5 Weeknight Dinners to Cook From Memory

Recently I read a story about how to improve one of the things I can already feel slipping away: my “working” memory. This is the “get me oat milk when you go to the store” kind of memory that fails me as soon as I walk through the supermarket’s sliding doors. (Which is why I tell my family to text me their requests; they won’t make it home otherwise.)

But if you want a greater chance of staying sharp as you age, you should try to memorize that grocery list—or even your recipes. Both strengthen your working memory, as does cooking in general, says memory expert and neuroscientist Dr. Richard Restak in a recent New York Times story. This may partly explain why Babs of @brunchwithbabs fame is doing so well, why Jacques Pépin at the age of 87 just released a new cookbook, and why Edna Lewis made it to 90.

Intuitively, committing recipes to memory makes sense: It can be annoying to cook from a recipe for the first time if you don’t read it through and memorize at least some of the steps. And the next time you want to cook it, it’s easier to recall it rather than search for it again.

So, this week, I chose five weeknight recipes that could help you become less forgetful. At the very least, they can become easy-to-remember standbys when you’re staring at an open fridge.

1. Melissa Clark’s Stovetop Mac & Cheese

Just knowing that you can pull this stovetop mac and cheese out of a hat in 15 minutes will lower your cortisol levels come dinnertime. I like to add a little of the salted pasta water into the melted cheddar and heavy cream for a silkier sauce—a tip I gleaned from the comments. If I have them on hand, I’ll also throw in some diced, slow-roasted tomatoes to give it a healthy-ish nudge.

2. Cider-Braised Chicken with Apples, Onions, & Thyme

If there was ever any doubt that we’d entered Actual Fall (opposed to False Fall, as Food Editor Emily Ziemski jokes), we’re in it now, and this is a full-on celebration of autumn and an easy, one-skillet meal.

3. Butternut Squash Soup

Yotam Ottolenghi doesn't peel his butternut squash before roasting, but I like to save even more time and buy pre-cubed, peeled squash for this six-ingredient soup. Serve alongside crusty bread and a simple salad (or perhaps the next recipe).

4. Joshua McFadden's Bitter Greens Salad with Melted Cheese

I recently purchased Six Seasons by the chef who popularized the kale salad and the butter board, Joshua McFadden. This recipe from his cookbook gives me a new use for the beautiful bunches of speckled Radicchio di Castelfranco I’ve been seeking out at the farmers' market, and would pair well with a simple side of sausage or even a grilled cheese.

5. 'Ottolenghi-fied' Sweet Potatoes

Want to really keep memory loss at bay? Try memorizing a recipe out of Plenty. Or take baby steps, and start with this recipe—inspired by the chef’s well-documented love of tahini-drizzled anything—of roasted chickpeas and sweet potatoes.

More of our Favorite Weeknight Meals

• 5 Weeknight Dinners I’m Making Instead of Ordering Takeout (Again)
• 5 Weeknight Dinners to Make This Week, Family Edition
• 5 Weeknight Dinners for When You Want Leftovers
• 5 Weeknight Dinners That Keep Cooking Fun

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What are your go-to weeknight meals you know by heart? Tell us below!