Five Weeknight Dinners, One Grocery Run

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Planning weeknight meals in this busy season of life feels like a full-time job. 
Each week, as I’m making a grocery order, I try to get my family to contribute dinner ideas only to receive responses like “I don’t know,” “I can’t think of anything,” & “I don’t really care, anything is good.”  

Gee, thanks.  

The planning is more than half the battle in my opinion.  

Then there is the question of, what are they ACTUALLY going to eat? 

These are five dinners that have earned repeat status at our house. Some are quick, some take a little more time, and almost all of them can be adjusted depending on what you have, what your kids will eat, and how much energy you have left by 5:00.

I have become quite the fan of the Blackstone grill. It is easy to use, easy to clean, and can cook a lot at one time (and my house stays smelling fresh). I use it as often as I can for quick weeknight dinners!

Even better, several of these can do double duty for school lunches the next day!

Here are five dinners I make again and again.

1. Blackstone Philly Cheesesteaks

These are a favorite at our house.  I fire up the Blackstone to make these- it keeps my kitchen clean and my house from smelling like a Philadelphia sandwich shop.   

You’ll Need

• About 2 lbs ribeyes, more for big appetites 

• Worcestershire sauce

• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced

• Olive oil

• 1 large white onion

• 1 green bell pepper

• 1 red bell pepper

• Sliced mushrooms

• Provolone cheese

• 6 hoagie rolls

Make Them

Put the ribeyes in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour before you’re ready to cook. You don’t want them frozen solid, just firm. It makes it so much easier to get those really thin slices you want for a cheesesteak.

Slice the steak as thinly as possible and toss it with plenty of salt and ground white pepper, a dash of Worcestershire, garlic and a drizzle of olive oil.

Slice the onion, peppers and mushrooms and toss those separately with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.

Fire up the Blackstone. Cook the vegetables on one side and the meat on the other. If the juices start running together, even better.

Once everything is cooked, divide the steak into individual sandwich portions right on the griddle. Add vegetables to the portions for anyone who wants them. My husband and I want all the veggies; my kids prefer meat and cheese.

Place an open hoagie roll cut-side down directly on top of each pile and let it sit for a minute.

Slide a large spatula underneath the meat, hold the roll with your other hand and flip the whole thing onto a plate. Add your cheese immediately so it melts into the hot steak.

We use provolone, but depending on where you’re from, you may have strong opinions about what belongs on a Philly cheesesteak. Use what you like.

Keep it easy: On a busy night, I serve these with store-bought chips. If we have more time, we’ll make homemade fries.

2. Blackened Fish Tacos with Garlic-Adobo Sauce & Mango-Radish Salsa

Blackened trout with adobo sauce and mango radish salsa

I usually make these with fresh mahi mahi when I can find it, but don’t get hung up on the fish. We’ve also made them with redfish or trout my boys have brought home from fishing trips.

For the Fish

• About 1½ - 2 lbs mahi mahi or another firm white fish

• Your favorite blackening seasoning

• Olive oil

• Tortillas

Season the fish generously with your favorite blackening seasoning. Sometimes I make my own; sometimes I use what we have. I personally try to avoid seasoning blends with a lot of additives or MSG, but I’m not here to judge your spice cabinet.

Heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté the fish until nicely browned and cooked through. You can also do this on the Blackstone.

Another way we make them: Coat the mahi in panko and cook until crispy for a fried-fish-taco version.

Garlic-Adobo Sauce

• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo

• A generous spoonful of minced garlic

• About ¼ cup sour cream

• Juice of 1 lime

• Plenty of salt and pepper

Blend everything together with an immersion blender until smooth.

Mango-Radish Salsa

• 1 mango, diced

• 3–5 radishes, diced

• 1 jalapeño, finely diced

• ½ red bell pepper, diced

• Juice of ½ lime

• Plenty of salt and pepper

Mix everything together and let it sit while you cook the fish.

Pile the fish into warm tortillas and top with mango-radish salsa and plenty of garlic-adobo sauce.

A note about the tortillas: I make mine from scratch. My college roommate’s mother, who is from Mexico, taught me how to make them years ago, and I’ve never gone back. That’s an entirely different post for another day. Store-bought tortillas are perfectly fine here.

3. Homemade Chili - Two Ways

It took me years to perfect this recipe.  I’ve tweaked and added and taken away, but it has been tried and true now for about 10 years!  

You’ll Need

• 1 lb ground beef

• 1 large green chile pepper, chopped

• 1 yellow onion, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• Olive oil

• 1 chipotle chile in adobo

• 1 can chili-cut tomatoes

• 1 can tomato paste

• 1 can red kidney beans, drained

• 1 can black beans, drained

• Beef broth, as needed

• 3 Tbsp chili powder

• 2 Tbsp cumin

• 1½ tsp garlic powder

• 1½ tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp oregano

• Paprika and cayenne, to taste

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Make It

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven. I love my Le Creuset! Brown the ground beef with the onion and green chile. Add the garlic and cook briefly.

Add the chipotle, tomatoes, tomato paste, beans and seasonings. Pour in beef broth until the chili reaches the consistency you like.

Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer. Taste and adjust the seasonings before serving.

Pick Your Dinner

Chili & Cornbread: Make your favorite homemade cornbread and call it dinner.

Frito Pie: Buy Fritos Scoops and shredded cheese and let everyone build their own.

Chili is also one of those foods that might be even better the next day, so don’t be afraid of leftovers. I usually double this recipe because we have so many teenage boys in and out of our house.  And it's like the ONLY thing my kids will eat as leftovers. 

4. Orange Chicken Bowls

This is an easy one to customize at the table, which is always a win with kids.

For the Chicken

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, cut into bite-size pieces

• Olive oil

• Salt

• Pepper

• Garlic powder

For the Orange Sauce

• 1 cup orange juice (my juicer)

• Zest of 1 orange (my microplane)

• ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce

• ⅓ cup honey or brown sugar

• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar

• 2 tsp minced garlic

• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger or ½ tsp ground ginger

• 1 Tbsp cornstarch

• Red pepper flakes, optional

For the Bowls

• White rice

• Broccoli

• Carrots

• Sriracha

• Extra soy sauce

• La Choy chow mein noodles

Cook the rice according to package directions.

Season the chicken and cook it in a large skillet with a little olive oil until browned and cooked through.

Whisk together the sauce ingredients, pour over the cooked chicken and simmer for several minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken.

Meanwhile, sauté the broccoli and carrots until they’re tender but still have a little bite.

Build each bowl with white rice, orange chicken and vegetables. I put Sriracha, soy sauce and crunchy La Choy chow mein noodles on the table and let everyone finish their own.

Make extra rice and chicken if you want them for school lunches.

5. Creamy Braised Chicken Pappardelle

This one takes longer than some of the others, but most of that time is hands-off. And there’s a shortcut when you don’t have time for the full version.

You’ll Need

• 1 whole roasting chicken

• Olive oil

• 2 Tbsp butter

• 1 small yellow onion, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced.  Or eyeball a spoonful of pre-minced garlic. My rule: you can never have too much garlic.

• 1 cup dry white wine.  If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it

• 2 cups chicken stock

• 1-2 cups heavy cream, to desired consistency

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 16 oz pappardelle

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

• Fresh thyme, optional

Make It

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil and a couple tablespoons of butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Sear the chicken until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer it to a plate.

Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

Pour in the wine and let it bubble until reduced by about half, approximately 5 minutes.

Return the chicken and its juices to the pot. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Cover and transfer to the oven for about 1½ hours, or until the chicken is falling apart and has reached a safe internal temperature of 165°F.

Remove the chicken and let it cool enough to handle. Shred the meat, discard the bones and cover the chicken while you finish the sauce.

Bring the braising liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the heavy cream and simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes.

Reduce the heat, add the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. Fold the shredded chicken back into the sauce.

Meanwhile, cook the pappardelle in well-salted water until al dente. Drain and add it directly to the chicken mixture. Toss everything together over low heat for a few minutes.

Taste, season again if necessary, garnish with fresh thyme and serve.

The Weeknight Shortcut

Don’t have 1½ hours to braise a chicken? Buy a rotisserie chicken.

Start the recipe with the onions and garlic, deglaze with the wine, add the chicken stock and continue with the sauce. Shred the rotisserie chicken and fold it in near the end.

Is it technically braised chicken anymore? No. Does everyone still get fed a really good dinner on a Tuesday? Yes, and the kids won’t appreciate the difference anyway!

I serve this with Caesar salad and warm homemade French bread absolutely doused in butter for my kids. I use Mel’s Kitchen Cafe’s French bread recipe rather than reinventing a very good wheel:

Mel's Kitchen Cafe Easy Homemade French Bread⁠

One Grocery List for All Five Dinners

This is based on feeding 6 people. Obviously adjust for your family’s size & appetites.  I’m feeding teenage boys- this will be overkill for families with toddlers or all girls. 😉

Produce

• 2 yellow onions

• 1 white onion

• 1 large green chile pepper

• 2 red bell peppers

• 1 green bell pepper

• 1 package mushrooms

• 2 heads/bags broccoli

• 1 bag carrots

• 1 mango

• 1 bunch radishes

• 1 jalapeño

• 2 limes

• 1 lemon

• 1 orange

• Garlic - at least 2 bulbs or a good-sized jar of minced garlic

• Fresh ginger, optional

• Fresh thyme, optional

• Caesar salad kit or romaine & your preferred Caesar ingredients

Meat & Seafood

• About 2 lbs ribeyes- more for hungry boys and school lunches

• 1½ - 2 lbs mahi mahi or other firm white fish

• 1 lb ground beef- double if you’re feeding teenagers

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken

• 1 whole roasting chicken or 1 large rotisserie chicken

Dairy & Refrigerated

• Provolone cheese

• Sour cream

• Heavy cream

• Butter

• Shredded cheese for Frito pie

Bread & Pasta 

• 6-8 hoagie rolls & more if you’re recycling for lunch

• Tortillas

• 16 oz pappardelle

• White rice

• Cornbread ingredients or your favorite mix

• French bread (if not making homemade)

• Panko, optional

Canned 

• 1 small can chipotle peppers in adobo - you’ll use this for both the tacos and chili

• 1 can chili-cut tomatoes

• 1 can tomato paste

• 1 can red kidney beans

• 1 can black beans

• Chicken stock

• Beef broth

• La Choy chow mein noodles

• Fritos Scoops

Pantry Check

You probably already have many of these, so check before buying:

• Olive oil

• Worcestershire sauce

• Dry white wine

• Soy sauce

• Rice vinegar

• Honey or brown sugar

• Cornstarch

• Sriracha

• Blackening seasoning

• Chili powder

• Cumin

• Garlic powder

• Onion powder

• Oregano

• Paprika

• Cayenne

• Red pepper flakes

• Salt

• Black pepper

• Ground white pepper

• Yeast (if making homemade bread)

• Flour (if making homemade bread)

And Now, Make Lunch

This is the part I love. You’re already buying and cooking all this food, so make a little extra on purpose. You don’t need an entirely separate grocery list for school lunches.

Steak & Provolone Hoagies: Cook extra ribeye on cheesesteak night. The next morning, pile steak and provolone onto an extra hoagie roll. For kids who like vegetables, add those too.

Orange Chicken Bowls: Make extra rice and chicken at dinner. Pack both together with broccoli and carrots. Put chow mein noodles in a separate little container so they stay crunchy. If your kids have access to a microwave, even better.

Chili Thermos + Fritos: Heat leftover chili until piping hot in the morning and pack it in a preheated thermos. Send shredded cheese and Fritos separately so they can turn lunch into a mini Frito pie.

Chicken Caesar Wraps: If you’re using rotisserie chicken for the pappardelle shortcut, buy a large one, or two. Toss extra chicken with Caesar salad, wrap it in one of the tortillas you’re already buying for fish tacos, and lunch is done.

Steak Quesadillas: Extra cheesesteak meat + tortillas + leftover shredded cheese from Frito-pie night. This one is especially good for using the random odds and ends left in the refrigerator at the end of the week.

The goal isn’t five fancy dinners. It’s five answers to “What should I make tonight?” before the week starts and a grocery list that works double time.

Make the homemade bread if you have time, but buy the rotisserie chicken when you don’t. Make the tortillas because you love doing it, or open the package because it’s Tuesday and that’s ok too.

Feed your people. They’ll thank you one day. :) 

abide & flourish🍔