Chicken Breast

Let the supermarket do the roasting; mayonnaise and tarragon are the secret to great flavor here. Serve with: Marinated grilled vegetables and French-style potato salad. Dessert: Fresh raspberries with whipped cream and sugar cookies.

Steamed Swiss chard and buttered egg noodles sprinkled with chives are nice sides for this Hungarian-inspired meal. Apple strudel makes the perfect dessert.

This flavorful chicken makes an impressive impromptu dinner when accompanied by the Caramelized Onion and Roasted Red Pepper Linguine and a nice salad (use a bagged lettuce mixture, of course). Frozen chicken will work here if that's what you have on hand; just defrost it quickly in the microwave.

"I come from a big family, so I learned how to cook to help my mother feed all of those hungry mouths," says Molly Shannon Daum, Evergreen Park, Illinois. "Dad loved whatever I made, and he would always tell me that I should have my own restaurant named Molly's Marvelous Makings. But despite Dad's suggestion, I decided to study nursing. Nowadays I usually don't get home until seven o'clock at night, which means that dinner has to be quick. Sometimes my husband, Tom, helps out in the kitchen, but mostly it's up to me to get something delicious on the table fast. Since the opportunity to prepare challenging meals doesn't come up often, I save the complex cooking for the times when we entertain. That’s when I get to use the recipes that might have appeared on my menu if I'd taken Dad's advice." Molly also uses the dressing on salads.

Begin the meal with toasted baguette rounds topped with sautéed wild mushrooms. Marinate the chicken three to six hours before cooking. what to drink: A crisp, fresh white wine, such as a California Sauvignon Blanc.

Bonnie Wilkens Metully of Cincinnati, Ohio, writes: "As much as my husband and I love to go out to eat, it's just more fun, intimate, and cozy to cook and entertain at home. I've taught a lot of our friends just how easy it is to prepare restaurant-quality dishes themselves. Who taught me? My older sister, who's a professional chef. She showed me the importance of getting everything prepped beforehand and seeking out the freshest ingredients." This terrific dish also works well as an appetizer if it's cut into bite-size pieces.

"During a vacation in Scottsdale, Arizona, my brother-in-law took me to his favorite restaurant, Cowboy Ciao," writes Linden Avery of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. "It serves a very colorful, delicious chopped salad called a Stetson. Could you get the recipe so I can re-create it at home?" This main-course salad is presented with the ingredients lined up in rows. For convenience, you could just toss the salad instead.

If you have leftover roast chicken or turkey, use it here and save a step. You'll need 3 cups of shredded meat.

This Cambodian curry is traditionally made with beef, but Mao Sokhen says his American friends prefer the chicken variation. Though you can use any brand of Thai red curry paste and Asian fish sauce for this recipe, Mao likes the brands recommended below because he finds they produce a dish that is closer to classic Cambodian flavor.

A Provençal specialty, pan bagnat is literally a sandwich with "bathed bread" — that is, the loaf of bread is split and drizzled with olive oil and/or a vinaigrette before being filled with other ingredients. In this version, grilled chicken stands in for the traditional tuna. Begin these sandwiches at least four hours and up to one day before serving. Get the picnic started with a selection of cheeses, salami, and crackers. What to drink: A light red, slightly chilled, such as a Beaujolais or Bandol Rosé.

The popular rum-and-mint cocktail from Cuba was the inspiration for this entrée. A last-minute spritz of grilled lime adds even more flavor. Garnish with grilled pineapple slices cut into star shapes, if desired.

Madras-style curry powder, which is spicier than the standard, adds a little heat here.

This satisfying meal in a bowl is also good sprinkled with a touch of grated pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese.

An easy do-ahead appetizer.

Pitted prunes replace the more customary mushrooms in this delicious variation.

Complete this weeknight "Sunday supper" with traditional fixings like chive-flecked mashed potatoes (don't worry—there's enough gravy for the potatoes, too) and buttered green beans. Baked maple apples would be delicious afterward.