5 Weeknight Recipes for the Ambitious Cook

Bad news: It’s getting dark super early again. There’s something about looking out the window after a long work day and seeing your vitamin-D deficient reflection (instead of the glorious sun) that just makes going home feel like a bummer. That’s when I turn to cooking. My free time—previously consumed by frolicking outdoors— significantly lengthens as we creep towards winter, and a super fun recipe with an incredible payoff is a delicious way to bring some joy to the doldrums of uninspired, late-fall weeknight cooking. Below are some of my favorite recipes that take a bit of time, a touch of planning, and just a few extra ingredients, but are incredibly worth it—trust me.

1. Mushroom chowder with crispy mushroom bacon

DIY mushroom bacon? Sign me up. The bacon is optional here, but I beg to differ. The crispy, crunchy bits, contrasting with the creamy soup (and tender bites of more mushrooms inside) are a perfect, savory match. Heck, make some extra “bacon” for tomorrow’s breakfast.

2. Easy Tomato Galette With parmesan crust

A whole pie for dinner sounds amazing, and daunting. Luckily for us, Erin Jeanne McDowell has graced the internet with yet another perfectly-foolproof pie recipe. Make the crust in the morning before work, or the night before if you’re really thinking ahead. From there, use up all those end-of-summer tomatoes you fought so hard for at the farmers’ market.

3. Turbo-Charged Xinjiang Big Plate Chicken

We love to share food we’re cross testing with the office. This chicken recipe took a few hours, and lasted less than five minutes on the plate. We barely had enough time to snap a photo. The hand-pulled noodles are an incredibly fun technique (plus it’s super cathartic to smack dough on the table), and the chicken is deftly spiced and fall-apart tender. This will feed a household of two for a few days, or a crowd for one evening.

4. Sunchoke & sweet potato gratin

Gratin is one of those perfect cold-weather foods. It’s creamy, it’s warm, it has breadcrumbs. This recipe has a cashew cream which requires a touch more effort than a regular cheese sauce (don’t worry, there’s a recipe for that below), but you get a hearty root vegetable gratin that can stand on its own as the main course.

5. Fully Loaded Cheese Fries with ranch seasoning

Yeah, you know what this is. Sure, you’ve got to bake fries and make a cheese sauce, but you get fries for dinner. Add a fried egg or more pickled veggies if you want to go an even extra mile.

More of our Favorite Weeknight Meals

• 5 Weeknight Dinners I’m Making Instead of Ordering Takeout (Again)
• 5 Weeknight Dinners to Cook From Memory
• 5 Weeknight Dinners for When You Want Leftovers
• 5 Weeknight Dinners Using What's Already in my Kitchen

What dishes do you want to see on our next weeknight dinner roundup? Tell us in the comments!