Something about the phrase “weeknight dinners” makes me cringe. Why? Well, to me, ANY recipe can be a weeknight dinner…so labeling something as a *weeknight exclusive* is almost like saying you can’t enjoy/make the really good meals when you’re exhausted and strapped for time.
Weeknight or not, you should never have to settle for a recipe that has less of a *wow factor* than any other night! And as a woman with a full-time job and an array of occasionally demanding, self-inflicted hobbies, I think I’m pretty qualified to give you the lowdown on my favorite Foodie Approved, Not Super Taxing, Off-The-Scale Delicious “weeknight dinners”… and they’re easier than you might think.
The secret formula…
It’s all about mindset…aaaand picking the right recipe with the right ingredients.
That’s the big secret! Allowing your ingredients to make the impact and sticking to something that excites you, but at the same time, is just a little less confusing.
If you really dissect some of these “weeknight recipes” that float around the foodie community, they can be incredibly complex, have an ingredient list longer than a CVS receipt, and will promise that it’s a 25-minute or less process. While that 25-minute part may be true, the end product often wasn’t what you were hoping for and still took just as much energy as a more “weekend-worthy” recipe would have taken.
Truly, some of these “special occasion recipes” (or ones that seem like they would take hours of prep-work) are often the simplest to understand and fastest to make. Take this incredibly flavorful and sinfully easy Pan-Seared Ribeye recipe we posted recently, or today’s recipe: a Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Homemade Biscuits. Every bite is *eyes-rolling-to-the-back-of-your-head* worthy, and it’s a recipe that can keep being reheated as many times as you need through the week – if there end up being any leftovers at all!
Final thoughts on “weeknight recipes”…
You can apply this same equation to any recipe you see, and before you know it, you’ll be ditching the faux-fast recipes for something you’re looking forward to eating. As long as you’re excited to make it, the ingredient list is on the smaller side, and the ingredients themselves are high-quality, you’re set!
Eat what you want, make what you want, and don’t allow the fact that it’s a weeknight, not someone’s birthday, or just an average Tuesday get in your way! Bon appetit!
For your first project, try the recipe below! It combines all of the best part of a pot pie with the lightness of a springtime soup! Every bite will be a scoop of fresh flavors, paired with the soft, fluffy biscuits. Let us know what you think!
Chicken Pot Pie Soup with Homemade Biscuits
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 3 chicken breasts, skin-on, bone-in
- good olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 5 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts
- 4 cups chopped fennel, tops and cores removed
- 3 cups diced scrubbed carrots
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves
- 1/4 cup flour (Cup4Cup if GF)
- 3/4 cup cream sherry, divided
- 7 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 1 piece of Italian Parmesan cheese rind
- 1 box frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen whole pearl onions
- 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
For the Biscuits
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (or Cup4Cup if GF)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 stick cold, unsalted butter, diced
- 3/4 cup half-and-half
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 egg, mixed with 1 tbsp water, for egg wash
Instructions
For the Soup
- Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.
- Place the chicken on a sheet pan skin-side up, rub the skin with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 minutes, until a thermometer registers 130˚ F to 140˚ F. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove and discard the skin and bones and cut the chicken in 1-inch dice. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium (10- to 11-inch) heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the leeks, fennel and carrots and sauté over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender but not browned. Stir in the garlic and tarragon and cook for one minute. Sprinkle on the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the sherry, the chicken stock, 4 teaspoons salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper and the Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes.
- Add the chicken, peas and onions and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Off the heat, remove the Parmesan rind and add the remaining 1/4 cup of sherry and the parsley.
For the Biscuits
- Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Add the half-and-half and combine on low speed. Mix in the parsley.
- Dump the dough out on a well-floured board and, with a rolling pin, roll out to 3/8 inch thick. Cut out twelve circles with a 2-1/2 inch round cutter.
- Brush the biscuits with the egg wash and bake for 7 minutes, keeping an eye on them. They should be risen and golden on top when ready.
- Serve overtop shallow bowls of soup! Enjoy!
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