We all know how weeknight dinners can feel like the hardest decision of the day. Having a few ideas up your sleeve makes everything so much smoother and less stressful.
I put together some of my favorite dinner inspirations to help you end your day with a warm and satisfying meal.
SPICY SAUSAGE RAGU
Rich, creamy, slow-cooked spicy sausage ragu tossed through rigatoni (arguably the best pasta shape). Comfort food at its finest.
Ingredients
- 400g sausage meat
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 1 large red onion, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 3 tsp mixed herbs
- 2 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- Parmesan rind (optional)
- 1 tin crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups beef broth
- Salt & black pepper
- Pasta (rigatoni, pappardelle, etc.)
- ½ cup grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
Method
– Heat olive oil in a large pot.
– Sauté carrots, onion and celery until deeply golden.
– Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
– Add sausage meat, breaking it up, and cook until browned.
– Add herbs and chilli flakes; cook until fragrant.
– Deglaze with red wine, scraping up all the flavour from the base.
– Add bay leaves, parmesan rind (if using), crushed chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, and seasoning.
– Simmer low and slow for 40–60 minutes.
– Toss through pasta with parmesan and a splash of pasta water if needed. Finish with extra cheese.
Second idea
If you are a fan of bold flavors and big portions, this plate is everything. Sweet and sour chicken, curry sauce chips, stir fried beef, noodles, and dumplings all in one sitting… now that is a dinner worth looking forward to.
A little bit of everything for those nights when you simply cannot choose just one thing.
Dinner idea #3
The night before heading back to work, we tucked into this absolute feast: a giant sirloin steak, homemade mac & cheese, classic French fries, and rich peppercorn sauce.
Simple, hearty, and exactly what we needed. Safe to say, it went down a treat
Dinner idea #4
We hope you all had an amazing day! Here’s my plate piled high with all the festive essentials: turkey, Yorkshire pudding, honey& mustard carrots, parsnips & pigs in blankets, red cabbage, bread sauce, cranberry sauce, crispy roast potatoes (the ultimate star of the show), and a generous drizzle of gravy.
Dinner idea #5
CHINESE TAKEAWAY
After getting back from Leeds, the last thing we fancied was cooking, so we did the only sensible thing… treated ourselves to a Chinese.
Here’s what we ordered:
🐔 Sweet & Sour Chicken (Cantonese Style)
🍜 Soft Egg Noodles
🥩 Char Siu Pork with Ginger & Spring Onion
🍟 Salt & Pepper Chips
🍛 Curry Sauce
Everything hit the spot, portions were generous, and it was exactly what we needed after a busy weekend away!!
conclusion
I hope these dinner ideas gave you a little something to look forward to tonight. Cooking does not have to be complicated, sometimes just knowing what you want to make is all you need to get started.
Save this for your next weeknight and let dinner be the best part of your day.
all my thank to yorkonlypans for the amazing pictures that she’s providing on her instagram ❤
