Everyday Dinners

Introduction

Ever since I was a kid, dinner has been my favorite part of the day. My family sat around the table nearly every night. Even after eating, my parents, my brothers, and I would sit around the table and often laugh hysterically about something that happened that day.

It s so cliche , but it feels like yesterday. I can put myself around that table now. I hear my family laughing, I see what we re eating. I didn t realize the value in that until I was a bit older and it s something I m thankful for every day.

However! Cooking dinner as an adult and for a family is a totally different experience than enjoying it as a child. Right?

I know. Raise your hand if dinner stresses you out. I ve totally been there, and I love cooking dinner each night. As life gets busier than ever, it s hard to set aside time to throw together a nourishing meal after a long day. What should I make? What sounds good? What won t take an hour to make? And can someone come clean the dishes when I m done? I mean, I m serious about that last one.

I GET YOU!

See, my mom made dinner nearly every single night when I was growing up. Every single night! Looking back now, as I have two kids of my own (she had three), I m constantly like, HOW DID SHE DO IT? She did it with such ease and confidence. And knowing what I know now, she probably did it to provide some of that stable comfort that we were so lucky to have as kids in the 90s.

My childhood memories are full of sitting at the kitchen table on weeknights, doing homework while she made dinner. I can still smell her toasting almonds in brown butter to later dump on green beans. I can hear the sizzle of onions in a pot and the sear of her pot roast.

If I wasn t doing my homework at the kitchen table, I d run into the kitchen and steal a piece of chicken from a paper towel lined plate where my mom had left browned chicken tenders as she made chicken marsala, her signature dish. She made it at least once a

Jessica Merchant is a full-time recipe developer and writer who happens to be crazy passionate about all things food. She is the author of The Pretty Dish and Seriously Delish, and details her adventures in and out of the kitchen on her popular blog, How Sweet Eats, which is read by millions. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her family.

I have been a fan of Jessica s glorious recipes for over ten years, for good reason: They work every time! This is absolutely her best cookbook yet, and trust me . . . you are going to want to make every single dish. It is going to be the new go-to book for home cooks everywhere. Yum! Ree Drummond, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Jessica is changing the dinner game with Everyday Dinners. Her recipes are easy, approachable, and so creative! I literally want to make everything from this cookbook! Gina Homolka, author of Skinnytaste 

There is nobody who puts modern, fun, delicious twists on classic dinners like my favorite food blogger, Jessica Merchant. Merchant makes the most mundane of all meal prep the weeknight dinner a cause for celebration. I m making the Honey Dijon Pretzel-Crusted Salmon on Wednesday night and trying one of four Puff Pastry Pizzas on Thursday. This cookbook is not only dazzling, it s a necessity for the busy at-home cook. Elin Hilderbrand, author of 28 Summers

As a busy career mom with an even busier toddler, I think Jessica Merchant s new book Everyday Dinners is an absolute lifesaver! Jessica has created the quintessential cookbook for the family starved for time and sensational meals. Jocelyn Delk Adams, author of Grandbaby Cakes

Everyday Dinners is the answer to the monotonous question, What s for dinner? Jessica provides more than 100 recipes that will get you and your family excited for dinnertime. The recipes combine fresh ingredients with pantry staples that are easy enough for a weeknight meal, but still feel special. Maria Lichty, author of Two Peas & Their Pod Cookbook

Jessica s laid-back, flavor-forward recipes to getting dinner on the table (and actually enjoying the process and time with your family) are nothing short of fantastic.