Weeknight Meals

Spaghetti squash plays the part of rice noodles in this take on a Vietnamese noodle bowl.

This quick-cooking version of the street-food favorite features chicken that is crisp on the outside yet moist and juicy on the inside.

Make your own broth with little more than dried porcini mushrooms for this light, filling, and deeply flavorful vegetarian soup.

These quick-cooking lamb chops make dinner feel instantly fancy.

With sweet potato as a binder, quinoa for protein, and meaty mushrooms for depth, this veggie burger beats anything in the frozen foods aisle.

I used to be put off by poaching chicken as I feared it was more complicated than my simple fried version. But it's actually much easier, because while the chicken poaches you can prepare the rest of the food. These days I often poach 3 or 4 chicken breasts at a time, then keep them in the fridge so I can toss them into salads over the following days. Poaching really helps to keep the moisture in the meat, so the end result is much more enjoyable than dried, overcooked chicken.

This fresh take on tabbouleh eliminates the bulgur entirely and uses the golden seeds of millet instead, which give a nutty, cornlike taste to the salad. (Here's how to master millet). But it's really all about the green herbs: Feel free to add too many!

Hanger steak is the king of what I call weeknight steaks, casual cuts of leanish meat that deliver delicious flavor without a lot of expense or fuss. The skinny strip of flesh tastes best cooked hard and fast, for a crispy char on the outside, and left nice and pink inside. Slice it with a significant slant across the grain for the best eating texture. If you can find a grass-finished hanger steak, you’ll get leaner meat and a higher proportion of healthy lipids, such as omega-3s and CLAs. The bad news: hanger steak—or onglet, as it is sometimes known—can be hard to find. Even my regular butcher runs out somewhat frequently. Don’t fret—just substitute flank steak.

This simple, light salad showcases the beauty of winter vegetables and makes an elegant start to a festive holiday meal.

I made this glorious hamburger soup one Sunday in winter for three very important reasons: One, it was so ding dang cold outside, all I could think about was soup. Two, church was canceled (Church? Canceled? I don't understand.) and I didn't have anything else to do. Three, I was hungry, man. I love hamburger soup so much because it's meaty and hearty and flavorful and satisfying. Mmmmmm! It just feels good to eat it, and as a bonus, it always reminds me of my grandmother Ga-Ga. And that always means it's going to be delicious.

Brown butter and sage create a rich, complex sauce in just a few short steps for this simple pasta.

Don't be fooled by the simple ingredient list: the combo of pumpkin purée and heavy cream turns into a luxurious pasta sauce with a rich smokiness thanks to Spanish smoked paprika.

Bitter radicchio, spicy Italian sausage, and sweet sun-dried tomatoes make for a sophisticated pasta with very little effort.

Upgrade family pizza night with hot Italian sausage and a healthy dose of greens.

If you've given up on stovetop rice methods, you'll love this hands-off oven technique.

I’m just going to say it: this is the best macaroni cheese I’ve ever eaten – better than the macaroni cheese I ate as a child; better than the macaroni cheese I brought my own children up on when they were little (they don’t agree); better than any fancy restaurant macaroni cheese with white truffle or lobster; better than any macaroni cheese I have loved in my life thus far, and there have been many.

A splash of cream is the secret to achieving an indulgent, delicious pasta sauce on a weeknight.

You're going to want to keep making this wholesome vegetarian soup all winter long.

This flavorful tomato and cauliflower curry recipe is made with freshly ground spices, fresh chilies and ginger, and Hunt's® canned tomatoes. Created by Elizabeth Stark of Brooklyn Supper.

Elegant enough for company and fast and easy enough for a weeknight, this classic chicken dish will never disappoint.