If you’re looking at the week ahead and already wondering what to make for dinner, let’s get a few delicious things on the menu. Tender beef stifado with sweet shallots, a big bowl of spinach and feta pasta, lemony roasted chicken and potatoes… there’s plenty to look forward to.
I’ve been in the middle of moving, so things have been a little quieter here than usual. But we still need to eat, and I thought this would be a good time to pull together five dinner ideas to make your week a little easier.
There’s a mix of quicker meals and dinners that need some time to cook, so choose what works for your schedule. You don’t have to make all five. Even having two or three dinners decided feels good, doesn’t it?
1. Greek Beef Stifado with Shallots — Now with Instant Pot Instructions
Let’s start with this one because I’ve added Instant Pot instructions to the stifado post, and I don’t want you to miss them.
If you haven’t made stifado before, it’s a Greek beef stew with whole shallots that turn soft and sweet in a rich tomato sauce. There’s garlic, a little vinegar, and warm cinnamon and cloves. The sauce alone deserves a piece of bread.
The Instant Pot method pressure cooks the beef first, then the browned shallots go in at the end to simmer until tender. You still get those beautiful whole onions without cooking them to pieces.
Serve it over rice or with crusty bread, and give yourself a night where dinner is something you can sit down and really enjoy.
Plan this one for: An evening when you have time for browning and the final simmer. It isn’t a quick pressure-cook-and-serve recipe, but there’s so much flavor waiting at the end.
2. Spinach & Feta Pasta
This is the one to keep in mind for the night when everyone’s hungry and you haven’t started cooking.
Tender pasta, plenty of garlicky spinach, dill, creamy pockets of feta, and a squeeze of lemon. It has those familiar Greek flavors I love, with very little fuss.
If you enjoy spanakorizo, you’ll love this pasta version. Add the feta at the end so you get little bites of it throughout, and don’t forget to save some pasta water before draining. It helps bring everything together.
Plan this one for: Your busiest evening. Serve it as your meatless dinner, with a little extra feta at the table.
Get the Spinach & Feta Pasta Recipe →
3. Sheet Pan Tomato-Marinated Chicken & Greek Lemon Potatoes
Now, these potatoes. They roast underneath the chicken and soak up the lemony broth and all those delicious chicken juices. You’ll want to spoon the sauce over everything.
The chicken gets coated in a garlicky tomato marinade with balsamic vinegar and a little cinnamon, which gives it such beautiful flavor and color.
You can marinate it the night before, then put the pan together when you’re ready to cook. This one needs a longer roast, so save it for an evening when you’ll be home. Add a simple green salad, and dinner is ready.
Plan this one for: A night when you want the oven to do most of the cooking. Use a deep-rimmed pan or roasting pan to hold all those juices.
Get the Chicken & Lemon Potatoes Recipe →
4. Mediterranean Red Lentil Soup
A bowl of creamy soup, some bread, and a few things on the table for everyone to add to their own bowl. That sounds like a lovely dinner to me.
This red lentil soup has carrots, garlic, tomatoes, and herbs, and you can blend it as smooth as you like. I love finishing it with a drizzle of olive oil and crumbled feta, with lemon wedges and olives on the side.
It’s also a good reason to check the pantry before heading to the store. You might already have quite a few of the ingredients.
Plan this one for: A simple soup night. Use vegetable broth for a meatless meal, and put the toppings out while the soup simmers.
Get the Red Lentil Soup Recipe →
5. Lemony Salmon & Potato Sheet Pan Dinner
Let’s finish with something bright and lemony.
The salmon and potatoes get coated in ladolemono, a simple dressing with olive oil, lemon, garlic, mustard, and oregano. The potatoes go into the oven first, then you add the salmon later so it doesn’t spend the whole time roasting.
You get tender, flaky fish, golden potatoes, and plenty of lemony flavor without needing to make a separate side dish. Sprinkle fresh dill over the top and bring the pan to the table.
Plan this one for: A night when you want dinner in under an hour. Add a salad if you like, but the salmon and potatoes already make a lovely meal.
Get the Lemony Salmon & Potatoes Recipe →
A Little Planning Before You Shop
There’s plenty of overlap here: garlic, lemons, olive oil, oregano, and potatoes appear throughout the week. Check what you have, choose your dinners, and make your shopping list from the recipes you’re actually cooking.
If time is tight, start with the spinach and feta pasta and the lentil soup. Save the chicken for an evening when you can let it roast, and give the stifado a little room in your schedule so you’re not rushing that final simmer.
Which one are you making first? Tell me in the comments—and if you try the Instant Pot stifado, I’d love to hear how you served it.
Kali orexi!
Dimitra
Leave a Reply