Weeknight Dinners

I haven't ridden horses regularly in a few months - giving me more free time than I've had in 14 years - so I've decided now is the time to begin weeknight cooking. Typically Bill & I eat...well....random things. Some nights we really go all-out & make this wonderful meal together: finding the obscure ingredients in the mysterious & rarely visited aisles of our grocery store. Many nights we eat remnants of Market Day items we find in the freezer or we go out to eat.

As a wife (and [someday] a future mother) I feel like it's my duty to step up to this challenge called "Dinner" and make more of it. Right now we're in an awkward "need to get rid of the junk before we buy new & healthy ingredients" phase in our kitchen. Soup mixes, random cans of vegetables & tomato-based pasta made for children are among the things we're turning into dinners right now. It's a bit adventurous, but definitely not a way to live.

I know the basics of cooking. I know how to follow a recipe, and I understand (mostly) what flavors belong with others. I can make several soups & sauces from scratch, so competency isn't in question here. It's kitchen confidence that I am lacking (baking is exempt from this conversation. Sugar is SO much easier to play with). I am seeking recipes which will become staples in our home. Relatively easy to make, affordable, healthy and delicious to reheat. Bill & I both work full time, so everything I make I enjoy packing the following day or two as leftovers for our lunches.

From you, dear readers, I would like recipes. Casseroles, roasts, veggies, proteins and starches. I am looking for full dinner staples I can make for my family of two. We are professionals at dessert consumption, so no sweets recipes are necessary. I want to know the savory staples you whip up in a snap for your man (or lady). Who is up to the challenge?