Busy weeknights can often leave little time for cooking, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavor or creativity in the kitchen. But we believe that delicious meals can be both simple and quick to prepare. Our curated selection of easy weeknight dinner recipes will help you whip up satisfying dishes in no time. From hearty pastas to vibrant stir-fries, each recipe is designed to bring joy to your table without the stress.

Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes

Easy Mac and Cheese with Hidden Veggies

This easy mac and cheese recipe uses zucchini, flavorful carrots, and rich bone broth to add a touch of healthiness to a classic comfort food. Get your protein and vitamin fix while still enjoying the cheesy decadence of mac and cheese!

Ozette Potatoes with Corbaci Peppers and Sausage

This is an easy recipe using some more highbrow ingredients: ozette potatoes and corbaci peppers. Making something easy doesn’t mean you have to feel like a slob! All you need is to bake the potatoes and stir fry the vegetables, making this a delicious and easy weeknight dinner option.

Penne Pasta with Broccolini and Chickpeas 

You can enjoy this delicious pasta as easy weeknight dinner or lunch, and it will leave you with a ton of leftovers. Broccolini has a ton of vitamins, and combined with the protein from chickpeas and the heartiness of penne, you have a nutritious and fun-to-make meal.

Easy Sausage and Feta Sheet Pan Dinner

Sheetpans are a weeknight dinner game-changer. The ingredients here are simple but healthy and upscale. Just sausage, feta, and tomatoes. You could even bust this out at a potluck gathering and nobody would believe you that it was an easy sheet pan recipe! Luxury doesn’t have to be hard.

Creamy Chicken and Corn Skillet Dinner

Chicken, corn, and a rich and creamy sauce make for a great weeknight dinner. Plus, the leftover potential is huge. Serve this dish alongside a salad or biscuit, or just enjoy it on its own. Chicken is hearty, savory, and filling—one of the perfect foods for those pesky weeknights.

Easy Pesto Pasta

Store bought pesto is completely okay to use with your pasta dish as long as you dress it up a little. For this Easy Pesto Pasta, we take that jar of pesto and add in heavy cream and lemon juice along with pine nuts, asparagus, and Italian sausage.

Quick and Easy Pork Wonton Soup

Save your money from the expenses of Chinese takeout and create your own Pork Wonton Soup at home. The soup itself slowly boils all ingredients over the stove while you form pork meatballs and add those to the pot too along with wanton wrappers and bok choy.

Easy Bake Beans and Potatoes

In case you need a side for your weeknight dinner or perfer a bowl full of veggies, this One Pan Beans and Potatoes recipe is for you. Plus, you’ll fall for the vibrant seasonings of cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, pistachios or almonds, red onion, thyme, and lemon juice.

One-Pot Easy Gumbo Recipe

We know Gumbo can look daunting at first but we promise the hardest part of this recipe is waiting for it to cook! A savory ham hock broth and roux form the base for filling handfuls of kale, collard greens, andouille sausage, celery heart, onion, bell peppers, and so much more.

Easy One Pan Salmon and Tomatoes

Fish is a no-no territory for so many people out of fear of cooking it wrong. Thankfully, with this sheet pan recipe, you’ll cook your salmon just right every single time. Not to mention the addition of juicy cherry tomatoes, lemons, and Kalamata olives leaves this dish far from boring.

Easy Rainbow Pesto Veggie Flatbread Pizza

In case you need to feed a crowd, and a particular one at that, these Rainbow Veggie Flatbread Pizzas let you customize each and every slice with fresh produce. Think peppers, broccoli, onions, tomatoes, and so much more. Feel free to switch up our recommended ingredients for your own favorites to get creative.

Story by Emma Riva

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Tamales are one of the most beloved traditional foods of New Mexico, bringing families together during holidays, celebrations, and Sunday dinners. This authentic New Mexico tamales recipe, shared by Theresa Martinez and her family, shows how to make tender pork tamales wrapped in corn husks with rich red chili sauce and soft masa dough. It’s a dish full of flavor, history, and love—passed down through generations.

Traditional Tamales Recipe

Making homemade tamales may take time, but the process is part of the tradition. From simmering the pork shoulder until it’s tender, to preparing the masa harina dough and soaking the corn husks, every step adds to the final taste. The red chili pork filling gives these tamales their bold Southwestern flavor, making them a favorite in New Mexican kitchens.

Whether you’re preparing tamales for Christmas, a family gathering, or simply to enjoy a taste of New Mexico at home, this recipe will guide you through each step. With simple ingredients and clear instructions, you’ll be able to create tamales that are both authentic and delicious—perfect for sharing with family and friends.

New Mexico Tamales

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• Author: Gabriella Marks

Print Recipe

Description

This recipe shares how to make traditional New Mexico tamales filled with tender shredded pork simmered in red chili sauce. The masa dough is spread on soaked corn husks, filled, folded, and then steamed until firm for a classic homemade dish.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Filling:

• 4 lb pork shoulder or 3 1⁄2 lb pork butt, trimmed of fat and shredded
• 8 cups water
• 1 tbsp garlic salt
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 cups red chili sauce

For the Dough:

• 4 cup masa harina
• 1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp garlic salt
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 cup lard
• 50 dried corn husks

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Instructions

1. In a 5-quart roaster oven, bring pork, water, garlic salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to boil.
2. Simmer covered, about 2 1/2 hours or until meat is very tender.
3. Remove meat from broth and allow both meat and broth to cool. (Chilling the broth will allow you to easily remove the fat if you desire to do so.)
4. Shred the meat using 2 forks, discarding fat.
5. Strain the broth and reserve 2 cups.
6. In a large saucepan, prepare the red chili sauce and add meat; simmer, covered for 10 minutes
7. In a separate bowl, stir together masa harina, baking powder, garlic salt and 2 teaspoons salt.
8. Add lard to dry mixture, mixing by hand until well blended. Add just enough broth and water to make a thick, creamy paste.
9. In the mean time, soak corn husks in warm water for at least 20 minutes; rinse to remove any corn silk and drain well.
10. To assemble tamales, spread 2 tablespoons of the masa mixture on the center of the corn husk. If husks are small, overlap 2 small ones to form one.
11. Place about 1 tablespoon meat and chili mixture in the middle of the masa.
12. Fold in sides of husk and fold up the bottom.
13. Add water to double broiler just below basket
14. Lean the tamales in the basket, open side up.
15. Bring water to boil and reduce heat.
16. Cover and steam 20 minutes, or until dough is firm. Adding water to broiler when necessary.

Story and Photography by Gabriella Marks
Styling by Robert Nachman
Food by Theresa Martinez and family

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