with essentials, but I'm unmoored by the idea of not having my favorite skillet, air fryer, and cutting board handy. Even the ingredients that line the grocery store shelves will look different. What will our weeknight dinners look like in someone else's country?

I've been encouraging my children, who are anxious about going to a new school and making friends. Just like me, they have the jitters, and together, we're navigating the anxiety and being open to opportunities for growth. Who knows... maybe I'll return with new weeknight dinner recipes in my back pocket.

For now, I'm still in my kitchen—for me, an oasis—and here are five familiar weeknight dinners I'm making this week, including tips from our contributors.

Thai-Style Chicken Fried Rice

Two time-saving tips from contributor Marianne Williams: "For an ultra-quick dinner, go ahead and chop the onion, carrot, and garlic up to a day ahead of time and store it in the fridge. If you’re in a pinch and didn’t have time to cook the rice a day ahead, slightly undercook some white rice."

Paccheri with Quick Sausage Ragu

According to Simply Recipes Contributor Devan Grimsrud, "Both rigatoni and paccheri go extremely well with thick sauces and ragu, so if you’re in a pinch and can’t find paccheri, rigatoni makes a good substitute."

Oven-Roasted Salmon, Asparagus and New Potatoes

I don't wait to preheat the oven before throwing the potatoes in—start a 15-minute timer when it reaches 400°F. I also don't go through the trouble of flipping the potatoes halfway through. These small steps save you time and effort overall.

4- Ingredient Cabbage and Potato Soup

According to Simply Recipes Contributor Stephanie Ganz, "On its own, it’s a pretty simple soup. But because it’s a bit of a blank slate, you can take it in all sorts of fun directions. Typically, I like to add a squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, and some fresh herbs, like dill, parsley, or chives to brighten things up a bit and add another layer of flavor. It’s also great with a dollop of sour cream and a big pinch of paprika."

Chicken Supreme

Devan says, "Chicken supreme is nothing if not a super saucy dish, so when deciding what to serve with it, think of things that will help you soak up all the sauce. Mashed potatoes are a classic (and absolutely stunning) choice, but oven-roasted or smashed potatoes would also do the trick. If you want to keep it even simpler, steamed rice or boiled egg noodles would be nice, too."