Easy Weeknight Favorites

More Weeknight Winners

Parmesan-Crusted Grilled Cheese with Jalapeños

Why put cheese only inside your grilled cheese sandwich? This beauty is filled with Cheddar and coated with Parmesan, which means you get a creamy, melty interior, and a crispy exterior. Basically, a perfect grilled cheese.

25 mins

Air Fryer Scotch Eggs

These Scotch eggs give you the irresistible combination of tender boiled egg, sausage, and crispy coating minus the mess of deep frying.

35 mins

Budget-Friendly Meals

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Main Dish FAQs

Choosing an entree can be tricky, particularly when you’re catering to various diets. These are the most common questions readers ask when looking for a main dish recipe.

Do main dishes have to contain meat?

No, not at all. Vegetarian main dishes can be as simple as pasta tossed in Italian tomato sauce or a serving of hearty vegetarian chili. If you’re experimenting with adding more meatless meals to your repertoire, check out our selection of vegetarian recipes for inspiration.

What are some main dishes that can be made ahead of time?

Soups, stews, and braises are excellent choices for making ahead of time, as their flavor tends to improve after resting overnight.

Can you suggest some popular potluck main dishes?

For a potluck, choose main dishes that travel well and can be kept warm. Slow cooker mains, such as pulled pork, BBQ meatballs, or beef chili are great choices because they can be transported and kept warm in the slow cooker. Casserole recipes are also popular, particularly our classic King Ranch chicken.

How should I store my leftovers?

Leftovers should be refrigerated within 2 hours after cooking. Keep your food in airtight containers in the fridge and consume it within 4 days or freeze it for longer storage.

Jamie Oliver’s Sausage Pappardelle

A metal skillet filled with sausage pappardelle with grated Parmesan on top.
: David Leite

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

more chicken dinners

Rosemary Chicken

This one-pot meal of roasted chicken thighs with leeks, rosemary, and cannellini beans in a creamy sauce just snatched a permanent spot in my weeknight rotation. Try it and find out why.

1 hr 30 mins

Julia Child’s Coq au Vin

Coq au vin, aka chicken soused in wine, is a French classic that exists in countless incarnations. This rich, soulful riff is from Julia Child.

1 hr 30 mins

Dry Brine Turkey

All the juicy, tender perks of brining. None of the fuss of finding a container large enough to contain a turkey and cramming it in your already overstuffed fridge.

1 d 4 hrs 20 mins

Braised Chicken Thighs

Transport yourself to the Mediterranean with this cozy meal of tender chicken thighs that are gently cooked with vermouth, lemon, olives, and prosciutto.

All Mains

Rosemary Chicken

This one-pot meal of roasted chicken thighs with leeks, rosemary, and cannellini beans in a creamy sauce just snatched a permanent spot in my weeknight rotation. Try it and find out why.

1 hr 30 mins

Homemade Corned Beef

Homemade corned beef is crazy easy to make. And it's not just for St. Patrick's Day. Although the holiday simply isn't the same without it.

5 d 3 hrs

Pasta with Butter and Parmesan

Whether you're five or fifty-five, sometimes nothing is more satiating than a plate of spaghetti with butter and cheese.

20 mins

Steak au Poivre (Julia Child’s Recipe)

Julia Child updated the French classic with mixed peppercorns and allspice to lend a little intrigue. A surprisingly quick yet altogether swoon-worthy weeknight dinner.

25 mins

Breaded Oven Fried Chicken Thighs

These crumb-coated thighs come together with no fuss and can easily be adapted to whatever ingredients you happen to have on hand.

35 mins

Meatball Stroganoff

This updated version of the classic, made with mini meatballs and creamy mushroom sauce, is so rich and comforting that you may never go back to the original.

1 hr

Homemade Pastrami

Pastrami. We consider it the other corned beef. We also consider it darn easy to make it yourself.

5 d 7 hrs

Roasted Bone Marrow

Though traditionally a first course, bone marrow is sufficient enough to be both first course and last course. And maybe each course in between.

12 hrs 30 mins

Julia Child’s Coq au Vin

Coq au vin, aka chicken soused in wine, is a French classic that exists in countless incarnations. This rich, soulful riff is from Julia Child.

1 hr 30 mins

Veal Piccata

"Everyone loved it, including the kiddos." "Quick and easy." "Perfect." "As good as any restaurant piccata I've ever had." That's what folks are saying about this recipe.

35 mins

Spiced Beef Tenderloin Roast

Skip the traditional beef tenderloin seasonings and try this shawarma-inspired version that gets coated in fragrant spices and quickly cooked in the oven.

4 hrs 35 mins

Turkey Tetrazzini

This creamy turkey tetrazzini with crispy panko-Parmesan topping is why you'll want to make sure there's leftover Thanksgiving turkey.

1 hr

Dry Brine Turkey

All the juicy, tender perks of brining. None of the fuss of finding a container large enough to contain a turkey and cramming it in your already overstuffed fridge.

1 d 4 hrs 20 mins

Lemon-Garlic Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs

An elegant meal of roasted chicken thighs and potatoes drizzled with lemon garlic sauce in under an hour and made on a single sheet pan. You're welcome.

55 mins

Garlic-Butter Shrimp Pasta

Only 30 minutes and a few simple ingredients stands between you and a warm bowl of pasta and shrimp bathed in lemon garlic butter. What are you waiting for?

30 mins

Grilled Beef Short Ribs with Bourbon BBQ Sauce

These tender beef short ribs are cooked low and slow, then slathered with a boozy homemade bbq sauce and finished on the grill. They're perfect for backyard barbecues, picnics, and summer celebrations.

5 hrs

Braised Chicken Thighs

Transport yourself to the Mediterranean with this cozy meal of tender chicken thighs that are gently cooked with vermouth, lemon, olives, and prosciutto.

Brie Mac and Cheese

The creamiest, cheesiest, most comforting mac and cheese you're ever going to try. Swear.

1 hr