Here’s What to Cook Every Night This Week (May 13 – 19)

When the weather is finally warm enough for sitting outdoors, all I want to do is share a meal with loved ones. Luckily, there are plenty of communal recipes on my list that are simple, low-lift and designed for divvying between guests. Here, I’ve gathered seven dinner suggestions to cook this week that are equal parts easy and impressive, ranging from skillet paella to big-batch Cuban sliders.

Tell jarred marinara to sit this one out. The “sauce” is nothing but grated cheese, fresh lemon juice and starchy pasta water. Spring peas, briny artichokes and fresh mint make the one-pot gem decidedly seasonal.

Behold, 15 warm, toasty sandwiches, prepared in one fell swoop. Place the bun bottoms in a baking dish, spread them with mustard, top them with ham, pickles and Swiss cheese and pop ’em in the oven until they’re melty. Bonus points for adding a layer of pernil to the sliders for authenticity.

Nachos are hearty enough to serve as a meal, if you ask me. Here, store-bought tortilla chips are layered with corn, from-scratch queso, fresh cilantro, sour cream and all the essential accoutrements. Top the towering main with pickled onions or jalapeños, grilled chicken and a spritz of lime to go above and beyond.

The recipe calls for using a prebaked pizza crust or store-bought flatbread instead of dough, meaning all you’ll have to do is assemble and bake. (That’s why you can pull it off in 35 minutes.) It’s crowned with Boursin and burrata cheeses, chopped broccoli, shredded kale and precooked sausage.

This ten-minute spring masterpiece is basically a veggie-heavy charcuterie board. The green peas, snap peas and fresh dill will make it a weekly favorite at first bite, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself back at the farmers market sooner than expected. Wash it all down with a dry, crisp glass of white.

Believe it or not, you can master this Spanish classic in just one hour. The hack is limiting the seafood to shrimp and clams for convenience and minimal cook time. Don’t worry about buying a special paella pan for the occasion—this riff can be prepared in any large, oven-safe skillet.