Our Best Dinner Recipes & Ideas

The hot dog of your dreams comes from the Golden State.

Restaurants can’t compete with this.

It's like a spa day for your corn.

“Red beans and rice on Monday” is one of the dependable workday cornerstones of New Orleans cuisine, a hearty dish rooted in the city’s 300-year history. Originally an ingenious, low-maintenance way to feed a house on pre-machine laundry day, “red beans and rice” worked its way into classic status through the region’s home, restaurant, and lunchroom menus.

The marinade is so flavorful.

Salmon croquettes are a low-lift, weeknight-friendly recipe that rely on pantry staples. In this recipe, I start with canned salmon and punch up the flavor with capers, lemon juice, garlic powder, and onion powder. Serve the croquettes with a green salad on the side or pile them on top of the greens. A vinegary coleslaw would be great, too.Mix things up and tuck the croquettes in a pita and top with an herby yogurt sauce and some chopped fresh veggies, like lettuce, tomato, and cucumbers.

Tomato pizza sauce for homemade pizzas is one of the all-time easiest DIY projects. It’s made with just a few ingredients — canned tomatoes, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and a drizzle of olive oil — and a quick blitz in the blender or food processor. You can even freeze this pizza sauce in single portions to make things all the easier for yourself on pizza night! Here is your step-by-step recipe, with everything you need to know to make homemade pizza sauce tonight.

It's so satisfying.

Perfectly caramelized with a tangy, sweet glaze that’s irresistibly juicy and full of flavor.

A casserole has a lot going for it: It’s a super-comforting meal in a single baking dish and feeds a crowd. But I’d argue the most phenomenal thing about this classic dish is how versatile it is. Gather together just about any ingredients and there’s a good chance you can turn them into a winning casserole. A box of ziti and a jar of sauce easily become a no-fuss pasta bake; and vegetables and cheese make a killer side dish.

The name yum yum sauce may seem a little on the nose, but when it fits, it fits. This flavorful sauce was created to complement a variety of dishes. Although mayo is wildly popular in Japan, you’re unlikely to find yum yum sauce there. This dip is integral to the Japanese-influenced hibachi steakhouse experience, created specifically with that style of food in mind.For this recipe, I set out to create the most craveable version possible.

The 1-ingredient dressing is an absolute fridge staple.

Move over, IKEA.

Show me a platter of baked wings slathered in spicy Buffalo sauce and I can take ’em or leave ’em. But show me a platter of chicken wings blanketed with a double-dose of punchy garlic, plenty of salty Parmesan cheese, and some melted butter, and I’ll be first in line to pile them on my plate.Here’s how to make the best garlic Parmesan wings for your next game day.

The combination of bacon and asparagus is a stellar spring pairing and a great way to celebrate the arrival of longer, warmer days. Asparagus is also one of the easiest vegetables to prep, making it a great side dish contender during this time of year, when it’s inexpensive and readily available. Here’s how to make bacon wrapped asparagus (with some tips for crispier bacon). Cooks quickly. You can have juicy, vibrant asparagus wrapped in perfectly crisp bacon in less than 15 minutes.

It’s my MVP.

Just like Grandma used to make.

Learn how to make this simple, satisfying Mexican shrimp staple.

Meet your new favorite side.

Making enchiladas is, hands-down, my favorite way to transform leftovers into an easy, flavorful dinner. Tender rotisserie chicken gets dressed up with spicy, piquant enchilada sauce, covered in shredded cheese, then wrapped in tender tortillas and baked until warm. What’s not to love?On nights when you need the cozy comfort of enchiladas ASAP (and isn’t that most nights?), this 30-minute meal version is here for you.

If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would be jollof rice. It’s the first thing I reach for at every Nigerian function, and it’s probably the dish I cook for myself most often at home. The rice is cooked in a mixture of blended tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic, as well as stock and plenty of herbs and seasonings, and all of the delicious flavors infuse into the rice as it cooks.

I always forget how good, healthy, and easy fish tacos are until I make them and vow to do it more often. They’re remarkably adaptable to any type of not-too-expensive fish you might find in your local market. The textural contrast between lightly crispy fish, corn tortillas, and crunchy cabbage slaw is a big part of this simple recipe’s success. Quick and easy. The fish is incredibly simple to prepare.

It's the perfect weeknight dinner.

The spicy serrano lime sauce is so good, you’ll want to drink it by the spoonful.

Ready in just 30 minutes.

“Worth it for the crunch.”

It’s packed with delicious flavor.

The tangy crunch that goes with everything.

A pot of melted cheese for dinner? Yes, please.

Mom always knows best.

For all your potluck and BBQ needs.

The marinade is everything.

It cooks in under 30 minutes.

It’s worth every minute of stirring.

You’ll want to eat it every day.

Bonus: It's ready in 30 minutes.

If you find yourself with a lot of leftover ham, simmering it in a soup is one of the easiest ways to transform the smoky meat into something completely different. Adding a few humble ingredients like potatoes, onions, milk, and broth turns the ham into a comforting bowl of hearty soup that can work for lunch or dinner. If you’re a fan of creamy soups, like New England clam chowder, this ham-y version will be right up your alley. It’s perfectly creamy.

Dried lentils are a year-round staple in my pantry, essential for rounding out salads during hot weather and hearty soups in the winter months. Regardless of the season, their quick-cooking, no-soak-required nature makes them ideal for weeknight meals. Worried about mushy lentils? I have a trick for that, too. Most versatile: I like keeping green or brown lentils in our cupboard. These cook quickly and evenly without becoming mushy and are the most versatile for our recipes.

Two words: pistachio vinaigrette.

They cook in just 30 minutes.

Cornbread salad is a classic Southern side dish with layers of colors and textures. It’s made with cubed cornbread, pinto beans, diced tomatoes, sliced scallions, shredded cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, and corn kernels. Everything comes together with a ranch dressing made with mayonnaise and sour cream.As you can see, this salad is all about the presentation!

Move over, ham.

Mushy peas — the classic British side dish — are the ultimate accompaniment to fish and chips. They are sold piping hot in styrofoam containers at “chippys,” the slang term for fish-and-chip shops — especially in the north of England. In the U.K., mushy peas are sold in most grocery stores in cans. You can even pick up different types of canned mushy peas: chip shop-style or original (to this day, I honestly cannot tell the difference between the two!).

The spicy lemon sauce is everything.

Full of flavor!

It doesn't get any fancier than this.

The crackly glazed crust you didn’t know you were missing.

Plus, it’s endlessly customizable.

The toppings are so good.

It cooks in just 20 minutes.

You won’t be able to resist.

It’s like a burst of sunshine.

Once you’ve tasted these roasted carrots bathed in a honey-garlic butter sauce, you might proclaim (like I did) that it’s the only way you’ll ever eat carrots again. The combination of nutty brown butter, fragrant garlic, and sweet honey is basically the dream team.The carrots soak up all this goodness to become a side dish that rivals the main course, and they’re nothing like the mushy carrots of your childhood. Believe me: You’ll dream about these carrots.

Cutting meat out of your diet may seem like a huge change — but adopting a pescatarian diet is actually really accessible. While a pescatarian diet does exclude red meat, poultry, lamb, and pork, there’s a whole lot more that’s fair game for eating. Vegetables, grains, fruits, legumes, beans, cheese, eggs, and yogurt are all encouraged, and the pescatarian diet puts an emphasis on fish and shellfish as a source of protein.

It has the perfect sweet and crunchy glaze.

So retro it deserves a comeback.

Ready in 15 minutes!

If you’re looking for a show-stopping dish to serve at Easter or your next dinner party, look no further than this carrot soufflé. It has everything you love about soufflés: an airy, delicate texture that almost melts in your mouth, the creamy richness of milk and cheese set with eggs, and, of course, the sweetness and vivid color of carrots. Trust me when I say this soufflé is incredibly easy to make.

Super easy!

Like clockwork, I get a deep craving for pot pie around this time of year. The comforting dinner was a staple of my childhood, and I’ve been making it during cold winter months ever since.As much as I love a classic chicken pot pie, it’s really the rich gravy and buttery pie crust that draws me in — I’ve never felt the chicken is essential.

The only clam chowder I had when I was growing up in California came out of a can, and our family considered it a treat. I loved the briny, creamy soup with the chunks of potatoes and chewy clams, and picked it over chicken noodle every single time. Then I had fresh clam chowder and my eyes were opened: One of my favorite soups was even better, especially when oyster crackers were scattered on top!

Save the grill for something else.

In this dish, earthy potatoes mingle with mellow yellow onions and golden, savory schmaltz in a casserole as light and fluffy as a perfectly tender baked spud. Basically, potato kugel is potatoes, onions, and eggs at their very best. Here’s how to make it. It’s way easier to make. I feel the urge to start with an “oy” here. The “real” way to make this is with a handheld box grater. It produces a fine grate that is neither mushy purée nor stringy.

You only need three ingredients for the sauce.

Perfect for feeding your loved ones.

Giddy up.

In my opinion, everything tastes better with bacon. Green beans are no different. There is something quite magical about the marriage of crisp green beans and nuggets of crispy bacon, tossed in bacon fat and a little butter. This recipe is simple enough to make and serve midweek, but also a great holiday side and alternative for green bean casserole. They’re crisp and bright. Blanching and shocking the green beans first keeps them crisp with a bright green color.

Bechamel > ricotta, always.

A drizzle of hot sauce is a must.