13 Weeknight Dinner Wins That Everyone Is Cooking Instead of Ordering
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Tired of scrolling through takeout menus and waiting for delivery that’s never quite as good as you hoped? These weeknight dinner wins are fast, flavorful, and made with ingredients you actually have at home. You’ll save money, eat better, and finally feel like cooking dinner is the easy choice, not the stressful one.
Quesabirria Tacos
Quesabirria tacos bring all the rich, cheesy, slow-cooked goodness of food truck tacos straight to your kitchen. The crispy tortillas and flavorful dipping broth make every bite unforgettable. They’re messy, delicious, and the kind of homemade magic that beats delivery any day.
Get the Recipe: Quesabirria Tacos
Copycat Alice Springs Chicken
Copycat Alice Springs Chicken brings all the flavors of your favorite steakhouse meal to your dinner table without leaving home. The juicy chicken covered in tangy mustard sauce, melty cheese, mushrooms, and bacon hits every craving at once. It’s rich, cozy, and a total weeknight win that makes takeout feel unnecessary.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Alice Springs Chicken
Chili’s Baked Potato Soup
Chili’s baked potato soup brings restaurant-level comfort straight to your kitchen and is quickly becoming everyone’s go-to weeknight favorite. Loaded with tender potatoes, smoky bacon, and melty cheddar cheese, it’s the ultimate cozy meal without the delivery wait. One pot, 30 minutes, and you’ll be wondering why you ever ordered out for soup.
Get the Recipe: Chili’s Baked Potato Soup
Herb-Crusted Chicken
Herb-crusted chicken makes weeknights feel special again with almost no effort. The crispy, flavorful coating of herbs and black pepper locks in the chicken’s juiciness, giving you restaurant-style flavor straight from your own kitchen. It’s easy, comforting, and exactly the kind of dinner that beats takeout any night.
Get the Recipe: Herb-Crusted Chicken
Barbacoa Tacos
Barbacoa tacos bring slow-cooked flavor to your table with almost zero stress, making taco night way better than delivery. The tender, spice-packed beef tucked into warm tortillas with avocado and sour cream feels like a party every time. It’s bold, easy, and guaranteed to make everyone forget about takeout.
Get the Recipe: Barbacoa Tacos
Outback Potato Soup
Outback potato soup brings all the cozy steakhouse vibes right to your dinner table without needing a reservation. Creamy potatoes, crispy bacon bits, and sharp cheddar blend into a bowl that’s pure comfort after a long day. It’s a one-pot wonder that tastes like it came straight from your favorite restaurant, but better, because you made it yourself.
Get the Recipe: Outback Potato Soup
Popeyes Blackened Chicken Tenders
Popeyes’ blackened chicken tenders make dinner exciting again with their bold Cajun flavor and juicy, tender bite. They’re spicy, smoky, and ready faster than takeout, which makes them a total win for busy weeknights. Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce, and suddenly, staying in feels like a smarter and tastier choice than driving to the restaurant.
Get the Recipe: Popeyes Blackened Chicken Tenders
Baked Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Baked cauliflower mac and cheese is the comfort food everyone’s cooking when they want something creamy, cheesy, and guilt-free on a weeknight. The cauliflower bakes into a rich, velvety sauce that feels just as indulgent as the classic version. It’s a simple, wholesome dinner that checks all the boxes, easy, flavorful, and totally crave-worthy.
Get the Recipe: Baked Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta delivers that creamy, cheesy restaurant flavor with absolutely no hassle. The chicken cooks until tender in a rich sauce that practically makes itself while you go about your day. It’s a crowd-pleasing meal that feels indulgent but takes next to no effort.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
Kung Pao Chicken
Kung Pao Chicken turns weeknight cooking into a fun, flavorful win with its mix of tender chicken, crunchy peanuts, and spicy-sweet sauce. Every bite has that perfect balance of heat and crunch, just like your favorite takeout spot. It’s quick, colorful, and proof that cooking at home can be just as exciting.
Get the Recipe: Kung Pao Chicken
Copycat Texas Roadhouse Beef Tips
Copycat Texas Roadhouse Beef Tips make it easy to enjoy that tender, flavorful steakhouse classic any night of the week. The beef simmers in a rich, savory gravy that’s perfect over mashed potatoes or rice. It’s cozy, comforting, and exactly what you want when you’d rather stay in than go out.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Texas Roadhouse Beef Tips
Copycat Ruth’s Chris Stuffed Chicken
Copycat Ruth’s Chris Stuffed Chicken gives you that indulgent, restaurant-worthy meal with none of the price tag or wait time. The creamy, cheesy filling melts perfectly inside tender chicken breasts for a flavor that feels fancy but takes no effort. It’s the ultimate comfort dinner that makes you glad you cooked instead of ordering.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Ruth’s Chris Stuffed Chicken
Crispy Beef
Crispy Beef takes all the best parts of your favorite takeout dish, sticky, spicy, and perfectly crunchy, and makes them doable at home. The golden beef strips tossed in a sweet chili glaze come together in minutes and taste like a restaurant special. It’s bold, fast, and guaranteed to make you skip delivery next time.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Beef
