Here’s What to Cook Every Night This Week (April 26 – May 2)
Quick: You’re stranded on a desert island and can only bring one item from your kitchen with you. While a sharp knife is an admirable choice, we truly don’t think we could live without our cast-iron skillet. It retains heat like no other, delivers a flawless sear every damn time and can crisp up everything from cake to pizza crust. (Sure, foraging for ingredients and building a fire would present their own challenges, but thankfully, the closest we’re getting to that desert-island scenario is binging Man Vs. Wild after dinner.)
In honor of our go-to kitchen gadget, here are seven dinners to cook in your cast-iron skillet this week.
RELATED: How to Clean a Cast-Iron Skillet with a Potato
Shopping List
Produce
3 lemons
3 red onions
10 garlic cloves
3 ears corn (or 12 ounces canned corn)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 large zucchini
2 onions
1 red bell pepper
1 bulb fennel
4 peaches
3 tomatoes
1 bunch asparagus
1 bunch oregano
2 bunches parsley
3 bunches basil
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch scallions
Meat
6 chicken thighs
8 chicken pieces (mixture of thighs and legs)
Two 2-inch-thick, bone-in pork chops (about 1¼ pounds)
8 large eggs
1 pound ground beef
6 to 8 ounces sweet Italian sausage
Dairy
2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1 stick butter
3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
6 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
Grains
7 ounces long-grain rice
1 pound lasagna noodles
Crusty bread, for serving
Canned and Packaged Goods
20 ounces chicken broth
6 ounces green olives
1 ounce capers
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
Unsweetened cacao powder
Harissa
3 ounces pickled jalapeños
1 packet taco seasoning
8 ounces salsa
One 14-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
Tortilla chips, for serving
8 ounces pizza dough
Marinara or pizza sauce
White wine
Pantry Ingredients: kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, dried oregano, garlic powder, extra-virgin olive oil, ground cumin, chili powder, paprika, cinnamon, coarse sea salt, avocado oil, ground coriander, all-purpose flour
Monday: Greek Chicken and Rice Skillet
Don’t worry about having to scrub a giant pot once you’re done. The rice cooks right in the skillet in a mix of chicken broth, lemon, fresh oregano and the chicken’s natural juices.
Tuesday: Cheater’s Skillet Lasagna with Corn and Cherry Tomatoes
We love lasagna, but all that layering and baking makes it a bit of a project. Behold, a genius alternative that’s summery, fresh and just as satisfying as the O.G. (Feel free to substitute canned corn if you’d like, BTW.)
Wednesday: Cast-Iron Pork Chops with Cacao-Spiced Rub
Pro tip: Let the pork come to room temperature and salt it 45 minutes before cooking for a melt-in-your-mouth meal. The meat will be juicy and tender, while the fat will stay irresistibly crispy.
Thursday: Red Shakshuka
This Israeli baked egg dish may be a popular brunch guest, but it contains more than enough protein to double as dinner—especially with a side of crusty bread for dipping. Bonus? It’ll only cost you about $2 a serving.
Friday: Skillet Nacho Dip
Before you balk at serving a dip for dinner, hear us out: There’s truly no better way to kick off the weekend than with a bubbling hot dish of taco beef, fire-roasted tomatoes, salsa and Monterey Jack cheese. Just add tortilla chips…and maybe guac and sour cream, too.
Saturday: Crispy Cast-Iron Skillet Pizza with Fennel, Sausage and Garlic
Homemade ’za in just 30 minutes? Believe it, friends. Store-bought dough makes it possible, but this gem is still far from the average pie (looking at you, fancy fennel).
Sunday: Skillet Roast Chicken with Peaches, Tomatoes and Red Onion
This one-pan beauty takes just under an hour and half to make, but we promise it’s worth the wait. All it’s missing is a well-lit patio and a bottle of white.
