You don’t need complicated recipes. These are my go-to dinners that actually get made on busy nights.
Spaghetti Carbonara
Boil spaghetti. Fry bacon or pancetta. Beat eggs with parmesan. Toss hot pasta with the fat and bacon, then quickly stir in the egg mixture. The heat cooks the eggs into a creamy sauce.
Don’t add the eggs over direct heat or you’ll get scrambled eggs. Learned that one the hard way.
Simple Stir Fry
Hot pan, oil, protein in first. Set aside when cooked. Add vegetables – whatever you have. Sauce of soy sauce, garlic, ginger. Toss protein back in. Serve over rice.
Fifteen minutes, one pan, done.
Sheet Pan Chicken
Chicken thighs and vegetables on a pan. Oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder. 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes. The chicken renders fat onto the vegetables and everything tastes better.
Basic Tacos
Ground beef with taco seasoning. Or shredded rotisserie chicken. Tortillas, shredded cheese, whatever toppings are in the fridge.
Not gourmet. Always hits the spot.
Fried Rice
Day-old rice works best. Hot pan, oil, rice goes in. Let it sit to get crispy. Push aside, scramble eggs in the empty space. Mix everything together with soy sauce and frozen peas.
Great for using up leftovers.
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Butter bread, cheese in the middle, pan-fry until golden. Canned tomato soup is fine.
Comfort food that takes ten minutes. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
The Rule
Good home cooking isn’t complicated. Pick solid recipes, get comfortable with them, repeat. Consistency beats ambition every time.
