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    • 55+ Easy Dinner Recipes for Busy Weeknights

      55+ Easy Dinner Recipes for Busy Weeknights

      Everybody understands the stuggle of getting dinner on the table after a long day. If you're looking for a simple recipe to simplify your weeknight, you've come to the right place--easy dinners are our specialty. For an easy supper that you can depend on, we picked out some of our tried-and-true favorites that have gotten us through even the busiest of days. Whether you're cooking for yourself or for a family, these easy dinners are sure to leave everyone satisfied and stress-free. Read More
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  4. Our Best Dinner Recipes for Laid-Back Weekends

Our Best Dinner Recipes for Laid-Back Weekends

Updated February 27, 2019
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
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ck-Slow Cooker Korean Pork Lettuce Wraps
Credit: Photography: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen.

Sometimes, the best weekends are the ones that aren't packed to the gills with plans and activities. And there's no better way to spend one of those relaxed weekends than taking your dinner-in up a notch. Use your extra downtime to try tackling that one dish you've aways wanted to make for yourself. Need some inspiration? These dinner recipes (okay, and a few desserts, too) are perfect for a weekend project and will elevate what you bring to the table. In fact, you may just find yourself inspired to clear your agenda for this weekend once you start scrolling through.

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Slow Cooker Korean Pork Lettuce Wraps

ck-Slow Cooker Korean Pork Lettuce Wraps
Credit: Photography: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen.

Slow Cooker Korean Pork Lettuce Wraps Recipe

This dish is great for a casual get-together or a weeknight meal (with leftovers). The seasoning paste is modeled after Korean ssamjang--a concentrated, salty, slightly spicy concoction. Unlike traditional versions, though, ours is made with grocery store ingredients for ease and convenience.

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Marinated London Broil with Potatoes, Broccoli, and Roasted Garlic Aioli

Marinated London Broil with Potatoes, Broccoli, and Roasted Garlic Aioli image
Credit: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Julia Levy

Marinated London Broil with Potatoes, Broccoli, and Roasted Garlic Aioli Recipe

This sheet pan dinner couldn't be easier (or more delicious), and utilizing inexpensive London broil, it's one you'll come back to again and again. Serving this budget-friendly dinner with a shortcut aioli takes the entire meal up a notch with minimal effort. In testing, we even found that using jarred roasted garlic, rather than preparing your own, absolutely delivers on flavor. London broil will be labeled as such in many supermarkets, but you can also substitute flank steak or top round. 

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Adult Alphabet Soup

mr-Adult Alphabet Soup image
Credit: Kelsey Hansen; Prop Styling: Kashara Johnson; Food Styling: Mark Driskill

Adult Alphabet Soup Recipe

This sophisticated take on a childhood favorite is the ultimate steamy bowl of comfort—as perfect for when you're sick as it is for when you want to charm dinner guests. Although it looks like the canned classic, Spanish flair delivered in the chorizo and paprika give this soup a satisfying smokiness and rich depth of flavor. We specifically developed this soup to make a large batch so that there's plenty to share with friends, or stash in the freezer for the next time you're feeling a bit under the weather or simply need a warming, fuss-free meal. Serve your alphabet soup with a great grilled cheese sandwich for a nostalgically tasty cool weather dinner.

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Whole Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, Fennel, and Apple

Whole Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, Fennel, and Apple image
Credit: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling: Marianne Williams; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Whole Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, Fennel, and Apple Recipe

For an easy, autumnal dinner, this whole roasted chicken is the way to go. Perched on a bed of root veggies, fennel, apples, and mushrooms, this chicken becomes irresistibly crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside. Apples and mushrooms absorb the savory chicken fat and slowly break down throughout the slow-roasting process, making them almost melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The sheet pan will be crowded upon assembly, but don't fret, roasting will shrink the veggie and apple mixture's size.

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Slow Cooker Rosemary Beef Chuck Roast

rosemary beef chuck roast
Credit: Photographer and Prop Stylist: Gina DeSimone; Food Stylist: Briana Riddock

Slow Cooker Rosemary Beef Chuck Roast Recipe

Set your slow cooker on low and go on about your day knowing that dinner is gonna be delicious. In this simple set-it-and-forget-it dish, beef chuck roast cooks in a flavor-packed rosemary marinade, full of fresh rosemary leaves and onions for a succulent, highly comforting entree. The habanero pepper delivers a detectable heat, but the spice factor is not overwhelming. However, if you're sensitive to heat, use a quarter of the pepper instead of half (or omit it altogether). The remaining liquid in the slow cooker can be cooked down on the stovetop into a rich, flavorful gravy to top the beef, along with your favorite starchy side—rice, mashed potatoes, or roasted sweet potatoes would all make great options.

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Zucchini and Goat Cheese Quiche (Quiche de Courgettes au Chèvre)

Zucchini and Goat Cheese Quiche (Quiche de Courgettes au Chèvre)
Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Zucchini and Goat Cheese Quiche (Quiche de Courgettes au Chèvre) Recipe

This dish is a bit of a project, but once you have the pastry rolled and pressed into the tart pan, most of the work is done, and you can do that well in advance. Keep the dough in the freezer, ready to bake when you need it. (The crust is a lightened adaptation of Tanis' original crust. We reduced the amount of butter by 5 tablespoons and the cream cheese by 2 ounces, and doubled the amount of yogurt.)

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Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue

Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue
Credit: Ellen Silverman; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue Recipe

Wow guests this weekend with a sky-high marshmallow meringue on this sweet potato pie. Be sure to lightly pack the mashed sweet potatoes in your measuring cup for a fluffy filling.

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North African Marinated Lamb

North African Marinade image
Credit: Daniel Agee; Food Styling: Mark Driskill; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

North African Marinated Lamb Recipe

This vibrant lamb dish features an incredibly vibrant North African-inspired marinade, also known as chermoula. Though simple to whip up, the combination of fresh herbs and bold spices in the marinade help to bring out the richness of the lamb and really make this grilled dish (which became a fast staff favorite in the test kitchen) shine. When purchasing the lamb leg, ask your butcher to go ahead and cut it into your desired portions. And If you have trouble finding lamb, feel free to swap it for beef or pork in this recipe—you're still going to have a delicious dinner, no doubt. Serve this meaty entree with roasted potatoes and/or grilled veggies. 

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Slow-Cooker Parmesan-Herb Pork Loin with Chunky Tomato Sauce

Slow-Cooker Parmesan-Herb Pork Loin with Chunky Tomato Sauce
Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Slow-Cooker Parmesan-Herb Pork Loin with Chunky Tomato Sauce Recipe

Prep the night before, start cooking in the morning, and it will be ready when you get off work. Or prep it and cook on high for a hearty weekend lunch or dinner in 3 to 4 hours.

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French Onion Soup

mr-french onion soup update
Credit: Antonis Achilleos, Food Styling: Gordon Sawyer and Tina Stamos, Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell

French Onion Soup Recipe

Once you try this French Onion Soup recipe, you'll never try another. Caramelized, melt-in-your-mouth onions, crusty bread, and melted cheese make for a hearty and rich soup that's worth the wait. You'll want to let it simmer the full two hours for the ultimate blending of flavors. Perfect for a cold day, this classic soup is comfort food at its best. If you don't have a Dutch oven, this also works as a crock pot soup recipe! This recipe is perfect for lunch or dinner. 

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Cheesy Rye Pizza

cheesy rye pizza
Credit: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey and Elise Mayfield; Prop Styling: Kay Clarke and Laura Evans

Cheesy Rye Pizza Recipe

This white pie is a mouthwatering celebration of how great rye and cheese taste together. Be sure to allow the pizza dough to rise slowly so that it does not become too bready. 

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Sheet Pan Oatmeal Toffee-Orange Cream Bars

Sheet Pan Oatmeal Toffee-Orange Cream Bars image
Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Sheet Pan Oatmeal Toffee-Orange Cream Bars Recipe

These toasty-sweet, sheet pan sandwich cookies are fantastic for potlucks or tailgates—heck, whip a batch up on the weekend and enjoy for after-school snacks or dessert throughout the week. Toffee bits and cinnamon kick up the flavor of a traditional oatmeal cookie, while adding fresh orange zest to the filling adds a special touch or bright flavor to these tasty bars. Be sure the cookie is completely cool (out of the pan) before cutting it, or it will crumble. And to ensure a smooth cut, you'll want to chill the filled cookie really well before slicing into bars.

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Irish Beef Stew 

Irish Beef Stew with Guinness and Mustard image
Credit: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Julia Levy

Irish Beef Stew  Recipe

Slow simmered with Guinness and finished with a bit of Dijon mustard for depth, this rich and hearty beef stew is comfort food at its finest. Although we're all for breaking out the Dutch oven for a Sunday supper, if you're looking to whip this recipe up in a hurry, we've included instructions for achieving the same intensely savory Irish beef stew in the Instant Pot. Either way, you're guaranteed tender beef and the perfect reason to pick up a loaf of fresh, crusty bread. 

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Braised Octopus in Tomato Sauce with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

mr- Braised Octopus in Tomato Sauce with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Credit: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Braised Octopus in Tomato Sauce with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes Recipe

 While octopus may not be your typical weeknight the warm and nuanced flavors in this rustic dish absolutely say comfort food, which makes this a perfect gateway recipe for anyone cooking octopus at home for the first time. Plus, braising is an excellent cooking method for octopus, as this allows you to bypass having to pre-cook the octopus by boiling or slow roasting in the oven. The initial sear seals moisture into the meat and then the octopus tenderizes and soaks up flavor as it simmers in the aromatic tomato sauce—the longer you allow it to cook, the better this dish gets.  Octopus can be found at specialty grocery stores (such as Whole Foods), fish markets, and Asian or international markets. Just be sure to ask the fishmonger to clean your octopuses and remove the beaks before wrapping 'em up. Served with simple, crisped fingerling potatoes, this dish is guaranteed to impress.

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Braised Pork with Potatoes and Shallots

Braised Pork with Potatoes and Shallots
Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Braised Pork with Potatoes and Shallots Recipe

Use preground fennel and coriander seeds if you're short on time; you'll lose the texture the crushed seeds provide, but you'll get the same great flavor. Substitute 2 teaspoons each of the ground seeds for 1 tablespoon whole seeds.

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No-Knead Lightly Rye Bread

No-Knead Lightly Rye Bread image
Credit: Caitlin Bensel, Prop Styling: , Food Styling:

No-Knead Lightly Rye Bread Recipe

Ready to try your hand at bread baking? This simple, no-knead bread is the perfect recipe to start with. The easy-to-follow recipe yields a delightfully chewy, crisp-crusted, bakery-style boule and is an excellent yeasted bread for a novice bread maker to build confidence (and impress guests) with. Small additions of whole-wheat and rye flours give the loaf a great depth of flavor and chew without affecting the bread's ability to rise. Beyond being simple to make, this no-knead loaf is ready to enjoy in a fraction of the time required to make many traditional yeasted breads. A touch of molasses not only adds a little flavor, but it speeds up the yeast growth, as does using warm water in the dough. Allowing a 4-hour proof time gives the yeast enough opportunity to grow and time to develop flavor. This bread is fantastic warm from the oven, would be marvelous served alongside soup, and absolutely sings when lightly toasted and served at breakfast. We love it with a simple smear of butter, as well as with slightly more dynamic spreads like this savory Pear, Olive, and Walnut Chutney. 

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Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken

Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken
Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl

Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken Recipe

Start with a whole chicken, cut up, and simmer in a homemade barbecue sauce of ketchup, cola, cider vinegar and a splash of bourbon for a Southern barbecue flavor.

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Ratatouille-Stuffed Shells

Ratatouille-Stuffed Shells

Ratatouille-Stuffed Shells Recipe

Jumbo stuffed shells are your weeknight answer to homemade lasagna: Instead of endless layers, spoon a single vegetable mixture into each shell, and bake 12 minutes or until the cheese melts.

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Slow-Cooker Jambalaya Soup

Jambalaya Soup
Credit: Jennifer Causey

Slow-Cooker Jambalaya Soup Recipe

Look for andouille near the smoked sausages in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. Want to make this soup in your Instant Pot? Click here for the recipe. 

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Nicole's Best Lasagna

Nicole’s Best Lasagna image
Credit: Time Inc. Video Stuido

Nicole's Best Lasagna Recipe

Test kitchen chef and host of Mom vs. Nicole McLaughlin shares her personal recipe for the absolute best homemade lasagna. And trust us, she doesn't throw the word "best" around lightly. 

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Slow Cooker Shrimp Boil

Slow Cooker Shrimp Boil image
Credit: Kelsey Hansen; Prop Styling: Kashara Johnson; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

Slow Cooker Shrimp Boil Recipe

For a classic summery meal without a fuss, look no further than this slow cooker shrimp boil. With a simple ingredient list and a largely hands-off cooking method, this easy seafood boil is a perfect recipe to plan on for casual warm weather entertaining or even as a low-effort meal to make at the rental house during a beach vacation. We opted to pull the corn out after 30 minutes of cooking as we preferred it on the crisp side, but as long as your slow cooker is large enough, feel free to leave it in the pot as the shrimp and sausage cook. 

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Ham, Kale, and White Bean Soup

Ham, Kale, and White Bean Soup
Credit: Jennifer Causey

Ham, Kale, and White Bean Soup Recipe

The water used to cook a pot of beans is really liquid gold, infused with aromatics and thickened with starch from the beans. It makes perfect sense to give the cooking liquid a second life as the broth for the soup (and save the trouble of rinsing and draining). The ham hock will season the broth and the beans as they cook; you won't need additional salt once they are done. Instead of cooking the kale and carrots in the soup, give them a quick sauté and stir them in at the end so they retain their vibrancy.

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Ultimate Coconut Cake

mr-ultimate-coconut-cake
Credit: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey and Elise Mayfield; Prop Styling: Kay Clarke and Laura Evans

Ultimate Coconut Cake Recipe

"Ultimate" is no exaggeration here—this cake features coconut flour, coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut sugar, coconut extract, and (of course) flaked coconut. Given this cake's incredibly moist layers, intense coconut flavor, and lighter-than-air filling, our test kitchen chefs fought over the leftovers.

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Slow Cooker Thai Beef Curry

slow-cooker-thai-beef-curry
Credit: Victor Protasio

Slow Cooker Thai Beef Curry Recipe

It's true that the long, slow cooking period mellows flavors. But bold spices, in bold amounts, will hold their own over time. Here, we start with big flavor from a good amount of curry paste and fish sauce, and we finish with fresh touches of cilantro and lime juice that amplify the taste of everything. Serve over a bed of brown rice or brown rice noodles to catch all the sauce.

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Barberry Rice with Saffron Chicken (Zereshk Polo)

Saffron Chicken
Credit: Amy Dickerson; Styling: Joni Noe

Barberry Rice with Saffron Chicken (Zereshk Polo) Recipe

Los Angeles actor Naz Deravian, creator of the food blog Bottom of the Pot, serves this rice at her annual Yalda celebration, which celebrates the winter solstice. Barberries, the tiny, tart, Vitamin-C-rich fruit of a thorny shrub, are dried for use in any number of Persian dishes besides rice, including stews and jam. When warmed, the berries turn a jewel-like red. Don't let the many steps here dissuade you; they fit together for maximum efficiency.

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Slow-Cooker Four-Cheese Spaghetti with Italian Sausage

Johnsonville Four-Cheese Spaghetti
Credit: Victor Protasio; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Slow-Cooker Four-Cheese Spaghetti with Italian Sausage Recipe

Switch up your go-to slow-cooker meals and go for a cheesy pasta dish that's loaded with hearty sausage. It's a great option for the entire family, and you can take the leftovers for lunch the next day.

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Oven Baby Back Ribs

Oven-Baked BBQ Ribs image
Credit: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Adam Dolge

Oven Baby Back Ribs Recipe

These baby back ribs offer classic BBQ flavor, but are made simple in the oven. Rich and perfectly tangy-sweet, the homemade barbecue sauce used for this recipe is nothing short of divine, but feel free to use your favorite bottle in a pinch. Wrapping the ribs in foil helps to keep them moist throughout the low and slow cook time, while broiling at the end gives them a deliciously crispy crust. To reheat a slab of these oven-baked ribs, re-wrap in foil and return to the oven heated to 300°F for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 

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Elderflower Macarons

Elderflower Macaroons
Credit: Daniel Agee; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Elderflower Macarons Recipe

Here, a crunchy cookie shell with a chewy interior sandwiches delicate, creamy, floral frosting. If it will help, you can print out a piping template online and place it under the parchment paper to pipe consistent size circles. You can, if you like, garnish the tops of the macaroons with fresh elderflowers, which are available from marxfoods.com. The macarons will keep, in an airtight container, for up to a few days.  

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Chicken Enchilada Stack

Chicken Enchilada Stack
Credit: Oxmoor House

Chicken Enchilada Stack Recipe

Think outside the "dish." You can enjoy the flavor and texture of enchiladas in a slow cooker; just stack the tortillas instead of rolling them. We suggest lining your slow cooker with a slow-cooker bag so you can easily remove the stack from the cooker.

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Smoky Eggplant with Scallion Oil

Smoky Eggplant with Scallion Oil
Credit: Iain Bagwell

Smoky Eggplant with Scallion Oil Recipe

Choose eggplants that feel heavy for their size. If you prefer not to grill or char on the burner of your stovetop, you can halve the eggplant lengthwise; place, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; and bake at 450°F for 30 to 45 minutes or until very tender. You'll lose some of the char, but the dish will still be delicious.

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Mediterranean Chicken and Farro

Mediterranean Chicken and Farro
Credit: Greg DuPree

Mediterranean Chicken and Farro Recipe

Chicken thighs hold up nicely in the slow cooker, surrendering rich juices that make this fiber-packed farro extra-satisfying. Castelvetrano olives are bright green and buttery; look for them at your grocery's olive bar. Having trouble finding pearled farro? Pick some up here. 

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Slow-Cooker Ginger, Sweet Tea, and Whiskey Short Ribs

Slow-Cooker Ginger, Sweet Tea, and Whiskey Short Ribs
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Slow-Cooker Ginger, Sweet Tea, and Whiskey Short Ribs Recipe

Short ribs are often considered a cold weather dish, but we gave them a makeover for summer with a bright, tangy sauce (inspired by spiked sweet tea) and a fresh, herbal topping of parsley, scallions, and lemon zest. Serve these easy-to-prepare slow cooker ribs atop grits, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles or alongside potato salad with a tangy, vinegar-based (not mayonnaise-based) dressing.

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Uncle Jack's Mac-and-Cheese

Uncle Jack's Mac-and-Cheese
Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Uncle Jack's Mac-and-Cheese Recipe

Classic cafeteria-style goodness, this recipe yields enough to serve as a side for a crowd, or it could be dinner for a family of four. Recipe by Pam Rawlinson, North Augusta, South Carolina.

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Cola-Marinated Hanger Steak

mr-Cola-Marinated Hanger Steak Image
Credit: Jen Causey; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey and Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland

Cola-Marinated Hanger Steak Recipe

Hanger steak, for reasons beyond most chefs and meat enthusiasts' comprehension, is not a hugely popular cut. However, for a steak that promises massive flavor for a not-massive price tag, hanger is where it's at. It's something like  cross between ribeye and tenderloin in terms of flavor and texture, and a brief marinating session in an intense marinade further enhances these attributes.

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Easy Chili

mr-easy-chili-2019
Credit: Photography: Greg DuPreeFood Styling: Rishon HannersProp Styling: Thom Driver

Easy Chili Recipe

Look no further for the ultimate, easy chili recipe. You may think you know how to make chili, but our homemade chili recipe is a gamechanger. With just a push of a button, your weekday dinner is taken care of as the chili cooks away in the slow-cooker. Add chili to your next barbeque to top grilled sausages for an upgraded version of chili dogs. You can easily substitute ground turkey instead of beef for a lighter option and the rest of the ingredients should already be stocked away in your pantry. To top the hot, spicy chili, add shredded Cheddar cheese and corn chips for extra flavor and texture. To go beyond our favorite classic recipe, find more chili recipes here. 

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Salted Grapefruit Pie

mr-Salted Grapefruit Pie Image
Credit: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey and Elise Mayfield; Prop Styling: Kay Clarke and Laura Evans

Salted Grapefruit Pie Recipe

Tapioca flour does double duty in this gluten-free pie, making the crust super crispy and stabilizing the silky grapefruit custard filling. Whether or not you follow a strictly gluten-free diet, this is a downright impressive dessert that exists in a nexus of acidic, sweet, salty, and creamy. The combo of tapioca, eggs, and butter in the pie's filling work together to make for a clean slice without overtly emphasizing the presence of any one thickener.

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Chicken Wonton Soup

Chicken Wonton Soup
Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling

Chicken Wonton Soup Recipe

For an easier dumpling shape, fold wrapper in half over filling to form a half-moon; press well to seal edges. Stash a batch in the freezer for a faster, fresher, veggie-packed alternative to takeout. 

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Chutney-Glazed Ham

Mango-Chutney Ham Inline
Credit: Stacey Ballis

Chutney-Glazed Ham Recipe

I wanted to make a glaze that was a bit punchier than the usual basic brown sugar or honey mustard, so I experimented with some of my favorite ingredients. Mango Chutney, with its sweet and sour base. Savora, a French condiment that was like a spiced Dijon, for mustard heat with a bit more oomph. Asian honey ginger jam for sweet, and garam masala for musky depth. Raw ginger and garlic and Thai chile to bring freshness to the party, and orange for familiarity and acid. The result was a ham that got demolished at the party.

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Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan
Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

Perfect for Meatless Mondays, this easy eggplant parmesan recipe is not only delicious, but also healthy. Make baked eggplant parmesan instead of lasagna to skip the unnecessary carbs and still enjoy all the cheesy goodness. When breading the eggplant, make sure to use whole-wheat panko instead of regular panko to avoid sogginess. A great crowd-pleaser Italian dish, elevate this eggplant parmesan with our homemade tomato sauce. Don't skimp on the fresh basil to provide a fresh and earthy flavor to this baked dish. Make sure to save enough cheese at the end to sprinkle on top for the final crispy, cheesy layer. 

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Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

We love the heat level in this slow cooker take on tikka masala to fend off winter chill. If the spice kick is too much for your family, you can cut the red pepper down by half without losing any of the dynamic flavor layers.

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Classic Lasagna with Meat Sauce

Classic Lasagna with Meat Sauce
Credit: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Claire Spollen

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Beef Pot Pie

mr-beef-pot-pie
Credit: Alison Miksch; Food Styling: Mary Clair Britton and Kady Wohlfarth; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee

Beef Pot Pie Recipe

Need an all-around great winter dinner? Beef comingles with mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, and peas in this pot pie that's toothsome yet tender, with just the right amount of vegetal sweetness. 

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Duck à l'Orange

Duck à l'Orange
Credit: Linda Pugliese; Styling: Kaitlyn Du Ross Walker

Duck à l'Orange Recipe

Duck breast is best when cooked to medium-rare or medium--it develops livery flavor when cooked longer.

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Beef Burgundy Stew

Beef Burgundy Stew
Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Karin Olsen

Beef Burgundy Stew Recipe

The Vice President for the Southern division of Sears, Roebuck, and Co. sent us this recipe after a trip to France.

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North African Veal Shanks

North African Veal Shanks
Credit: Thomas J. Story

North African Veal Shanks Recipe

Buy smaller shanks if you can find them (3 lbs. or so each)--when crosscut, they make an ideal single serving size. Larger shanks will be just as delicious, though. This recipe works very well with beef shortribs too. The recipe comes from Tanya Holland, chef-owner of Brown Sugar Kitchen and B-Side Baking Co. in Oakland. For another Seder-worthy main course from Holland, see her B-Side Brown Sugar Smoked Brisket recipe on sunset.com.

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Savory Pork Ragù With Pappardelle

Savory Pork Ragù with Pappardelle
Credit: Ryan Liebe

Savory Pork Ragù With Pappardelle Recipe

Country-style pork ribs typically come from the shoulder (not the ribs). They're boneless and easy to buy in small amounts—unlike a pork shoulder roast (Boston butt)—so they're a great option for recipes that don't use a lot of meat. San Marzano tomatoes have superior flavor and, though not touted as being low in sodium, typically are, with just 20mg per serving.

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Grapefruit-Campari Bars with Shortbread Crust

Grapefruit-Campari Bars with Shortbread Crust
Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Grapefruit-Campari Bars with Shortbread Crust Recipe

This grown-up treat embraces the bitterness in both grapefruit and Campari, balancing the flavor with a rich, buttery shortbread crust.

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Cheesy Chicken-and-Spinach Stromboli Ring

ck-Cheesy Chicken-and-Spinach Stromboli Ring
Credit: Photography: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen.

Cheesy Chicken-and-Spinach Stromboli Ring Recipe

Instead of serving pizza, shake up dinner with a gorgeous stromboli ring. Though it may look difficult to make, it's actually an easy process (see our step-by-step instructions below). Most store-bought pizza dough comes in 1- or 1 1/2-pound portions, but you only need 12 ounces for this recipe. Use the leftovers to make breadsticks or flatbread the next day.

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Bulgogi Jungol (Korean Bulgogi Soup)

Bulgogi Jungol (Korean Bulgogi Soup)
Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl

Bulgogi Jungol (Korean Bulgogi Soup) Recipe

This is my version of the lunch I enjoyed with my relatives. It is a specialty of the Hapcheon area--a soup take on the popular Korean dish bulgogi (grilled marinated beef). In Hapcheon, the soup was cooked on the table, and we monitored the cooking. At home, you'll need to watch closely so the broth doesn't boil; you want it at a bare simmer, or else the meat will get tough and the broth cloudy.

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Smoked Brisket

Smoked Brisket

Smoked Brisket Recipe

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    1 of 50 Slow Cooker Korean Pork Lettuce Wraps
    2 of 50 Marinated London Broil with Potatoes, Broccoli, and Roasted Garlic Aioli
    3 of 50 Adult Alphabet Soup
    4 of 50 Whole Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, Fennel, and Apple
    5 of 50 Slow Cooker Rosemary Beef Chuck Roast
    6 of 50 Zucchini and Goat Cheese Quiche (Quiche de Courgettes au Chèvre)
    7 of 50 Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue
    8 of 50 North African Marinated Lamb
    9 of 50 Slow-Cooker Parmesan-Herb Pork Loin with Chunky Tomato Sauce
    10 of 50 French Onion Soup
    11 of 50 Cheesy Rye Pizza
    12 of 50 Sheet Pan Oatmeal Toffee-Orange Cream Bars
    13 of 50 Irish Beef Stew 
    14 of 50 Braised Octopus in Tomato Sauce with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
    15 of 50 Braised Pork with Potatoes and Shallots
    16 of 50 No-Knead Lightly Rye Bread
    17 of 50 Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken
    18 of 50 Ratatouille-Stuffed Shells
    19 of 50 Slow-Cooker Jambalaya Soup
    20 of 50 Nicole's Best Lasagna
    21 of 50 Slow Cooker Shrimp Boil
    22 of 50 Ham, Kale, and White Bean Soup
    23 of 50 Ultimate Coconut Cake
    24 of 50 Slow Cooker Thai Beef Curry
    25 of 50 Barberry Rice with Saffron Chicken (Zereshk Polo)
    26 of 50 Slow-Cooker Four-Cheese Spaghetti with Italian Sausage
    27 of 50 Oven Baby Back Ribs
    28 of 50 Elderflower Macarons
    29 of 50 Chicken Enchilada Stack
    30 of 50 Smoky Eggplant with Scallion Oil
    31 of 50 Mediterranean Chicken and Farro
    32 of 50 Slow-Cooker Ginger, Sweet Tea, and Whiskey Short Ribs
    33 of 50 Uncle Jack's Mac-and-Cheese
    34 of 50 Cola-Marinated Hanger Steak
    35 of 50 Easy Chili
    36 of 50 Salted Grapefruit Pie
    37 of 50 Chicken Wonton Soup
    38 of 50 Chutney-Glazed Ham
    39 of 50 Eggplant Parmesan
    40 of 50 Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
    41 of 50 Classic Lasagna with Meat Sauce
    42 of 50 Beef Pot Pie
    43 of 50 Duck à l'Orange
    44 of 50 Beef Burgundy Stew
    45 of 50 North African Veal Shanks
    46 of 50 Savory Pork Ragù With Pappardelle
    47 of 50 Grapefruit-Campari Bars with Shortbread Crust
    48 of 50 Cheesy Chicken-and-Spinach Stromboli Ring
    49 of 50 Bulgogi Jungol (Korean Bulgogi Soup)
    50 of 50 Smoked Brisket

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    Our Best Dinner Recipes for Laid-Back Weekends
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