Are you tired of spending so many hours in the kitchen after a very long and tiring day at work? Here are some easy and quick weeknight dinner ideas that will be very helpful and will have you out of the kitchen and enjoying your dinner in no time!
Weeknight dinners can be a real challenge for busy families, but with a little creativity and planning it is very possible to create delicious, healthy meals without sacrificing convenience or flavor.
Do you want to say goodbye to boring weeknight dinners? In this article, we will explore three easy and delicious recipes that are perfect for busy weeknights.
From quick stir fries to easy sheet pan dinners, these recipes will make your weeknight meals a breeze.
RECIPES WEEKNIGHT DINNERS
Here are some different recipes for a weeknight dinners:
1. Chicken Parmesan With Noodles
Ingredients:
- ½ tsp of salt
- ¼ tsp of black pepper
- 2 large chicken breast
- 1 ½ cup of shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ cup of all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp of Olive oil
- 1 cup of fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1 tbsp of chopped fresh basil
- 1 tsp of fresh parsley
- 1 can of crushed tomato (28 ounce)
- 3 large minced garlic
- ½ medium chopped onion
- ½ tsp of oregano
- 2 large eggs
- Buttered noodles1 ½ cup of italian bread crumbs
Directions/steps:
- Cook your butter noodles and keep aside
- We will start by making our sauce.
- Place your pan over medium heat, add your olive oil and onion and stir for about 5 minutes or until it softens and lightly gold.
- Add your minced garlic and stir for 1 min.
- Add your crushed tomato, oregano, salt and black pepper then you stir.
- Cover your pot and reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes.
- While your sauce is cooking, get your chicken breast placed over a board and cut each in half lengthwise to give you four chicken breasts.
- Lightly sprinkle salt and black pepper over your chicken breast and rub all parts for seasoning, keep it aside.
- Set out three shallow bowls. take out one and put your flour, a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of black pepper then stir till all ingredients are evenly combined.
- In the second bowl add your 2 eggs and beat until frothy.
- In the third bowl add your bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and stir with your hands. Also do well to break any bigger parmesan cheese with your finger tips.
- After all this is set, take one part of the seasoned chicken breast and dip into the first bowl mixture, make sure it gets to all parts of the chicken breast.
- Then you take out the chicken from the first bowl and then dip into the second bowl off beaten eggs and make sure the eggs rub off on all the parts.
- For the last bowl take the chicken breast from the beaten eggs and dip in the third bowl and rub on all the parts.
- Repeat the process for all the chicken breast, once done, place in a flat plate and keep aside.
- Time to check your sauce. Before you put down your chicken make sure you add your basil and stir, after stirring put it down and keep it aside.
- your sauce is now ready.
- Now to cook our chicken, place a large nonstick pan over medium heat and drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil and place your chicken to cook. To check your chicken if it’s well cooked make sure you see golden brown on the outside in all parts. After cooking set aside
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit
- In your 9 by 13 casserole dish spread half of your sauce over the bottom then place your sauteed chicken over your sauce in a single layer, pour the remaining sauce over the center of each chicken and spread properly. When done, sprinkle your mozzarella cheese over the top and bake uncovered for 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbling.
- Take it out and ready to serve but before that we will take out our noodles to serve with our delicious chicken parmesan.
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2. Baked Chicken Breasts With Fried Plantain
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ teaspoons of paprika
- 1 tbsp of dried oregano
- ½ tsp of kosher salt and another ½ a tsp of salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp of chili pepper
- 4 large chicken breast (7oz, 200g) each
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 3 tbsp of melted butter
- 2 minced cloves garlic
- Ripe plantain
Directions:
- In a bowl add ½ salt and water to soak your chicken breast for about 20 minutes then you rinse.
- Put the chicken breast on a plate and rub your melted butter on all parts of the chicken.
- In a separate bowl add your dry ingredients (salt, paprika, chili pepper, oregano, onion powder and garlic powder) and mix properly.
- Sprinkle your dry ingredients on the chicken breast and give it a rub on all the parts of the chicken.
- Roast your chicken (160dg fahrenheit) for about 30 minutes or until it is golden brown.
- Cover with a foil and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
- While the chicken breast is resting take out your pan and set on medium high heat and fry your plantain.
- Once the plantain is set your dish can be served hot and nice.
3. Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry
A quick and easy stir fry that combines tender chicken, vibrant veggies and a spicy thai inspired sauce.
Ingredients:
- 1 Ib or 450g of ground Boneless chicken
- 3 chopped thai red chili peppers
- 2 tbsp of minced green onion
- ½ cup of water
- ½ tsp of fish sauce
- 2 tbsp of minced Garlic
- 1 tsp of minced garlic Ginger
- 3 tbsp Soy sauce
- ½ tsp powder of black pepper
- 1 tsp of brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsp of salt
- A handful of basil leaves
- ½ tsp of Honey
- 2 tsp Sesame oil
Directions:
- Set your pan greased with oil over a medium high heat add your onion, garlic, ginger and thai red chili pepper, saute until it turns aromatic.
- Over the pan add your boneless chicken, Saute until it cooks through.
- Add your water and give it a nice mix.
- When done add your fish sauce, soy sauce, black pepper, brown sugar and salt to taste. Give everything a nice mix.
- Add your basil leaves and give it a good stir for up to 2 minutes.
- Serve it over rice and scrambled egg.
Conclusion
So there you have it: three watering weeknight dinner ideas that are easy, quick and of course sure to satisfy the whole family. These recipes are not only delicious but they are also healthy and adaptable, so you can customize to suit your preferences and dietary needs.
With all these recipes in your possessions, you’ll never have to resort to take out again. The secret to a weeknight dinner is all about finding recipes that are simple, flavourful and satisfying.
I am sure these dishes we’ve covered will be your go to meals in your repertoire so next time you are in a dinner rut give one of these recipes a try and you’ll be treating your taste buds to a culinary celebration.
Meanwhile, don’t forget to share this article, who knows, you can be helping someone out there.
