Your Best Back-Pocket Dinner Recipes

There are so many great conversations on the Hotline -- it's hard to choose a favorite. But we'll be doing it, once a week, to spread the wealth of our community's knowledge -- and to keep the conversation going.

Today: Your favorite go-to meals for when the going gets tough.

It's the most wonderful, and hectic, time of the year. In between prepping for holiday gatherings, you're wisely trying to maintain some sanity in your daily life, but day-to-day duties still remain -- there are lunches to be packed and dinners to be made.

Fellowfoodie is on the hunt for go-to recipes that she can whip up easily for dinner. Whether after a long day at the office or a long day of holiday chaos, she's looking for simple dinner ideas that don't require a whole lot of thought or effort -- just "something fresh, fast, and tasty." She asked our community on the Hotline to share some of their favorite back-pocket dinners and they provided a number of great ideas:

Tried and true: 

• Susan W is a fan of Martha Stewart's One-Pan Pasta, which she adapts with whatever seasonal vegetables she has in the house when tomatoes aren't in season. Klrcon and healthierkitchen make a similar version with farro from Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen.
• Inpatskitchen turns to boulangere's First Night in Florence Spaghetti. The sauce is full of items she usually already has in the kitchen, like canned tuna and spinach.
• Stir-fries were made for harried weeknights. Klrcon often turns whatever she has in the fridge into an impromtu stir-fry that she serves over pasta or another grain.

No recipe needed:

• Halfpint likes to make an easy meal of cooked rice, drizzled with soy sauce and served with an over easy egg on top; or hot pasta tossed with grated cheese and crème fraîche.
• Jenny Maria keeps it simple with tuna salad made with canned tuna fish, avocado, and a vinaigrette.
• Baked chicken thighs are a go-to for Susan W and Leith Devine. Susan W simply seasons them with salt and pepper, sometimes tossing in chopped preserved lemon and whole garlic cloves, while Leith Devine rubs the thighs with a mix of herbs, salt, lemon zest, and olive oil, and bakes them over a bed of baby potatoes.

When all else fails: 

• Hilarybee serves up scrambled eggs and buttered toast. "If I'm really ambitious, dressed greens for balance."

What's your favorite back-pocket dinner? Tell us in the comments or join in the conversation over on the Hotline!