Group Chat No. 2: What Are We Cooking For Dinner Tonight?
5 easy recipes to help you answer the most dreaded question!
For better or worse, I’m the cook in our house. I make dinner nearly six days a week—at least the nights I’m home, which is most of them—and then one night, usually Fridays, we’ll order in.
I have a real love/hate relationship with cooking. I think I’m a pretty good cook, and I like the food I make. Sometimes, especially when I’m in a crummy job, I find cooking to be an amazing creative outlet. Every once in a while, I’ll commit to some crazy food project, like the Christmas I made a traditional French cassoulet from scratch, including confitting the duck. It was a five-day cooking odyssey that took me to a bunch of specialty food stores around Brooklyn, and the result was delicious, but also, I’ve never repeated it.
Most nights, though, I find cooking to be a total slog, and my goal is to get dinner on the table as fast as possible and dirty the least number of dishes. (Ken does cleanup, but still, I don’t love a recipe that requires multiple pans.) I could really relate to an essay in Gloria published a while back with the headline, “Why is Making Dinner So Hard?”—some days it does feel like an “endless, thankless chore,” as Meg St-Esprit wrote. And so I’m always looking for ways to make it less painful
I generally rely on a handful of recipes I’ve perfected/memorized over the years. We eat a lot of tacos, roasted veggies and some sort of protein (usually sausage), lentil soup and kielbasa, grocery-store ramen doctored up with some spinach (and frozen dumplings on the side), my mom’s chili, and a few different Trader Joe’s frozen dinners (like orange chicken or salmon burgers). If all else fails, we’ll have breakfast for dinner, and I’ll just scramble some eggs and call it a night.
Like most, I want to eat less meat and more vegetables, and I think I probably need to cut Trader Joe’s out of my life because I’m worried about processed foods. I’ve got a kid who’s a picky eater. (I don’t want to talk about it; please do not offer advice in the comments!) And I know a lot of you swear by weekend meal prep (hi, Heather!), but it’s just not for me.
When I came up with the idea for Group Chat, I knew I wanted to do one on dinner ideas, since I’m always in search of something new to try. Typically, once a month-ish, I’ll experiment with a recipe I find online. (A few recent favorites are this kale and white bean dish and this salmon and Brussels sprouts dinner, which I only recently realized is an
recipe.) I’m always looking for a source of inspiration other than the New York Times cooking app—which I have to say, is very hit or miss, IMHO. I’ve found Substack to be an amazing place to follow food writers, and I reached out to a few of my favorites to ask them to share their favorite easy weeknight dinner recipes.The first person I emailed was
, who writes the newsletter Seasoned. (She was also an author and recipe developer for the Via Carota cookbook!) I was lucky enough to sit by Anna when I worked in the special projects department at Martha Stewart, and she taught me a lot of what I know about cooking. To this day, if I have an inkling of an idea for a recipe, I’ll look on the Martha Stewart website first, because truly the women (and a few men) who worked in that test kitchen were the very best, and you’re guaranteed a well researched and rigorously tested recipe. (My two favorites are the smash burgers1 and the chicken and dumplings.)I also reached out to
of (we met at a mutual friend’s breakfast last year, and I love her vegetable-first recipes), of Gentle Foods (I discovered Christina after she sent me the loveliest note after she became a paid Purse subscriber), of Mama Eats (a favorite newsletter of Erika’s, and now mine), and Jerrelle Guy of (honestly, I’m not entirely sure how I discovered Jerrelle’s work, but I’m glad I did).Each woman shared a recipe and a blurb to explain why these dinners are great additions to your home cooking repertoire. Both Christina and Anna sent recipes that aren’t online, so Erika was kind enough to turn into PDFs. I hope you find a new recipe you’re excited to try—I know I am definitely feeling inspired, and I can’t wait to cook these for dinner soon.
And on that note, I’ll let our recipe writers take it from here!
Vasudha Viswanath
As a cookbook author and entrepreneur, I am always trying to develop recipes that will work both for me (toddler mom!) and my audience. My South Asian heritage naturally draws me toward bold, spicy flavors, but I’ll admit—I’ve always been resistant to the tedious process of pressing tofu. This recipe emerged from that very resistance, proving that sometimes the best innovations come from seeking shortcuts. The result? An addictive dish that fits perfectly into hectic weeknight schedules.
The star of the show is a velvety sauce that pairs two plant-based protein powerhouses—tofu and peanut butter. (BFFs, wouldn’t you agree?) It hits all the right notes: a subtle sweetness balanced with heat, deepened by rich umami undertones. It envelops chunks of tofu that achieve the holy grail of texture—gloriously crispy on the outside while maintaining a silky-smooth interior. The best part? You can skip the pressing step entirely.
When paired with a vibrant medley of fresh vegetables, this dish delivers an impressive 30 grams of protein per serving, making it as nutritious as it is delicious.
For those serving a hungry family or looking to stretch the meal further, simply serve the tofu over a bed of steaming rice or your favorite noodles to easily feed four. And for our friends with peanut allergies, don’t worry—this recipe is incredibly adaptable. Swap in creamy sunflower seed butter or tahini, and you’ll still achieve that same luxurious texture and depth of flavor that makes this dish so irresistible.
Vasudha Viswanath is the author of The Vegetarian Reset and the founder of We Ate Well, a community for foodies that brings you the inside scoop on everything vegetarian. Follow Vasudha on Instagram.
Christina Chaey
These tacos are a top-five dinner in my household and feature a fall-apart, shredded chipotle-braised chicken in the style of chicken tinga. The chicken cooks mostly hands-off, giving me just enough time to prepare some fresh fillings, warm the tortillas, and set the table before I’m overcome with hanger.
The thing I love most about this recipe is that once you know how to make chipotle-braised chicken, you’ll also sneakily know how to make just about any other braised meat, as they all pretty much follow the same method. Make this on repeat for long enough and you’ll eventually be able to make it (gasp) without a recipe—the ultimate weeknight dinner flex. (Truthfully, I never use a recipe when I make this dish—but if you like to follow a formal recipe, these chicken tinga tostadas with bacony black beans also hit the spot.)
Christina Chaey is a writer and recipe developer living in Brooklyn. She is the creator of Gentle Foods, a newsletter about the intersection of cooking and mental health. She is a former senior food editor at Bon Appétit and is publishing her first cookbook in spring 2026.2 Follow Christina on Instagram.
Jerrelle Guy
After submitting a manuscript dedicated entirely to weeknight dinners, I’ve realized that the best dinners share three key qualities: They strike a good balance between ease and excitement, they feel comforting but not too predictable, and they’re as enjoyable to make as they are to eat—something that lifts your mood from the moment you step into the kitchen to after you’re done eating.
This recipe for fettuccine with creamy black garlic sauce happens to check all three boxes. It’s a pasta dish that delivers complex flavor with little effort and a short ingredient list, and its magical weapon is black garlic. If you haven’t cooked with this clove yet, please get on that ASAP. Raw garlic is sharp and assertive, but black garlic? It’s mellow, jammy, and deeply caramelized. Its flavors remind me of balsamic vinegar and dark chocolate, and it has an umami richness that lingers in the best way. It’s the food equivalent of low lighting and a jazz playlist—soft, moody, and unexpectedly transformative.
Just smash the black garlic cloves (they’re so soft, you can do this with a fork) in a large serving bowl with the cream cheese and Parmesan, then add in starchy pasta water until it all melds together into a silky, luxurious sauce. Toss in your cooked fettuccine, letting every ribbon soak up the sauce, and finish with herbs. It’s a no-fuss situation, with zero complicated techniques.
But the real magic is how this dish makes you feel. It tastes decadent but not heavy, which is the best of both worlds, and it almost feels like a craft project—the fun of smashing things and the novelty of making white sauce while never technically cooking it on the stove—so you won’t mind making it again and again. It’s the kind of meal that reminds you why cooking at home matters—not just for sustenance, but for the ritual, for the pause, for the quiet joy of making something beautiful at the end of the day.
And if your fridge is looking uninspiring, know that this dish is a choose-your-own-adventure kind of meal. No fettuccine? Use whatever pasta you’ve got. No cream cheese? Try mascarpone or ricotta. Out of herbs? Skip them, or toss in arugula, frozen peas, or a handful of roasted cherry tomatoes. Want something heartier? Add sautéed mushrooms, seared shrimp, or crisped-up pancetta. It’s wildly forgiving and adaptable, which is the best kind of food for a weeknight.
Jerrelle Guy is the author of Black Girl Baking, a James Beard Award-nominated cookbook, and the creator of The Dinner Ritual, a newsletter exploring the intersection of cooking and spirituality. Her forthcoming cookbook, We Fancy: Weeknight Dinner Dressed Up, reimagines the weeknight meal as an opportunity for creativity, gratitude, and mind-body connection. Follow Jerrelle on Instagram.
Amanda Leigh
February is the shortest month, yet to me it seems the longest, as we wait for winter to melt into spring, bringing the sun filled days back. The days are frigid, the skies grey, and it is easy to slip into a mood to match them. On top of that, we’re all living busy lives and trying to get a wholesome dinner on the table. To the rescue, to bolster and fortify us: soup. Soup is warming, comforting, easy to make, and filled with nourishing ingredients.
One of my favorite meals for this time of year, when the fresh produce dwindles and dinner resolutions begin to flag, is this tomato white bean soup. It’s made with a handful of basic pantry ingredients that you most likely already have on hand, it’s quite easy with very little prep work, and it tastes delicious. It has a good dose of fiber, thanks to the beans, and makes a perfect well-rounded dinner with some crusty bread or a grilled cheese, plus a simple green salad. You can also easily wilt some spinach or kale into it to add even more texture and nutrients.
To make it, all you do is roughly chop an onion and some garlic and open a can of whole peeled tomatoes. Throw it all in a baking dish, douse it liberally with olive oil, and season with salt before tucking it in the oven to roast down into intense, sticky deliciousness. Then, a quick blend, stir through some cooked white beans (canned is just fine), and dinner’s ready. It does take time for the tomatoes to roast down and concentrate their flavor, but it’s all hands-off time.
If you need to get dinner on the table more quickly that night, simply do the roasting the night before, put it in the fridge, and proceed with the remainder of the recipe the next night—which will only take five minutes or so. Any leftovers are just right for next day’s lunch, reheated and toted with you in a thermos, perhaps with a hunk of baguette, a mandarin, and a few squares of dark chocolate.
Amanda Leigh is a mother, writer, doula, and sustainable living advocate living a slow, intentional life in California. She writes the Mama Eats newsletter. Follow Amanda on Instagram.
Anna Kovel
It’s always easy to make a quick dinner out of chicken breasts, and while they can seem predictable, pounding them into scallopini or paillards, aka cutlets, gives dinner a bit of European flair. Paired with a crunchy salad and mustard-shallot dressing, this feels healthy and special.
Don’t crowd your pan—cook the chicken in a couple of batches. As the cutlets brown lightly, they leave tasty, golden bits behind; adding shallots and vinegar (or lemon, or wine…) to the pan instantly picks up all that flavor. Add just enough water to thin the dressing to your liking and whisk in Dijon mustard and olive oil before pouring the dressing over greens and fennel.
To me, escarole is a savior in winter months. It’s easily found in most supermarkets, it’s usually fresh and crisp, and it costs less than my other winter favorites: endive, radicchio, and frisée. If the outer leaves don’t look great, tear them off and use all the pale interior leaves. Slice them crosswise, because they can be chewy—another reason a warm dressing works wonders.
To pound the chicken breasts, first slice them horizontally, with your knife blade parallel to the cutting board. Then unfold them so they open like a book or a butterfly. Place a piece of plastic or parchment on top and pound them evenly with something heavy and flat until they’re about a quarter-inch thick. You can also look for packaged cutlets or have a butcher pound them for you, if you’re lucky enough to have a butcher counter near you.
Anna Kovel is a writer, food stylist, and recipe developer whose work has led her to live and cook in Boston, California, Paris, Rome, Ireland, and New York, which she now calls home. She writes the newsletter Seasoned. Follow Anna on Instagram.
Thank you so much, Anna, Amanda, Jerrelle, Christina, and Vasudha for sharing your recipes!
Dear readers, do you have a favorite dinner recipe or food substack? Please share in the comments!
Yes, I actually put the meat between two pieces of parchment paper and roll it flat with a rolling pin. It’s delicious!!
Also, how cool is it that Christina was featured in Grub Street Diet!
You already called out Ali Slagle but I can't help myself. Her recipes basically always have the ideal effort to outcome ratio. Her cookbook I Dream Of Dinner is our workhorse, we never get tired of it.
A great option! https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/10/quick-pasta-and-chickpeas-pasta-e-ceci/