Dinner Tonight: September 2018

August 31, 2018
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Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor; Stylist: Rose Nguyen
Serve up easy, delicious dinners every night (in 45 minutes or less!) with these healthy, family-friendly recipes. 
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Baked Flounder with Fresh Lemon Pepper

Credit: Oxmoor House

For this 15-minute baked flounder, use fresh lemon, good olive oil, and freshly ground peppercorns, and you'll never look at lemon pepper the same again. We used flounder, but any other mild white fish will do.


Baked Flounder with Fresh Lemon Pepper Recipe
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2 of 30

Spicy Shrimp and Grits

Credit: Oxmoor House

Crank up the heat (in your weeknight meal, that is!) and serve a spicier version of this Southern favorite.


Spicy Shrimp and Grits Recipe

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Zucchini Fried Rice

Credit: Photo: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Adam Dolge

This single skillet dinner is a weeknight-friendly meal the whole family can get behind, not to mention—it’s a genius way to put a bulk of summer zucchini to good use. The grated zucchini helps to lighten and brighten this take-out favorite, and stealthily bulks up the nutritional value of pickier eaters’ plates. Plus, this budget-friendly dish is actually best made using day-old rice, so it’s a great meal to plan on for utilizing leftovers later in the week. You can definitely use whatever you have on hand, but smaller-sized zucchini tend to work best in this recipe, as you want to minimize the number of seeds. Feel free to eliminate the pork or replace it with tofu to make this meal vegetarian. 


Zucchini Fried Rice Recipe
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Mediterranean Chicken Skillet

Credit: Photo: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Adam Dolge

This single-skillet recipe is impressive enough to make it company-worthy, but easy enough to make on a weeknight. It’s important to minimize moving the chicken and the onions as they cook in order to help them brown nicely and to reduce the chance of their releasing excess liquid into the pan. Pro tip: Keep a clean bowl or sheet tray handy when you’re making a single skillet meal such as this; that way, you can easily take items out of the pan and set aside as needed. 


Mediterranean Chicken Skillet Recipe

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Classic Sesame Noodles

Credit: Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Prop Stylist: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Liz Mervosh

This Chines takeout favorite is wholly satisfying and simple to prepare at home. If you need a little bit of shopping guidance when it comes to some of the less familiar ingredients in this recipe, be sure to check out this explainer on Chinese sesame paste (and how it differs from tahini) as well as our guide to Asian noodles. 


Classic Sesame Noodles Recipe

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Skillet Chicken with Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Learn how to make this fresh and vibrant 35-minute Skillet Chicken with Roasted Potatoes dish for dinner tonight. The bright flavors of lemon and the smooth notes of a rich sauce accompany chicken, potatoes, and carrots in this easy and hearty one-pan supper.


Skillet Chicken with Roasted Potatoes and Carrots Recipe
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Summer Squash and Corn Chowder

Credit: Photo: John Autry; Styling: Mindi Shapiro

Enjoy a low-calorie soup in the summertime by making this satisfying chowder with the season's best produce. Top with cheese and bacon for kid appeal.


Summer Squash and Corn Chowder Recipe

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Kung Pao Chicken

Credit: Photo: John Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr

Drop the takeout menu! We cut calories and sodium by making this Asian stir-fry favorite at home. This recipe delivers authentic flavor in less than 30 minutes.


Kung Pao Chicken Recipe

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Sausage-Spinach Rice Bowl

Credit: Photo: José Picayo

This quick, easy sausage and spinach rice bowl recipe is a one-dish meal that can be ready in 10 minutes flat. Use precooked brown rice, hot Italian turkey sausage, and fresh baby spinach. Serve with garlic toast, if desired.


Sausage-Spinach Rice Bowl Recipe
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Creamy Street Corn Soup

Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Love elote? Of course, who doesn’t? This vibrant and creamy summer soup hits all the crave-worthy flavor notes of the classic Mexican street corn, but comes in a slightly less-messy format. Whether you serve it as an appetizer or your main dish, this street corn soup is sure to become a fast favorite. 


Creamy Street Corn Soup Recipe

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Cucumber Gazpacho with Blue Crab

Credit: Photographer: Jennifer Causey 

Cucumber Gazpacho with Blue Crab Recipe

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Baked Smokin' Macaroni and Cheese

Credit: Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine

Baked Smokin' Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
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One-Pan Chicken with Lemon, Olives, and Artichokes

Credit: Greg DuPree

You’ll love the bold flavors of this Mediterranean-inspired dish. Lemony chicken and artichokes are topped with a bright and tangy relish of green olives, parsley, and thyme. We love serving this dish over pearl couscous to soak up the delicious pan sauce, but you can swap it out for rice or even pasta.


One-Pan Chicken with Lemon, Olives, and Artichokes Recipe

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Fall Vegetable Curry

Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Embrace the beginning of autumn in a 30-minute vegetarian meal featuring sweet potato, chickpeas, and cauliflower.


Fall Vegetable Curry Recipe

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Chicken Puttanesca with Angel Hair Pasta

Credit: Lee Harrelson

This Chicken Puttanesca with Angel Hair Pasta recipe serves as a quick variation on the Italian original. See how to spice up bottled pasta sauce with chicken, capers, olives, and red pepper for an impressive, no-fuss meal.


Chicken Puttanesca with Angel Hair Pasta Recipe
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Two-Step Macaroni and Cheese

Credit: Photo: Lee Harrelson

Quick and easy comfort food satisfies the stomach and the soul in this four-ingredient dish. Toss in crumbled cooked bacon and serve with buttery steamed broccoli to round out the meal.


Two-Step Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

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Chicken-Orzo Soup

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Rose Nguyen

Nothing says comfort like a bowl of hearty chicken soup. Pair with a sandwich for a simple, comforting dinner option.


Chicken-Orzo Soup Recipe

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Chicken Fricassee with Browned Butter Noodles

Credit: Photo: Whitney Ott

This French-country-meets-retro classic gets a weeknight twist with quick-cooking chicken cutlets and egg noodles. Keep the sear on the chicken to a light golden color so it won't darken the delicate white wine sauce.


Chicken Fricassee with Browned Butter Noodles Recipe
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Oven-Fried Chicken with Spring Salad

Credit: Greg DuPree

Making crispy, golden-brown chicken is ­possible on a weeknight if you use the oven instead of the stove-top. Enjoy the contrast between the hot cooked chicken and the tangy caper-and-lemon vinaigrette.


Oven-Fried Chicken with Spring Salad Recipe

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Mongolian Beef

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

Forget the fast food--this take on Mongolian Beef delivers all the flavor without the insane sodium and fat levels. Serve this bold, Asian-inspired beef favorite over wide rice noodles with a side of steamed or roasted broccoli.


Mongolian Beef Recipe

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Arugula Pesto Pizza

Credit: Photo: Caitlin Bensel

Wide ribbons of fresh butternut squash become tender while the pizza bakes, a colorful and faintly sweet contrast to the peppery arugula pesto.


Arugula Pesto Pizza Recipe
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Superfast Salisbury Steak

Credit: Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro

Quick and juicy Salisbury Steak makes for an ideal dinner tonight and a super-filling lunch tomorrow. We used a blend of two kinds of ground meats for the patties. Serve with roasted vegetebales, such as potatoes and carrots, for a quick, satisfying 25-minute supper.


Superfast Salisbury Steak Recipe

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Spicy Apple-Glazed Chick 'n' Grits Gorgonzola

Credit: Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro

Cheesy, creamy grits pair perfectly with savory chicken that’s brushed in an apple butter and spicy brown mustard glaze. Spicy Apple-Glazed Chick 'n' Grits makes for a unique and impressive 30-minute meal, and at just 371 calories, you won’t have to feel bad about going in for seconds.


Spicy Apple-Glazed Chick 'n' Grits Gorgonzola Recipe

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Roasted Rosemary Chicken Quarters with Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts

Credit: Photo: Greg Dupree; Prop Stylist: Missie Crawford; Food Stylist: Katelyn Hardwick

This fantastic sheet pan chicken supper is simple to throw together and packed with robust fall flavor. While it’s a great dish to add into your weeknight dinner rotation, this roasted chicken dinner is impressive enough for casual entertaining. Feel free to swap out the butternut squash for sweet potatoes if you’d prefer. And to find even more inspired sheet pan meals, you’ll definitely want to pick up a copy of One Sheet Eats: 100+ Delicious Recipes All Made on a Baking Sheet.


Roasted Rosemary Chicken Quarters with Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts Recipe
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Spaghetti with Squash, Walnuts and Parmesan

Credit: Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

Try this fall-flavored spin on spaghetti made with butternut squash, walnuts, bread crumbs, and Parmesan. 


Spaghetti with Squash, Walnuts and Parmesan Recipe

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Steak Salad with Butternut Squash and Cranberries

Credit: Photography: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Anna Hampton; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower.

A summer classic leans into fall with roasted butternut squash, tart-sweet dried cranberries, and fresh rosemary. Find peeled, diced fresh butternut squash in the produce section. You can sub crumbled goat cheese or feta for the blue cheese and walnuts or pecans for the hazelnuts.


Steak Salad with Butternut Squash and Cranberries Recipe

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Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce

Credit: Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Prop Styling: Kashara Johnson; Food Styling: Adam Hickman and Briana Riddock

Are you ready for the best chicken enchiladas of your life? While you could use a rotisserie chicken for this cheesy enchilada recipe, poaching chicken breasts in a delicately flavored liquid both creates succulently tender meat (that won’t dry out as the casserole bakes) and adds another layer of flavor to the dish. The key to successful poaching is temperature control; you want to keep your poaching liquid from ever reaching a boil. In fact, you should aim to keep the water at a state of releasing wispy spouts of steam from the surface, but never bubbling, throughout the entirety of the cooking process. (It’s not nearly as intense/difficult as it seems.) You should also try to purchase chicken breasts that are roughly the same size so that they cook at the same rate. While the total prep time on this recipe isn’t exactly what you might consider “speedy,” it’s a fun dish to prepare and assemble with another helper in the kitchen. Prep a pan (or two, so you have one for the freezer!) on Sunday to enjoy heading into a new week. Featuring smoky ancho chili powder and some of the poaching liquid, the homemade enchilada sauce is another distinguishing delight of this dish; however, if you’re looking to shave time off of the recipe, you can substitute store-bought sauce. And if you opt to use rotisserie or leftover chicken as a shortcut, but still want to make your sauce from scratch, simply substitute water and/or chicken stock for the liquid called for. 


Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce Recipe
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Ground Beef and Pasta Casserole

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower

This casserole is perfect for a busy week when getting in and out of the kitchen needs to be a snap. The marrying of flavors in one pot from the ground sirloin, fresh vegetables, aromatic seasonings, and rigatoni make for a satisfying pasta dish with an easy cleanup.


Ground Beef and Pasta Casserole Recipe

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Turkey and Bean Chili

Credit: Photo: John Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr

Make this low-calorie chili in just 20 minutes for a quick, one-pot supper. Serve with cornbread to complete the meal.


Turkey and Bean Chili Recipe

30 of 30

Chicken and Cashews

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor; Stylist: Rose Nguyen

Top tender chicken with an Asian-inspired sauce packed with cashews, honey, and sesame oil. Serve this one-dish dinner over instant rice for a delicious dinner in about 10 minutes.


Chicken and Cashews Recipe
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