even more dinner ideas

my child eats exactly one of them

I am back with another round of dinner suggestions! I am going to be honest, I have done so little cooking over the last few months. I handed the reins over to my husband after football season and have not taken them back. My excuse is that he works from home and therefore has more pockets of time for food prep. We aim to eat dinner at home together three or four times a week. We still do a loose monthly plan, but we’ve started leaving more spots open to fill in later in the month in order to avoid buying too much recipe-specific produce. We did invest in a propane grill recently, and that has been a game changer for quick meals outside! Here are some new recipes we’ve loved over the last few months…

Sheet pan crispy honey mustard salmon with broccoli
The panko crumb topping is the best part of this meal! The virtuous feeling of having eaten fish and broccoli is a close second.

Ritzy cheddar chicken breasts (served with rice and veggies or fruit slices)
This recipe is so nostalgic to me. I remember eating a version of this growing up. I also love having a reason to stock up on Ritz crackers, which are woefully underrated. (I will take Ritz crackers over Triscuits or Wheat Thins any day.) This is one meal that Ari will eat, but then ask why we didn’t just get [redacted fast food restaurant] instead. 🫠

Thai red curry potsticker soup
I know I have written about this before, but prior to moving to the Pacific Northwest, I thought June Gloom was a state of mind, not a weather pattern. In my head it was the feeling that I get as a teacher when I realize how much curriculum I did not cover during the school year. I thought for everyone else it might be the achey-nostalgic feeling of not having to mark time with academic calendars anymore and/or summer losing its luster because of endless work. I was wrong. It is a weather pattern resulting in stretches of foggy, gray, overcast spring days. Soup weather!!! This is soup is so good and is quite filling. I will say — do not attempt this if you don’t have the potstickers. The potstickers are the point.

Coconut curry shredded beef (served with rice)
Given that Jonny works from home, you would think we would have more slow cooker meals on deck, but this is the only one we’ve tried recently. (If you have any favorites, please share!) The slow cooker is one of those things that feels revolutionary the three or four times we actually use it.

Mojo chicken with pineapple (served with rice)
I thought Ari might eat this because of the pineapple, but he didn’t, which is fine. More for me. This reminds me of my beloved mojo meatballs, but perhaps a little healthier.

shrimp scampi (served with spaghetti or linguine)
Jonny eats most anything but doesn’t care for shrimp. He made this for me anyway and actually ate a serving himself! Around my junior/senior year of high school, my dad and I used to go out to dinner almost every Saturday night. My teenage self thought ordering shrimp scampi from Red Lobster was so fancy! I don’t have a cheddar bay biscuit recipe, but this was pretty fast and Red Lobster quality (maybe better?).

paprika chicken and potatoes
I am not a big potato gal (except for French fries), but I LOVED this meal. I’d add a side of asparagus next time.

Please let me know if you try any of these recipes or have something you’ve enjoyed recently! Also looking for good grilling ideas…!