Cooking wasn’t ever something I enjoyed. Despite having a grandmother who loved to cook (and did it incredibly well!) and spent hours making something from real ingredients, and my parents that succeeded in the kitchen and at the grill, I didn’t have the same passion for it.
Now that I work part-time and get to be full-time homemaker, cooking is something I’ve wanted to do more of, but I knew I would have to start slow and simple. A complicated meal would never win me over to make cooking a regular thing, but with easy, delicious recipes, I’ve been able to do just that. It’s all about balance. Maybe a little more time spent prepping the chicken or beef but then easy sides that require minimum time.
I love cooking for Pitt and me. I love putting together ingredients to make meals we both love. I love having delicious leftovers. Even if I didn’t start off with the same great passion as my grandmother, it’s simply been a matter of experimentation and finding a groove that works for us. I’m slowly building up my recipe box; and having great recipes to pull each week, has made a big difference. Here are five weeknight dinners we love:
- Sausage & Broccoli Pasta. Slightly modified this recipe from Liz Joy by using ground, sweet Italian sausage and broccoli florets, and it is delicious!
- Coconut Lime Chicken. This recipe from The Whole Cook checks all the boxes. It’s light, easy, and packed with flavor. Serve over rice with broccoli or another veggie of your choice.
- Meatloaf. This recipe is so good. I like to serve with mashed potatoes or baby Yukon gold potatoes and Le Sueur sweet peas. Comfort food at its finest.
- Skinny Baked Crispy Chicken Tenders. A lighter way to do tenders. Served with salad and Annie’s macaroni & cheese. These tenders hold great flavor that’s easy to achieve.
- Hamburgers on the George Foreman grill. On warmer days, these are easy to prepare, with minimal cleanup. Derek seasons with Tony Chachere and his own special blend, and each serving is better than the last. We enjoy these bun-less with Alexia sweet potato fries or regular sweet potatoes topped with a little bit of butter and brown sugar and usually green beans.
If you make any or all of these, let me know what you think! They’re delicious and fairly easy to prepare which is why they’ve made this list. Bon appétit!