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  4. Our Editors' Favorite Weeknight Dinner Recipes

Our Editors' Favorite Weeknight Dinner Recipes

Mary Shannon Hodes, Associate Digital Editor at Southern Living
By Mary Shannon Wells Updated February 23, 2022
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Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Credit: Southern Living

When it comes to weeknight dinners, the Southern Living editors are experts. From toddler-friendly sloppy Joes to a quick scallop recipe that's elegant enough for an at-home date night, these editor-approved recipes will soon be part of your weekly meal rotation, too. Get cozy with editor-loved comfort food dinners like our new take on ragù and a white chicken chili that comes together in the slow cooker. With suppertime wonders like sheet-pan salmon and salsa chicken, you can have a healthy, easy meal on the table without much effort on your part. Our Farmers' Market Pasta Salad makes use of fresh veggies, and our Creamy Chicken Enchiladas turn leftover chicken into a meal one editor "craves more than takeout." On the hunt for a recipe to break you out of your monotonous meal routine? You can trust the Southern Living editorial team's picks to spice up your weeknights. When the family asks, "What's for dinner?" you can expect to see smiling faces with these delicious recipes.

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Honey-Mustard Baked Salmon with Vegetables

honey mustard baked salmon vegetables
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos

Recipe: Honey-Mustard Baked Salmon with Vegetables

"We eat this light and bright sheet pan salmon so often that you might wonder how it doesn't get old," says Associate Editor Mary Shannon Hodes. "Like with any good weeknight dinner, this one is so easily adaptable to what's in your fridge and pantry at the time."

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Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

"If you've got a few minutes and a handful of staple ingredients, you can have these enchiladas in the oven and baking away with just 45 minutes between you and a dish that rivals the takeout fix you've been craving," says Senior Editor Patricia Shannon. "Our Creamy Chicken Enchiladas are the weeknight answer to all of your decadent and comforting food hankerings—trust me, you're going to want to commit this one to memory."

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Acorn Squash Soup

Acorn Squash Soup
Credit: Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Victor Protasio, Prop Stylist Claire Spollen

Recipe: Acorn Squash Soup

"I love a weeknight soup!" says Travel & Culture Editor Caroline Rogers. "This one is my winter go-to, and if I can't find acorn squash, I usually substitute butternut. Don't skimp on the cayenne!"

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Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

Crock-Pot Salsa Chicken
Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

"I love a good slow cooker set it and forget it recipe, and this one is full of flavor and also pretty healthy," says News Editor Rebecca Angel Baer.

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Lemon-Garlic Butter Shrimp with Broccoli

Lemon-Garlic Butter Shrimp and Broccoli
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos

Recipe: Lemon-Garlic Butter Shrimp with Broccoli

"The crowning glory of this recipe is the lemon garlic butter," says Editorial Fellow Marissa Wu. "I had the shrimp positively bathing in it and made sure to reserve the extra for drizzling after everything was plated."

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Farmers' Market Pasta Salad

Farmers Market Pasta Salad
Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Farmers' Market Pasta Salad

"Packed with all the flavors of summer, this is hands-down my favorite dish to make for suppertime," says Assistant Food Editor Pat York.

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Fire-Roasted Tomato-and-Beef Ragù

Fire-Roasted Tomato-and-Beef Ragù
Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Fire-Roasted Tomato-and-Beef Ragù

"Since it's usually just my husband and me for dinner during the week, we're constantly shrinking recipes so we don't end up with endless leftovers," says Senior Social Media Editor Brennan Long. "I love how easily this kicked up ragù comes together on a weeknight, but also freezes beautifully for dinners later on. It's a flavorful way to dress up everything from roasted spaghetti squash to locally made pasta."

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Sweet-and-Spicy Salmon Rice Bowl

Sweet-and-Spicy Salmon Rice Bowl
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Sweet-and-Spicy Salmon Rice Bowl

"You won't believe the incredible flavor this recipe manages to deliver in just 30 minutes," says Associate Editor Mary Shannon Hodes. "Not to mention, it's pretty enough for that 'phones eat first' snap I know you're going to post."

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White Chicken Chili

White Chicken Chili
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: White Chicken Chili

"Super easy, filling, and goes great with cornbread!" says Senior Food Editor Lisa Cericola of this slow-cooker chili recipe.

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Creamy Rice with Scallops

Creamy Rice with Scallops
Credit: Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Creamy Rice with Scallops

"This recipe feels so indulgent, but it comes together quickly and is absolutely fool-proof," says Features Editor Betsy Cribb.

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Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Chicken and Potatoes

Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Chicken and Potatoes
Credit: Becky Luigart Stayner

Recipe: Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Chicken and Potatoes

"From experience, I've found that there's really no way you can mess up this chicken dinner," says Associate Editor Jenna Sims. "I don't have a roasting pan in my kitchen, so I actually use my trusty Dutch oven. I've also used chicken breasts I had on hand instead of the thighs it calls for. The most challenging part of this one dish recipe is chopping the potatoes, which of course isn't even difficult."

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Slow-Cooker Sloppy Joes

sloppy-joe-sl-1599544-l.jpg

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Sloppy Joes

"The thing about a good dinner recipe is that it can take the stress off of meal planning in an instant," says Senior Editor Patricia Shannon. "When you know it's going to be a winner, it's just one less thing to worry about—especially, if like me, you have a few persnickety eaters gathering around your table every evening. That's precisely how I feel when I add these easy Sloppy Joes to my weekly meal plan."

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Potato-Bacon Hash

Potato-Bacon Hash
Credit: Stephen DeVries, Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Potato-Bacon Hash

"When it comes to 'clean out the fridge night,' as my mom calls it, we use this hash recipe as more of a guideline, not a rule book," says Associate Editor Mary Shannon Hodes, who loves to throw leftovers from the fridge in this one-skillet supper. 

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    1 of 13 Honey-Mustard Baked Salmon with Vegetables
    2 of 13 Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
    3 of 13 Acorn Squash Soup
    4 of 13 Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
    5 of 13 Lemon-Garlic Butter Shrimp with Broccoli
    6 of 13 Farmers' Market Pasta Salad
    7 of 13 Fire-Roasted Tomato-and-Beef Ragù
    8 of 13 Sweet-and-Spicy Salmon Rice Bowl
    9 of 13 White Chicken Chili
    10 of 13 Creamy Rice with Scallops
    11 of 13 Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Chicken and Potatoes
    12 of 13 Slow-Cooker Sloppy Joes
    13 of 13 Potato-Bacon Hash

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