Serious Eats Readers' Most-Saved Weeknight Recipes

Serious Eats readers have highlighted a collection of weeknight-friendly recipes as they get back into regular cooking routines this September. The most-saved dishes from the week ending September 4, 2026, focus on bright flavors and easy techniques, making the most of late-summer produce and grilling weather.

Pasta, Salads, and Sheet-Pan Dinners

Pasta al Limone creates a rich, glossy sauce from butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano, lemon, and starchy pasta water without any cream. The publication states the dish relies on plenty of fresh lemon to keep each bite bright and fragrant.

A Midwestern Cream Slaw offers a mayo-free alternative. Heavy cream and vinegar combine into a tangy dressing for crisp cabbage, flavored with celery seed, mustard, and white pepper.

For a complete dinner, the Chicken Shawarma Sheet-Pan Dinner roasts crisp-skinned chicken thighs with chickpeas, red onion, and sweet peppers. Everything is served over rice and drizzled with a lemony tahini-yogurt sauce.

A Tomato and Corn Salad with Bacon, Lime, and Cilantro is promoted as a seasonal reminder. The salad's lime dressing is enriched with grated ripe tomato to coat the kernels.

Grilled Mains and Skillet Classics

The grill remains in use for Crying Tiger, a Thai-style grilled steak. The smoky, charred steak is served with a side of jaew, a dipping sauce containing dried chiles, lime, fish sauce, and toasted rice powder. Keeping the sauce separate ensures the grilled beef flavor stays prominent.

One-Skillet Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken, also known online as "Marry Me Chicken," is revisited with an upgrade. The Serious Eats version uses juicy bone-in chicken thighs cooked for exceptionally crisp skin. The Parmesan-rich sauce is built directly in the flavorful pan drippings.

Gambas al Ajillo, or Spanish-Style Garlic Shrimp, layers garlic three different ways. The olive oil is also infused with shrimp shells for added sweet, briny flavor. The recipe promises remarkably juicy shrimp and recommends crusty bread for soaking up the garlicky oil.

Dessert Bars and Classic Sandwiches

Two dessert bar recipes simplify classic pies. Mississippi Mud Pie Dessert Bars layer a cookie crust with fudgy brownie, chocolate mousse, and whipped cream. Blueberry Pie Dessert Bars deliver juicy blueberries and buttery pastry without the rolling or chilling required for a traditional pie.

Among the savories, a Classic Mayo-Dressed Tuna Salad Sandwich is included. The recipe adds savory depth with a small amount of fish sauce or minced anchovy. Crunchy celery and rapidly pickled red onion provide texture and brightness.

The publication encourages readers to save these and thousands of other recipes in one convenient place through its MyRecipes feature.