Every week, Executive Food Editor Keith Dresser pairs each main dish with a side to give you a complete, satisfying dinner without the guesswork. Look for the game plan section to learn tips on how to streamline your kitchen work so dinner comes together quicker.
Weeknight Cooking
Dinner This Week: Skillet Turkey Burgers
This week’s menus include Skillet Turkey Burgers, Caldo Verde, and Braised Halibut with Leeks and Mustard for dinner in about an hour.
By Published Oct. 18, 2023.
Jump to a Section
Dinner 1: Turkey Burgers and Roasted Potatoes
Game Plan: Put the potatoes (covered with foil) in the oven to roast, then prep the burger ingredients. After uncovering the potatoes, start cooking the burgers. Add the rosemary to the potatoes while the burgers rest.
For juicy Skillet Turkey Burgers, we start by adding baking soda and gelatin to help keep the meat moist as it cooks. A bit of melted butter adds richness while soy sauce and Parmesan contribute savoriness. For a nicely browned exterior and evenly cooked interior, we start cooking the patties in a cold skillet so the exteriors can slowly start to brown while the interiors have time to reach the 160-degree serving temperature. Roasted Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary are crisp and deep golden brown on the exterior, with moist, velvety, dense interiors. To achieve this, we start with waxy red potatoes and cover them with foil for part of the roasting time to help keep them moist.
Printable Shopping Lists: Turkey Burgers and Roasted Potatoes
Sign up for the Cook's Insider newsletter
The latest recipes, tips, and tricks, plus behind-the-scenes stories from the Cook's Illustrated team.
America's Test Kitchen will not sell, rent, or disclose your email address to third parties unless otherwise notified. Your email address is required to identify you for free access to content on the site. You will also receive free newsletters and notification of America's Test Kitchen specials.
Dinner 2: Caldo Verde and Southern-Style Cornbread
Game Plan: Heat the oven and prep the ingredients for the soup. While the soup simmers in step 1, mix the cornbread batter. Bake the cornbread as the soup simmers in step 2. Finish the soup while the cornbread cools.
Caldo Verde is a traditional Portuguese soup of potatoes, greens (we like collards), and garlicky chorizo sausage. For a silky-smooth, thick consistency, we puree a portion of the potatoes with olive oil and stir the mixture into the broth. A couple teaspoons of white vinegar balance the richness of the rustic soup. Southern-Style Cornbread starts with making a cornmeal mush (moistening some of the cornmeal with some water) to produce a savory quick bread with a fine, moist crumb. Baking the cornbread in a cast-iron skillet produces a crisp, golden crust.
Printable Shopping Lists: Caldo Verde and Southern-Style Cornbread
Equipment Review
8-Inch Cast-Iron Skillets
Do you need these petite versions of our winning cast-iron skillets?Read Our Review
Dinner 3: Braised Halibut and Rice Pilaf
Game Plan: Start by prepping the ingredients for the halibut. As soon as the rice is gently simmering, braise the fish. When the fish is finished, the rice will be ready to serve.
Braised Halibut with Leeks and Mustard features moist, succulent fish; tender pieces of leeks; and a sauce with balanced flavor and just the right amount of brightness. We like halibut for its sweet, delicate taste and firm texture. Because the bottom of the fillets are submerged in liquid and will cook more quickly than the upper halves that cook via steam, we start by sautéing the fillets for a few minutes on just one side and then braise the fillets parcooked side up to even out the cooking. For Rice Pilaf with fluffy, separate grains, we use a ratio of 1 cup of rice to 1½ cups of water. Sautéeing the rice in 3 tablespoons of butter for just one minute gives the pilaf a rich, buttery flavor.
Printable Shopping Lists: Braised Halibut and Rice Pilaf
View more weeknight dinner ideas below, or check out all of the Dinner This Week menus.
- Dinner This Week: Grilled Lemon Chicken Breasts
- Dinner This Week: Baked Sole
- Dinner This Week: Black Bean Burgers
- Dinner This Week: Roasted Cornish Hens
- Dinner This Week: Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
