5 Ways to Spice up Your Dinnertime Routine

Are you sick of making the same meals week after week? Do you find yourself digging through the freezer for a frozen pizza or lasagna because you can’t think of anything better? We’ve all been there. (And yes, I keep plenty of Trader Joe’s meals on hand for those nights!) But when you’re stuck in a dinnertime rut and need some fresh inspiration, here are my favorite ways to switch things up and get excited about cooking again.

Enlist the help of Pinterest

Pick one ingredient you want to use, and search for it on Pinterest. I do this all the time. Let’s say you have a spaghetti squash that’s been sitting on your counter for a week, or a head of cauliflower, or a can of chickpeas you keep forgetting about. Just type the ingredient into Pinterest and you’ll get hundreds of ideas. It’s a great way to use up something you’re not sure what to do with, and Pinterest makes it easy to save recipes to a board so you can find them again when you’re ready to cook.

Try a meal kit for new recipes

Meal kits are a great way to try a few new recipes, learn different cooking techniques, and get inspiration for future dinners. Over the years I’ve tried a bunch of them, and there are some genuinely good vegetarian-friendly options now. HelloFresh has a big vegetarian menu every week, Purple Carrot is entirely plant-based, and Green Chef and Marley Spoon both have solid meat-free options. (A couple I tried in the early days, like Chef’d, have since closed up shop, so the lineup is always changing.) I’ve recreated plenty of the meals we got from kits afterward, it’s a fun, low-pressure way to learn a new flavor combination or technique and then make it your own.

Get inspiration from a cookbook

I have a whole shelf of cookbooks in our dining room, so when I need a little inspiration, I love flipping through them. You can use cookbooks to spark ideas, or pick out one brand-new recipe to try. If you don’t have a shelf of books at home, try the library! I love borrowing new cookbooks, and going often means I can always refresh my shelf without spending a dime.

Sign up for a cooking class

This is one of the more expensive options, but it’s an awesome way to build your confidence in the kitchen. We’ve taken a couple of classes here in Richmond at Mise En Place, and they even offer some vegetarian-specific ones. These days they do both hands-on in-person classes and virtual ones you can do from your own kitchen, so it’s easier than ever to learn something new. If you’re trying to save a few bucks, check sites like Groupon for deals in your area.

Take a food tour of your city

I’ve gone on four different food tours with Discover Richmond Tours, and it was such a fun way to learn about new restaurants and dishes in my own city. I loved it so much that I partnered with them to launch a vegetarian tour! You can find food tours like this in just about any major city. Try one when you’re on vacation, or be a tourist in your own town. Trying new restaurants is a great way to get ideas for your own menu at home, and a food tour lets you sample a whole bunch of spots in one afternoon.

Pick a theme night

One of the easiest ways to beat dinnertime decision fatigue is to give each night a loose theme, so you’re choosing within a category instead of staring into an empty fridge. A few we rotate through:

• Taco night: Load up tortillas with roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, and all the toppings, a little cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and a big pile of cilantro.
• Pasta night: A bowl of noodles with garlic, olive oil, and whatever veggies need using up, broccoli, peas, a handful of spinach, finished with plenty of cheese.
• Soup night: A cozy pot of soup is the ultimate comfort food, and it’s perfect for using up odds and ends. Leeks, potatoes, and a little thyme turn a simple soup into something special.
• Sheet-pan night: Pile a pan with cauliflower, chickpeas, onions, and potatoes, roast until crispy, and dinner is basically hands-off.
• Breakfast for dinner: Eggs, toast, and crispy potatoes are always a hit, especially with the kids.

Having a rhythm like this means you’re never starting from scratch, and you can swap in your favorite ingredients each week.

Let your appliances do the work

On a busy weeknight after a long day, the right appliance can do most of the cooking for you. I love tossing everything into the slow cooker in the morning, a hearty slow cooker recipe like vegetarian chili or a potato-and-leek soup means dinner is ready right when we are. The air fryer is my go-to when I want a quick cook time on a weeknight; it makes crispy chickpeas, broccoli, and cauliflower with minimal effort and barely any cleanup. One-pan and sheet-pan recipes are lifesavers too, fewer dishes, less stress, and just as much flavor.

Shop your fridge, freezer, and pantry

Before you run to the store, take stock of what you already have. I keep my freezer stocked with frozen veggies, a batch of cooked rice, and a few store-bought shortcuts for the nights when cooking from scratch just isn’t happening. And don’t overlook your leftovers, they’re inspiration in disguise. Last night’s roasted vegetables can become today’s grain bowl, taco filling, or pasta add-in. A little creativity turns “there’s nothing to eat” into a genuinely good dinner.

Keep it easy on busy weeknights

Not every dinner needs to be a project. On weeknights I lean on easy dinner recipes the whole family will actually eat, things with a quick cook time and minimal effort, and I save the more involved cooking for the weekend when I have time to enjoy it. The goal isn’t a perfect, Instagram-worthy meal every night. It’s getting a satisfying, flavorful dinner on the table without the stress, so cooking feels fun again instead of like one more chore.

Keep a running list of go-to meals

One trick that has saved my weeknights: keep a running list of dinners your household actually likes. Anytime a meal is a hit, jot it down, in a note on your phone, on a whiteboard on the fridge, wherever works. Then, when you’re drawing a total blank, you have a ready-made menu to pull from instead of starting at zero. I like to organize mine loosely by how much effort each one takes, so I can grab a quick, minimal-effort option on a hectic night and save the bigger project recipes for the weekend. Over time you’ll build your own personalized cookbook of meals the whole family loves, and that list does the inspiring for you.

Try a new cuisine or ingredient

If you’re really bored with your rotation, shake things up by cooking something completely new to you. Pick a cuisine you love ordering at restaurants but have never made at home, then find one approachable recipe and give it a go, you might be surprised how doable it is. Or grab a single unfamiliar ingredient at the grocery store or farmers market and build a meal around it. Exploring different kinds of recipes is one of the best ways to rediscover how fun good food can be, and it keeps your dinners from feeling stale week after week.

A fresh start for your dinner routine

Breaking out of a dinner rut doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes one new recipe, a themed night, or a quick scroll through Pinterest is all it takes to get excited about cooking again. Pick one or two of these ideas to try this week, and see which ones stick. What’s your favorite way to change up your dinner routine? Let me know in the comments below!