Weekday dinners - Go to Dishes

My go to we call red beans & rice. You guys would probably ban me for calling it that.

Package King Cotton Cajun sausage
2 cans Hunts diced tomatoes, usually trinity style
1 can red beans
hot white rice

Slice or chunk up the sausage and brown in a skillet with a little oil then dump in tomato and red beans, season to taste & simmer. Then start the rice. When rice is ready it is time to eat.

Done in 20 minutes tops.

Fajitas is a great one as well.

I keep a lot of things in the freezer like homemade chili, gumbo, spaghetti meat sauce, meatballs and sauce, soups, lasagna etc... for weeknight dining after work especially when I work late.

I also cook on weekends sometimes for the part of the week. After a few meals of the same thing, I'm done, though. Roast and gravy works for plated meals for a few nights. RB poboys for another night.

Cooking a pork tenderloin or pork chops is pretty fast and easy. Cooking a cast iron steak doesn't take long either.

I make breakfast for supper sometimes.

Last night I poached lobster tails in an herb butter sauce. That was fast and easy. Tonight will be burgers.

Some easy sides are roasted or steamed asparague, broccoli or cauliflower or other roasted veggies. Roasted potatoes, LeSeur petit pois and shoepeg corn are the few canned sides I like. I either smother the corn just a little or add a little butter and a few drops of crab boil. Sometimes, on weekends, I'll make a pot of purple hull peas,butter beans, limas, lady creme peas or whatever else I have frozen from the season. Also, green beans or bbq beans. I like to bake tomatoes with a panko parmesan butter and herb topping. I love baked tomatoes and particularly when we aren't getting the homegrown any more.

Boiled Shrimp
Shrimp and Pasta
Shake in bake pork loin chops
Red beans and ground meat
Taco salad
Tacos
Hamburger steaks
Pan fried fresh sausage with some type of bean/pea

I generally have 2-3 meatless weeknight meals....eggs, cheese, yogurt, etc substitute for meat/poultry. I find that the animal protein part of the meal is often the most time consuming to,prep and cook. So week nights become way easier when the burritos or tacos are made w canned beans instead of ground beef, or if the entree is a grilled cheese sandwich w a spinach salad, or some variation of baked eggs/shakshuka/huevos rancheros, or hummus and a chopped Greek salad. Entree salads made w greens, a cheese, a fruit, and nuts are satisfying and fast.

Buy or bake good bread, keep 2-3 different kinds in the freezer (sliced or split rolls). Decent, interesting bread can become the backbone of a quick meal. Ex: Smashed avocado on pain au levain toast w an over easy egg on top, with two veggie sides (like asparagus and sautéed zucchini) and fruit for dessert: delicious, easy to prepare, and pretty damn tasty.

Fried pork chops, mash potatoes and brown gravy, and carrots.

Steak quesadillas with sauteed onions, green peppers, and queso dip.

Our staples

Burgers
Stuffed chicken
Fish tacos
Spaghetti
Steak with baked potato
Tacos

Sides

Baked potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Roasted veggies
Corn
Black beans
Quinoa
Steam veggie bags

Texas toast

Ceaser salad with usually steak and spaghetti

Eat out on weekends

I like to make this Chinese Chicken Salad on Sunday evening and have plenty leftover for lunch during the week.

8 split chicken breasts (bone in, skin on)
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound asparagus, ends removed, cut into thirds diagonally
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
4 scallions (white and green parts), sliced diagonally
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds, toasted

For the dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup good apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (I use a cup)
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.


Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes maybe longer, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle.


Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred the chicken in large, bite-sized pieces.


Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp-tender. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain. Cut the peppers into strips about the size of the asparagus pieces. Combine the shredded chicken, asparagus, and peppers in a large bowl.


Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the chicken and vegetables.