As much as I love going out for juicy bacon cheeseburgers, braised Brussels sprouts and sushi, we really don’t eat out very much. Most weeks I plan the weekly menu and aim for as a many family dinners as possible. With an increase in evening sports practices, it’s a challenge but not a deal breaker.

Since I’ve been running our kitchen this way for some time, I’ve got a few standards up my sleeve that seem to please the man-boys in my life. By popular demand (you know who you are), here are my answers to: “What are your go-to dinners?”

Super Easy Dinner #1

Build Your Own Bowl

Cooked Grains (white rice, brown rice, quinoa, bulgar, or any combination thereof)
Protein (shredded rotisserie chicken, carnitas, grilled chicken, tofu, hangar steak, ground turkey and pork, beans)
Veggies (shredded zucchini and carrots, torn spinach, diced red pepper, salsa, cilantro, tomatoes, cucumber, sliced radish, scallions, steamed broccoli, anything!)
Bonus (avocado, shredded cheese, fried egg, Greek yogurt, sour cream, salsa, Magic Sauce)

Grain + Protein + Veggie + Bonus

Optional: Pick a theme.

Is it a deconstructed burrito? Use leftover shredded pork or a rotisserie chicken. Offer black beans, flavor your rice with cumin and smoked paprika, and have avocado, chopped tomatoes, fresh cilantro and salsa for a topping. I make my black beans by draining a couple cans of beans, putting them in a glass bowl with some salt and cumin, and microwaving for like 3-4 minutes. Stir and DONE.

Going Korean style with BiBimBap? Whisk together soy or tamari sauce (start with a half cup), add a tablespoon brown sugar/honey/agave, clove or two of minced garlic, lots of grated fresh ginger, splash of sriracha and a T of sesame oil. Pan fry your ground turkey and pork, then simmer for a couple minutes with (most of the) marinade. For the bowl start with rice, add the meat, and top with veggies (ideas, see above), scallions, extra sauce and an over-easy fried egg. Fancy recipe found here.

The Barrio Bowl is my riff on a fave menu item from Barrio Star, in San Diego. It’s a power combo of brown rice and quinoa, black beans, heaps of sautéed greens (spinach, kale, etc) and a cilantro lime oil drizzle. And while I can’t quite replicate their amazing dressing, I do love Magic Sauce from Heidi Swanson’s 101 Cookbooks.

P.S. This is a super winner for the nights you host their hungry friends for dinner...affordable and custom for picky eaters.