The 3-Part Formula That Helps You Answer The Question 'What's For Dinner?' With Ease

Figuring out what to make for dinner night after night is one culinary conundrum that even folks who like to cook might sometimes find a little hard to solve. The popularization of preparations like sheet pan dinners can streamline your routine, but deciding what to, you know, put on them can begin to feel like a riddle. But regardless of whether you're baking, broiling, making a meal on the stovetop, or even mastering the backyard grill, one three-part formula will reveal your answer with ease. One protein, plus one vegetable, plus one carb will net dinner success every time.

Simply mixing and matching a protein, a veggie, and a carb not only amounts to infinite possible options once you account for cooking methods and seasonings, it will also better help you to develop your own recipes. Now, we love the challenge of recreating iconic dishes like Julia Child's coq au vin now and then. But we also adore the myriad ways we can toss together chicken, broccoli, and rice, quinoa, salmon, and asparagus, or good old steak, potatoes, and leafy greens, with little advance planning. You can also swap those ingredients around to create all kinds of protein, veggie, and carb combinations, and the ways you flavor them will give each plate your own signature flare.

First, consider something like the aforementioned chicken, broccoli, and rice, because each of those items are highly likely to be available at your local grocery store or supermarket, and they're each so versatile. Should you do little else than steam the rice, salt, pepper, and sautee the chicken and broccoli in a swirl of cooking oil, and then drizzle a little soy sauce or a spoonful of chili crisp on top, then congratulations, you've made a terrific dinner. A few more of the spices and sauces that you might already have in the pantry or refrigerator, plus some minor cookware switcharoos will make for a proper stir-fry. Little more than a few handfuls of cheddar cheese and some creamed soup can turn it all into a comforting casserole, instead.

That same chicken and broccoli will also take on a different character if you exchange the carb for pasta, or take a turn toward potatoes. And additional offshoots abound. Keeping your pantry current with a full complement of dried herbs, ground peppers, and things like good quality tinned fish will expand your options even further. Keep this simple arithmetic in mind, and you'll be flush with novel dinner ideas for whenever you seem to need them the most.