Gundry - Everyday Dinner Ideas: 103 Easy Recipes with Chicken, Pasta, and More

That word has many meanings. It can be that small window of time you have to feed the kids (and maybe yourself, if youre lucky) and race against the clock, hoping to convince your children to eat their broccoli before bath time. On the flip side, dinner can mean a first date, an anniversary, or even a birthday. Dinner can be a magnificent occasion, where the table is set with your finest china and crisply ironed linens. You can eat at 6 p.m. or 10 p.m.

You can order pizza or poach lobster. Dinner is what you make of it. When I was a small child, my farm family in Minnesota put a lot of meaning into what we called supper. But as I got older, life changed (divorce, graduation, moving well, you know how it goes). I do remember sit-down dinner at boarding school, which felt more like a chore with assigned seating and forced conversation, and at the other extreme, dinner in college, which consisted of frozen yogurt and a library book. When I began working in restaurants, dinner became the leftover French fries after I plated a dish.

Late-night dinners included Swedish fish and pretzels. As a formally trained chef, its odd to think that it took so many years for me to begin making proper dinnersand to begin enjoying it. I will never forget making my now-husband our first date-night dinner, helping my mother-in-law during our first Christmas together, and making my first turkey on Thanksgiving. When my husband was in business school, dinners for six became dinners for a dozen as new friends came to the door, and when it was night, our home was busting at the seams. Now, dinner prep on Sunday is one of my favorite activities, planning a menu for a party beats that, and sitting down with a glass of wine, friends, and family is, hands down, what I love most about our life. My favorite dinner is one where all the food goes on the table at once.

It begins as a beautiful spread, and in the end, its a dazzling mess of wine stains, crumbs, empty plates, and full bellies. Not all dinners need to be complicated or time-consuming, but its a time that gives you an opportunity to take a breath. You cant skip it, yet I have learned that it can be stressful, and I am here to tell you that it doesnt have to be. I have created 103 recipes that are foolproof and that will excite kids, but that will also give reason for you to sit back and have a glass of wine on date night. Why 103? When you come to my house for dinner, I want you to know you can always bring a friend or two or three and for those who have been to my home, you know firsthand that guests tend to multiply as the food continues to come out of the oven and cocktails continue to be poured. One hundred recipes felt too rigid, too finite.

By adding in the extra three, it became more welcoming, a reminder that there is always more room at the table. I have learned that dinner has a whole other meaning to it: a good one. The day is over, the night has begun, and wherever you are sitting and whoever youre with, thank your lucky stars. Addie Gundry

Theyre crispy and spicy with a little cayenne to give you the texture and taste that will keep you going back for more. Served with honey mustard and a dash of red pepper flakes, each is a perfect bite. INGREDIENTS cup packed light brown sugar Pinch cayenne pepper 1 (16-ounce) package beef cocktail sausages, drained and rinsed 8 slices bacon, cut into quarters 1 tablespoon maple syrup cup honey mustard teaspoon red pepper flakes DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. 2.

Wrap each cocktail sausage in a quarter slice of bacon and dredge in the brown sugar mixture, pressing to coat well. Place the sausages seam side down on the baking sheet. Drizzle the maple syrup over the sausages. 3. Bake until the brown sugar has caramelized and the bacon is crisp, 30 to 35 minutes. 4. 4.

Serve the sausages with the honey mustard mixture for dipping. NOTES If you dont have prepared honey mustard on hand or cant find it at the store, just whisk cup honey, cup mayonnaise, cup Dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar together. Yield: Makes 36 meatballs | Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 35 to 40 minutes Meatballs are one of my favorite dishes, and I like them even better when they are bite-size. It makes them oh-so-poppable and perfect to set out on the kitchen counter while preparing the main course. INGREDIENTS 1 cup quick-cooking oats cup finely chopped white onion cup plus 2 tablespoons half-and-half 1 large egg, beaten 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon chili powder teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 pounds ground beef or turkey 1 cup ketchup cup packed light brown sugar teaspoon liquid smoke (optional) teaspoon espresso powder