If “What are we having for dinner?” is a question that fills you with dread every single night, maybe it’s time to stop asking it.
Our brilliant solution: meal templates. Simply assign a different theme (say, “pizza” or “casserole”) to each night of the month and then cook something that falls into that category. No guesswork. Plenty of creativity.
Here, 30 templates (and even more recipe ideas) to get you started.
15 minutes: Greek Chicken Cutlets
30 minutes: Buttermilk Fried Chicken
60 minutes: Lemon and Herb Roast Chicken
15 minutes: Warm Beef and Veggie Amaranth Salad
30 minutes: Prosciutto, Pear, Roasted Endive and Candied Walnuts Salad
60 minutes: Falafel Salad with Spicy Yogurt Sauce
15 minutes: Cacio e Pepe
30 minutes: Orecchiette with Sausage and Kale
60 minutes: Angel Hair Pasta with Mushroom, Basil and Fried Egg
15 minutes: Amaranth Pancakes
30 minutes: Breakfast Burrito
60 minutes: Italian Sausage and Ricotta Frittata
15 minutes: Brussels Sprout and Tempeh Stir-Fry
30 minutes: Couscous and Feta Stuffed Peppers
60 minutes: Eggplant Meatballs with Za’atar and Kale Pesto
15 minutes: Green Bean Avocado Fried Rice
30 minutes: Wild Mushroom Risotto
60 minutes: Balsamic Roasted Winter Squash and Wild Rice Salad
15 minutes: Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry with Peanuts
30 minutes: Steak Stir-Fry
60 minutes: Black Pepper Stir-Fried Noodles
15 minutes: Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Avocado
30 minutes: Bourbon Caramelized Bacon and Heirloom Tomato BLT
60 minutes: Chicken Parmesan Panini
15 minutes prep: Brown Sugar Pulled Chicken with Bacon and Brussels Sprouts
30 minutes prep: Slow-Cooker Chipotle Beef Tacos with Cabbage and Radish Slaw
60 minutes prep: Lemongrass Baby Back Ribs
15 minutes: Perfect Microwave Nachos
30 minutes: Devilish Chili-Cheese Dogs
60 minutes: Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups
15 minutes: Broiled Flank Steak with Warm Tomato Topping
30 minutes: Steak Tacos Al Carbon
60 minutes: Oven Sirloin Steak Stew
15 minutes: Grilled Salmon with Heirloom Tomatoes
30 minutes: Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Seared Scallops
60 minutes: Seared Halibut with Citrus Beurre Blanc
15 minutes: Skillet Chicken and Dressing Casserole
30 minutes: Sweet Chili Ranch Chicken Casserole
60 minutes: Enchilada Casserole
15 minutes: Mustard-Glazed Mushroom Burger
30 minutes: Andouille Slider Burgers with Caramelized Onions
60 minutes: Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger
15 minutes: Make Your Own Cheese Plate
30 minutes: Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake
60 minutes: Truffled Mac & Cheese
15 minutes: Easy Cheese Fondue
30 minutes: French-Style Chicken with Peas and Bacon
60 minutes: Ratatouille
15 minutes: Tortilla Espanola
30 minutes: Tapas Feast
60 minutes: Chilled Mussels with Saffron Mayonnaise
15 minutes: Tuna Bucatini
30 minutes: Brown Butter Ravioli with Rotisserie Chicken, Walnuts and Sage
60 minutes: Spaghetti and Meatballs
15 minutes: BBQ Beef Sandwiches
30 minutes: Shrimp Skewers
60 minutes: Brown-Sugar Barbecue Chicken Drumettes
15 minutes: Japanese Mushroom Flatbread
30 minutes: Grilled Spelt Flatbread with Tapenade and Tomato
60 minutes: Fig and Blue Cheese Flatbread
15 minutes: Curried Quinoa Salad with Cucumber-Mint Raita
30 minutes: Squash Coconut Curry
60 minutes: Thai-Style Beef and Broccoli Curry
15 minutes: Pan-Roasted Grouper with Provencal Vegetables
30 minutes: Honey-Mustard Teriyaki Chicken and Peach Kabobs
60 minutes: Grilled Cauliflower with Winter Pesto
15 minutes: 15-Minute Stir-Fried Steak Tacos
30 minutes: Caribbean Chicken Tacos
60 minutes: Build-Your-Own Tacos
Your fridge is stocked after 29 days. Mangia!
