Daylight Saving Dinner Ideas for When You Can't Even

One indication that the holidays are just around the corner? It’s getting darker earlier, which means that precious daytime hours are slowly whittling down as winter approaches.

Once it starts getting dark at 5 p.m., the desire to make dinner decreases exponentially. And with the promise (threat?) of holiday entertaining looming, ordering in might sound like a more appealing option than whipping up something from scratch.

But we get it, and we’ve got your back–as does HexClad’s Food Director, Laura Rege. Her recommendation for easing pre-holiday cooking fatigue? 

“Get some fast, tried-and-true recipes in the mix that let you cook fresh homemade food but don't take up too much time,” Rege says. 

We’ve rounded up seven of Rege’s favorite recipes that come together quickly without sacrificing flavor. So, whether there’s still natural light or not, you can make a stellar dinner and get to bed early.

1. Griddled Chile-Garlic Steak Fajitas

What’s more fun than fajita night? How about one that comes together on your Double Burner Griddle in only 25 minutes? Sold. Simply cook your onions and peppers on one side, then season sliced steak and let it sizzle. Put out some warmed-up tortillas, sliced limes and store-bought toppings like salsa and guacamole and let your family mix-and-match to their heart’s content.

2. Mediterranean White Wine Steamed Fish Dinner

In this quick and healthy recipe designed specially for your steamer basket, white wine infused with fresh oregano perfumes flaky, mild cod. White beans, Kalamata olives, peppadew peppers and broccolini go right into the basket, too, so you’ve got a complete meal that simply sings with the bright, coastal flavors of the Mediterranean. (To really round out the experience, a glass of dry white wine wouldn’t hurt.)

3. Skillet Eggplant Parm

For a vegetarian main that tastes like you’re at your favorite Italian-American restaurant (and looks like a showstopper once it hits the table), look no further than this one-skillet recipe. Sauteed eggplant slices are layered with marinara sauce, mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese for a hearty, tomato-y, melty dinner that the whole family will love.

4. Honey Chili Crunch Chicken With Seared Broccolini

Put that jar of chili crisp in your pantry to good use: Chicken tenders are tossed in the chili crisp oil before getting coated in cornflakes and pan-fried until golden in a Hybrid Deep Saute pan. A post-fry drizzling of a combo of even more chili crisp, honey, melted butter and lemon juice takes it over the top. Broccolini quickly sautéed with ginger and garlic rounds out the meal.

5. Couscous “Paella” with Shrimp, Peppers and Sausage

No, you don’t need a paella pan (or an open fire) to make this easy stovetop interpretation of the Spanish classic. The couscous cooks in white wine and a mixture of chicken broth, tomato sauce and saffron for depth of flavor. Shrimp and sausage make it a substantial main course, while bell peppers and frozen peas add pops of freshness and sweetness.

6. Lemony Chickpea & Parmesan Soup With Escarole

As the weather starts to cool down, it’s officially the start of soup season. And this chickpea-studded soup isn’t just effortless to make; it’s also endlessly adaptable to whatever you have on-hand. Got some cannellini beans hanging out in your pantry? Swap those in for the chickpeas. Kale or chard can easily stand in for the escarole. Just don’t skip the Parmesan rind added to the broth, because it gives the soup a nice, rich smack of umami.

7. Miso-Garlic Shrimp

These steamed shrimp bathed in a combination of miso, garlic and butter come together faster than you can say “weeknight dinner.” Okay, not exactly, but they go from steamer to table in only 15 minutes. Serve them over rice or with charred broccolini to turn them into an entire meal that delivers maximum flavor for minimal effort.

8. HexClassic Cacio e Pepe

You’ve seen this on every Italian restaurant menu for years, and we’ve perfected the recipe for at-home cacio e pepe. All you need is some bucatini, sharp Pecorino cheese, coarse-ground black pepper, freshly grated lemon zest and reserved pasta water (the real trick to the recipe) to make this dead-simple Roman classic. Even better? It’ll be on your table in 20 minutes.

Is it time to spring ahead yet? Sadly, no, but with these dinners in your back pocket, you’ll be able to have some delicious evenings until we push the clocks forward.