dinner ideas

some are even toddler-approved

It’s been a few years since I’ve written about dinner on the internet. I have a religious attachment to dinner, which drives my husband crazy. I plan our menu (more of a guide, as we have about a 60% success rate with sticking to it) a month out (here’s what that looks like, if you’re curious) and get very twitchy when we get takeout too many times in a week. Ari is not a picky eater exactly, but he definitely has a toddler palate and enjoys exerting control over us by randomly refusing foods and even insisting that our house smells YUCKY after we cook. Still, dinner must be served.

Here are some standouts over the past few months:
If any of these recipes are paywalled for you, I am happy to share via email.

Salmon crunch bowl
This is NOT a weeknight recipe, but wow, it is incredible. Ari refused to eat this - salmon is one of his YUCKY foods - but we let him watch Moana while we ate in peace. I immediately thought of many friends and family I wanted to have over and prepare this for.

Mojo meatballs
This is one of our favorite dinner guest recipes. Not really for weeknights, but the flavors are outstanding. I always get a second helping. Ari has eaten this in the past, not sure if he would eat it today. Meatballs in general are hit or miss currently.

Oven-roasted chicken shawarma
Another Sunday night recipe that absolutely blew me away, even better the next day as leftovers. I invited my neighbor over to drink wine at my table while I prepared this, which made the experience even more pleasant. I only had time for a 30 minute marinade, and it was still perfect.

Coconut fish and tomato bake
One of my unofficial resolutions this year is to eat more fish, and not just filet-o-fish sandwiches. Ari refused to eat this, so I think I’ll cut the recipe down a bit when I make it again.

SK Rigatoni alla vodka
This is one standby that Ari will always come to the dinner for. Yes, he puts the rigatoni on his fingers like any sane toddler would. Yes, this delights me to no end. His joy for this meal motivates me to keep cooking.

Butternut squash, sausage, and tortellini soup
We made this soup twice this winter, and to be honest, that is probably enough for one season, but it is really good. It’s rich and filling. I can’t remember if Ari ate this, but my guess is he ate the sausage bites and half tortellini in his portion.

White chicken chili
The internet says you’re either on Team Smitten Kitchen or Team Half Baked Harvest. I am squarely on the former, but I do love this recipe. It’s more soup than chili, in my opinion, but it still hits.

Sheet-pan baked feta with broccolini, tomatoes, and lemon (served with orzo)
This is one that I have to tinker with portions-wise because I think it’s best served fresh and and I always cook too much orzo. However, the flavors are great and it’s vegetarian. I get broccoli instead of broccolini and use only one block of feta because that cheese is expensive.

Lemony green pea fritters
This is a weeknight recipe and is Ari approved. Win, win. I think a better parent would serve it alongside something more substantial, but we just eat them with a serving of fruit.

Gochujang sloppy joes
These are SOOOO good. Another recipe we’ve shared with friends. Messy, but worth it. We typically portion out a bit before adding the gochujang because Ari is sensitive to spicy foods (though will still eat some spice if he likes the dinner well enough). Another food that would be best served alongside a salad of some sort, but it’s a weeknight meal and we can’t be bothered with that many bowls to wash.

Please share any of your favorite dinner recipes in the comments! I love adding new meals to our rotation.