luxury weeknight meals

This is a subtly textured, richly flavoured arrangement of toasted pieces of flatbread topped with meaty aubergine and beef, a garlicky tahini-yoghurt sauce, red pepper flakes, pomegranate seeds, toasted pine nuts and fresh shredded mint. Is it too terrible to say that I think of it as Middle-Eastern nachos? 

Beef and aubergine fatteh 

pitta

Greek-style yoghurt

tbsp tahini,

lemons, juice only

garlic cloves, crushed

1–2 tsp sea salt flakes,

pomegranate seeds

grams/1¾oz pine nuts

tbsp mint leaves

olive oil

onion,

aubergine,

tsp cumin

tsp coriander

tsp Aleppo pepper

500 grams/1lb 2 ounces beef mince

A quick and easy chicken supper  using the Middle Eastern spice blend, za’atar and a sprinkling of sesame seeds on chicken thighs.

Za’atar chicken with chickpeas and garlic yoghurt

tbsp za’atar

chicken thighs

tbsp sesame seeds

garlic cloves,

250 milliliters/9fl oz thick plain yoghurt

mint leaves

Impress at a dinner party with Rick Stein’s seafood risotto recipe flavoured with saffron and white wine.

Seafood risotto

450 grams/1lb prawns, shell on

mussels

monkfish fillet, thinly sliced

milliliters/1fl oz olive oil

garlic clove, chopped

carrot,

celery stick, chopped

leek,

¼ red chilli, chopped

tomato, chopped

saffron

900 milliliters/1½pt fish stock

liquor mussels

unsalted butter

shallots, chopped

rice

120 milliliters/4fl oz dry white wine

Tom Kerridge shows you how to make the perfect butternut squash risotto recipe. His secret? Creamy mozzarella, toasty pine nuts and fragrant sage.  

Each serving provides 715 kcal, 23.5g protein, 70g carbohydrate (of which 8.5g sugars), 33g fat (of which 15g saturates), 5g fibre and 1.3g salt. 

Butternut squash risotto

onion, thinly sliced

garlic cloves, finely chopped

arborio rice

200 milliliters/7fl oz dry white wine

1.1 litres/1 pint 16fl oz warm vegetable stock (made with stock cubes)

sage

grams/3½oz Parmesan (or

grams/1¼oz pine nuts,

salt and black pepper

Tom Kerridge’s butternut squash and sage risotto.

Tom Kerridge’s butternut squash and sage risotto

This classic creamy beef stroganoff recipe is made with mushrooms, smoked paprika and slices of pan-fried rump steak. It is also still filling without the rice, should you want to reduce the calorie count.

Each serving provides 795 kcal (505 kcal without rice), 59g protein, 87g carbohydrates (of which 18g sugars), 18g fat (of which 7.5g saturates), 18g fibre and 4.5g salt.

Beef stroganoff

beef stock cube

tsp sweet smoked paprika

tomato purée

tin beef consommé (or beef stock)

150 grams/5½oz chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced

Dijon mustard

rump

olive oil spray

cornichons

75 milliliters/2½fl oz half-fat crème fraîche

tbsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley

tbsp chervil

onion flakes

sea salt and black pepper

160 grams/5¾oz basmati rice,

This creamy mushroom sauce has a real depth of flavour that makes a special meal of simply cooked chicken. 

Chicken with creamy mushroom sauce

350 grams/12 ounces chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced

brown onion, finely chopped

thyme leaves

100 milliliters/3½fl oz dry white wine

300 milliliters/10fl oz chicken stock

150 milliliters/¼ pint double cream

grams/3½oz crème fraîche

parsley

tarragon

chicken breasts, skin on

white rice,

A wonderfully comforting chicken pasta bake, this can be made ahead and will go down really well with the family. 

Each serving provides 532 kcal, 35g protein, 46g carbohydrates (of which 10g sugars), 22g fat (of which 11.5g saturates), 4.5g fibre and 0.9g salt.

Chicken pasta bake

butter,

penne

onion, roughly chopped

chicken

paprika

butter

grams/1¾oz plain flour

milliliters/1 pint 6 fl oz hot milk (see tip)

100 grams/3½oz Parmesan cheese,

tomatoes,

This is a real store cupboard saviour. Pork mince can vary wildly in fat content, so make sure you check before buying. You could add more vegetables to this stew if you like - spinach, sweet potato, carrot or celery would all work. Chickpeas are a nice substitution for the beans, too.

Each serving provides 366 kcal, 27g protein, 44g carbohydrate (of which 7.5g sugars), 7.5g fat (of which 3g saturates), 7g fibre and 0.6g salt.

Chorizo and meatball stew

pork

breadcrumbs

garlic

onion, grated

oil,

chorizo

tomatoes

cannellini

roasted red peppers

100 grams/3½oz basmati rice

Creamy chicken with a taste of the South West: apples and cider. This is comfort food at its finest. 

Somerset chicken

onions, peeled, sliced

tbsp plain flour

tbsp wholegrain mustard

dessert apples, peeled, cores removed,

110 grams/4 ounces button mushrooms, sliced

250 milliliters/9fl oz chicken stock

300 milliliters/10½fl oz cider

tbsp finely chopped fresh sage

250 milliliters/9fl oz double cream

300 grams/10½oz cheddar, grated

potatoes,

A dash of Marsala wine gives this simple chicken recipe a flavour twist. Serve with sautéed potatoes. 

Chicken Marsala

grams/1½oz plain flour

shallots, finely chopped

garlic clove, finely chopped

160 grams/5¾oz chestnut mushrooms, sliced

250 milliliters/9fl oz dry Marsala

150 milliliters/5fl oz chicken stock

Using sausage meat reduces the cooking time for this traditional dish, but the white wine and cream make sure nothing is lacking in flavour. You don’t need a pasta machine to make your own tagliatelle – if you don’t have one, give it a go with a rolling pin.

Sausage ragù with tagliatelle

00 pasta flour

eggs,

tsp salt

sausage

celery,

¾ tsp fennel seeds,

rosemary, leaves finely chopped

¼ tsp chilli flakes

garlic clove, grated

150 milliliters/5fl oz dry white wine

150 milliliters/5fl oz double cream

Parmesan cheese,

Mary Berry's comforting, creamy paprika chicken is a quick dinner classic that will please all comers. Serve with plain boiled rice or creamy mash to double the comfort factor.

Creamy paprika chicken

chicken breasts,

150 milliliters/5¼fl oz double cream

Worcestershire sauce

tbsp runny honey

tbsp grainy mustard

spinach

boiled rice, cooked

Try serving this French-style cheesy potato bake with pickled onions, gherkins and charcuterie.

Tartiflette

Charlotte potatoes, peeled

bacon lardons

shallots

milliliters/3½fl oz white wine

200 milliliters/7fl oz double cream

Reblochon cheese (about 450 grams/1lb), sliced

This creamy chicken dish is easy to prepare ahead so perfect for a dinner party. Serve with rice or baby new potatoes.



Chicken with asparagus and lemon crème fraîche sauce

tbsp oil

chicken breasts, boned, skinned

banana shallots, quartered lengthways

flour

400 milliliters/14fl oz chicken stock

1½ tbsp chopped lemon thyme leaves

asparagus

lemon, juice only

200 milliliters/7fl oz full-fat crème fraîche

Someone I met in Palermo once told me that the secret of good Italian dishes is ‘esagera’ – put more of everything in – and so it is with this mac & cheese recipe. There’s masses of cheese and plenty of smoked bacon.

Equipment: you will need a 35x20cm/14x8in ovenproof dish.

Mac & cheese

grams/3½oz butter,

grams/3½oz plain flour

1.2 litres/2 pints full-fat milk

75 milliliters/2½fl oz double cream

bay leaf

cheddar,

nutmeg

macaroni

100 grams/3½oz smoked bacon lardons or smoked pancetta cubes

60 grams/2¼oz white breadcrumbs

grams/1¾oz Parmesan, grated

Braising steak is slow to cook but quick to prepare in this rich, traditional dish from The Hairy Bikers.

The Hairy Bikers' braised steak with gravy

braising

sunflower oil

garlic clove, crushed

500 milliliters/18fl oz beef stock beef stock

thyme, thyme

tsp cornflour

½ tsp English mustard powder

Homemade chips

A vegetarian mushroom stroganoff that's as rich and delicious as its meaty cousin. You can use any mix of mushrooms you like in this stroganoff recipe. This is designed to be a low cost recipe.

Each serving provides 352 kcal, 9.8g protein, 44.4g carbohydrate (of which 5g sugars), 14.4g fat (of which 7g saturates), 2.5g fibre and 1.07g salt.

Easy mushroom stroganoff

Top 19 luxury weeknight meals recipes from across the web

The most viewed luxury weeknight meals recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Beef and aubergine fatteh

Za’atar chicken with chickpeas and ...

Seafood risotto

Butternut squash risotto

Beef stroganoff

Chicken with creamy mushroom sauce

Chicken pasta bake

Chorizo and meatball stew

Somerset chicken

Chicken Marsala

Sausage ragù with tagliatelle

Creamy paprika chicken

Tartiflette

Chicken with asparagus and lemon cr...

Mac & cheese

The Hairy Bikers' braised steak wit...

Easy mushroom stroganoff

Mediterranean puff pastry tart

Baked pasta shells filled with chee...

Top 19 luxury weeknight meals recipes from across the web

The most viewed luxury weeknight meals recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Beef and aubergine fatteh

Za’atar chicken with chickpeas and ...

Seafood risotto

Butternut squash risotto

Beef stroganoff

Chicken with creamy mushroom sauce

Chicken pasta bake

Chorizo and meatball stew

Somerset chicken

Chicken Marsala

Sausage ragù with tagliatelle

Creamy paprika chicken

Tartiflette

Chicken with asparagus and lemon cr...

Mac & cheese

The Hairy Bikers' braised steak wit...

Easy mushroom stroganoff

Mediterranean puff pastry tart

Baked pasta shells filled with chee...

The most viewed luxury weeknight meals recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine