Main Dishes and Entrées

Getting dinner on the table is easy with these main dishes and entrées. Recipes from our test kitchens professionals are designed to inspire – whether you are entertaining or cooking at home.

Staff Picks

Tangy Italian Beef Sandwiches

Rating: Unrated
7
Slow cooking excels with this recipe. The beef slowly braises until it practically falls to shreds. Complete your sandwich with mozzarella or provolone cheese. Although it's great on sandwiches, the meat is also delicious over a baked potato topped with sour cream.

Easy Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas with Celery Salsa

Ideal for buffalo chicken lovers, this enchilada bake is rich, creamy, and spicy, making it the perfect dinnertime indulgence.
By Nicole McLaughlin

Pasta Primavera with Mushrooms, Carrots, and Asparagus

Dinner just got easier and more delicious with this quick, flavorful pasta primavera. Whole-wheat noodles add complexity to the overall flavor of the dish, while tender vegetables add texture and color. Top with fresh basil and proscuitto before serving for a resaurant-worthy presentation that takes just 20 minutes. 
By Robin Bashinsky

Sheet Pan Orange Chicken with Garlicky Green Beans

Rating: Unrated
5
Make Orange Chicken that's cheaper, fresher, and more delicious than Chinese take-out. Believe it or not, all you need is sheet pan to make sticky, orange-glazed chicken and crisp green beans. If you can't find French green beans, blanch regular green beans for 2 minutes, dry them, and proceed with the chili sauce. Don't skip broiling the dish at the end-- that's what quickly glazes the chicken and gives the green beans that irresistable crunchy-yet-tender texture. 
By Paige Grandjean

Spicy-Sweet Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

In under 30 minutes, you can dress crispy bacon wrapped shrimp in brown sugar, paprika, and smoked red pepper for a dynamically delicious appetizer. This combinatioin of spicy, sweet, smooth, and crunchy will keep you grabbing for more.  
By Nicole McLaughlin

"Ham" for Two

Rating: Unrated
2
Holiday ham leftovers take weeks to finish. Instead, prepare a basic one pound pork tenderloin just as you would prepare a ham. The result is a traditionally brined, brown-sugar-coated "ham" for two in just one day. It even comes out pink! This recipe uses pink brining salt from Williams Sonoma, but you could use Prague #1 instead. 
By Robin Bashinsky

Perfect Roasted Beef Tenderloin

Rating: Unrated
2
This beef tenderloin recipe is magic. The result is delicious enough for a special occasion, yet it is simple enough to be made on a weeknight. You can let the beef tenderloin chill for up to 24 hours, if desired. If you prefer medium, cook the tenderloin until it reaches an internal temperature of 140-145 degrees. Purchasing high quality meat will make all of the difference in the tenderness and flavor of the final product. Serve this main with roasted potatoes, asparagus, and a glass of red  wine. 
By Robby Melvin

Orange Chicken Skewers with Jalapeño-Mint Yogurt Dip

Packed full of bright citrus flavor, this dish makes for a perfect fuss-free weeknight dinner. Feel free to make the creamy yogurt dip in advance to speed up the prep on this fast and fresh dinner even more. Tangy Greek yogurt and fresh mint are a refreshing balance to the heat of a jalapeño, but to tame the spice a bit more, simply remove the seeds of your jalapeño before dicing and stirring into the yogurt. This recipe serves 2, but is easily doubled to serve more (or if you want to make sure you have leftovers). If you are using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in cold water prior to grilling. 
By The Food Gays

Meatloaf Bundt Cake

When you thought meatloaf couldn’t go more retro, we found a way. Spiced with Creole seasoning, garlic powder, and butter-coated vegetables, this meatloaf recipe finds it’s home in a bundt pan. This traditional recipe truly takes the cake and will be at the center of attention at any dinner party. And like any good cake, our meatloaf needs proper frosting and decor. Thus, we finished our tomato-glazed meatloaf bundt with a drizzle of gravy, freshly piped mashed potatoes, crispy onions, and a sprinkle of finely chopped fresh parsley. Oh, and we filled the center with French onion dip… because it felt like the right thing to do. Dinner is served.
By Katherine Flynn

Cabernet-Braised Beef Short Ribs

Cooking short ribs in red wine delivers an unbelievably rich sauce perfect for spooning over noodles. Serve with a chunk of bakery bread so that you don't miss a drop of the delicious sauce. 

Penne Alla Vodka Pizza

You are sure to love this irresistible pie that combines 2 favorites: vodka pasta and homemade pizza. 
By Julia Levy

Roast Beef and Cheddar Sandwich with Horseradish Sauce

We are not thinkin' Arbys-- not after a roast beef sandich like this one. A classic creamy cheese sauce makes this sandwich super rich, while a horseradish sauce adds a kick. We love the onion bun, preferably bakery-made, but you could also use a pretzel bun instead. Make this sandwich the centerpiece of your Super Bowl Spread or serve along with beer and fries for a crowd-pleasing meal.  
By Robby Melvin

Inspiration and Ideas

55 Hearty Meals in a Bowl

55 Hearty Meals in a Bowl

Sometimes simplicity is the best solution. Treat yourself to a one-bowl meal (and we're not talking about soup) that mixes everything up in a great tumbled combination of awesome flavors.
30 Super Spicy Dinners

30 Super Spicy Dinners

Turn up the heat with these spicy recipes. 
15 Easy Fall Dump Dinners

15 Easy Dump Dinners That Scream "Fall"

10+ Copycat Main Dishes to Satisfy Your Ultimate Restaurant Cravings

10+ Copycat Main Dishes to Satisfy Your Ultimate Restaurant Cravings

12 Twists on Shepherd's Pie

12 Twists on Shepherd's Pie

19 Caesar Salad Recipes

19 Caesar Salad Recipes

Pastelón

This hearty and comforting dish is just like a savory lasagna made complete with delicious Latin spices. The flavor profile is slightly sweet, salty, and spicy all at the same time, which culminates into one truly delicious flavor experience.  A great accompaniment to this dish would be to serve it with warm tortillas and a green salad. This warm and delicious dish is the epitome of a comfort food experience. 

All Main Dishes and Entrées

Pasta Primavera with Peas, Prosciutto, and Asparagus

"Pasta primavera" refers to any dish with pasta and vegetables, but don't make just any pasta primavera. This gorgeous, 15-minute version incorporates fresh peas, aspargus, and grape tomatoes requiring little prep. Top with fresh basil and proscuitto just before serving for a show-stopping meal with minimal effort. 
By Robin Bashinsky

Asian Chicken Thighs

Serve these saucy chicken thighs over cooked noodles with a side of steamed broccoli for a well-rounded meal. Finishing the chicken thighs in the broiler to ensure a crispy outside and juicy on the inside. 

DIY Classic TV Dinners

TV dinners used to be quick ready-made meals that were popped in the microwave or the oven before everyone gathered around the tube to watch some prime-time television. These meals were classic meat and two's or comforting casserole dishes like baked macaroni and cheese. Because the nostalgia is too delicious to pass up, these DIY meals are the perfect solution for that TV dinner craving without the pre-made packaging or iffy ingredients. 

Crunchy Roast Beef Quesadilla Wraps

Meet the tasty, more sophisticated version of a crunch wrap supreme. These wraps are crispy, chewy, and flavorful thanks to layers of tortilla, cheese, beef, and crushed tortilla chips. Mexican cream and Chihuahua cheese can be found in Latin food markets. If you can't find them, substitue creme fraiche and cheddar jack. 
By Robby Melvin

Comforting Chicken Cacciatore Recipes

The word cacciatore translates to hunter in Italian, and typically refers to a hearty meat dish made with a tomato base and fresh herbs.

Ahi Tuna Poke Pizza

This fresh, spring-inspired vehicle for poke proves that pizza doesn’t have to be unhealthy! You'll want to use the freshest ahi tuna you can get your hands on for this vibrant, company-worthy entree. 
By The Food Gays

Mexican Chicken Stew

Ground guajillo chile powder is found in Mexican markets and adds a complexity to the stew that regular chili powder cannot. Though it's more mild compared to other chile powders, guajillo chile powder is tangy, smoky, and rich. 

Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Sharp cheddar, white cheddar, and cream cheese make this cheese sauce ultra creamy, while hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce help round out the rich, cheesy flavors. This stovetop recipe will have you wondering why you ever enjoyed mac and cheese any other way. 
By Nicole McLaughlin

Hearty Baked Potatoes

Try our favorite ways to top or stuff a potato that go way beyond butter and sour cream.

20 Twists on the Classic BLT

The classic combination gets a makeover in these tasty twists on the BLT sandwich.

10+ Fantastic Flatbread Pizza Recipes

Searching for a lighter alternative to heavy pizza? Look no further than our fantastic flatbread recipes. From bright and fresh options that are perfect for summertime outdoor entertaining (we're looking at you, Chicken and Peach Flatbreads and Pea Pesto Flatbread) to fancy guest-worthy dinners (this Fig Jam and Goat Cheese Flatbread is sure to impress), you'll keep coming back to our collection of easy flatbread pizza recipes. 

Hot Chicken and Doffles

Winner, winner, hot chicken doffle. If these glorious waffle-doughnut hybrid chicken sandwiches don’t peel you out of bed in the morning, we probably can’t help you. Chicken cutlets are dunked in hot sauce-laced buttermilk, doused in an oil bath to master the coveted crisp-crunchy skin, and then glossed with spicy melted butter. The heat of the chicken is quelled by the glazed doughnuts, which helps master the crave-worthy sweet-salty-spicy breakfast alchemy we all aspire to. Warning: A fork and knife (or a bib, at the very least) are required to tackle this monster of a sandwich.
By Margaret Dickey

Braised Short Ribs with Savory Red Cabbage Slaw

Get ready for big, bold, and oh so beefy. The test kitchen chef who created this recipe jokes that it’s better titled “Umami Beef Incarnate,” because the dish truly is the embodiment of beef’s incredible power to wield savory flavor to the max. With all of the umami-laden components uniting in this dish—ingredients like tomato paste, cabbage, soy sauce, bonito, sherry, etc.—this is a job for beef and beef alone (as in, this recipe is no place for your chicken and salmon). Gochujang, a Korean chile paste and serious umami booster, can be found at your local Asian market. But if you have trouble finding it, you can also substitute an additional 1 tablespoon of tomato paste for the gochujang.  
By Robin Bashinsky

Korean Barbecue Spatchcock Chicken with Shishitos and Scallions

This impressive and vibrant meal comes together surprisngly quick thanks to the power of the grill and the power of spatchcocking. If you've never tried it before, spatchcocking is a technique that refers to removing the bird's back bone so that you can butterfly the whole chicken open. This technique is a guaranteed route to succulent meat, ultra-crispy skin, and a much quicker cooking time. 
By Paige Grandjean

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Crust Pizza

Sweet potatoes give this pizza a hearty and flavorful, yet gluten-free crust.
By Adam Hickman

Country Fried Beef Biscuit Sliders

Buttery, tender biscuits are the perfect vehicle for Roast Beef Steaks and the Mustard sauce is just tart enough to balance the richness of the meat. This country spin on a slider is decadent, comforting, and crowd-pleasing; great for Super Bowl get-togethers, brunch, or a cold winter morning. We love adding Pickled Red Onion for added flavor and color. White Lily self-rising flour makes the biscuits a breeze, but if you need to save time, just use your favorite brand of frozen biscuit. 
By Robby Melvin

Sneak Peek: Chicken Recipes from our New Cookbook

Take a peek at these top-rated chicken recipes from our new cookbook, America's Favorite Food.

Ham Cured Pineapple with Prosciutto and Pomegranate

Most people adorn their holiday ham with pineapple. This year, flip the script and "hamify" a whole pineapple. The result is a "wow" worthy holiday centerpiece that resembles a modern version of the classic ham, pineapple, and maraschino cherry combination. The glaze, pomegranate, prosciutto, and charred pineapple hit every flavor note in the book. Carve the pineapple like, well... a ham. 
By Robin Bashinsky

Vegetarian Recipes from Food & Wine

Vegetarian recipes from Food & Wine magazine that are so good, you won’t even miss the meat! 

Popover Meat Pies

Super-savory mini meat pies are the perfect completment to a seasonal salad or roasted veggies for a well-rounded, satisfying meal. Make a batch and freeze another for quick and comforting weeknight dinners or bake for a grab-and-go meal before holiday travels. 
By Mark Driskill

Pierogi Recipes

Pierogies are Polish dumplings usually made from unleavened bread dough and stuffed with a filling typically made from potatoes, but it doesn't stop there. There's no limit to the both sweet and savory fillings that can be stuffed inside these hearty dumplings. Though they can be boiled, pan frying is the best way to release and intensify their flavors.

Cheeseburger Omelet

Rating: Unrated
1
Take all of the glory of a bacon cheeseburger topped with caramelized onions and served with French fries (and ketchup, of course), wrap all of it up in fluffy eggs, and pal, you have yourself one heck of a cheeseburger experience. This ridiculously delicious omelet is appropriate served at any hour of the day and is an excellent use for leftover burger fixin's, if you have them. Note: This recipe provides for 3 times as many burgers and caramelized onions as you'll need for a single omelet. If you don't use them for additional omelets, you can always enjoy the leftovers as regular ol' caramelized onion burgers. 
By Robin Bashinsky

Smoked Pork and Split Pea Soup

An immersion blender is handy for pureeing this soup. Cardamon, allspice, anise, sherry, thyme, cumin, and bay leaf create a rich blended flavor when melded together in your slow cooker. Make this soup for comfort on a chilly winter night, with leftovers for lunch the next day. 

5 New Ways to Serve the Perfect Roasted Beef Tenderloin

Take our recipe for the Perfect Roasted Beef Tenderloin and create mouth-watering dishes that provide a break from the same old, same old. There's something about adding beef that makes these dishes more impressive and of course, more satifying. If you consider yourself a purist, no worries. This juicy, flavorful beef tenderloin can stand alone and makes for a show-stopping main. 
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