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.
Dinner This Week: Grilled Hamburgers
Published July 16, 2021.
Dinner 1: Grilled Hamburgers and Boiled Corn
For moist, juicy Grilled Hamburgers with Garlic, Chipotles, and Scallions with a tender and cohesive texture, we prefer to use 80 percent lean ground chuck. We form the meat into 6-ounce patties with a 1/2-inch depression in the middle to keep the burgers from puffing up when they cook. To produce perfectly crisp, juicy corn every time, we figured out that the ideal doneness range is 150 to 170 degrees. For Foolproof Boiled Corn, we bring a measured amount of water to a boil, shut off the heat, drop in six ears of corn, and let the corn stand for at least 10 minutes. This method brings the corn to the ideal temperature without overcooking.
Printable Shopping Lists: Grilled Hamburgers and Boiled Corn
Dutch Ovens
Our favorite Dutch oven costs $360. We needed a practical alternative.Dinner 2: Grilled Bone-In Chicken Breasts and Tomato Salad
Grilled Bone-in Chicken Breasts feature a nicely charred exterior and moist, seasoned interior. The chicken can be grilled plain or with one of the suggested glazes. For our Tomato Salad with Feta and Cumin-Yogurt Dressing, we salt the tomatoes before mixing them into the salad, which brings out their juices and makes a base for the dressing. Sliced scallions and minced oregano add freshness and a sprinkle of feta cheese adds a salty tang.
Printable Shopping Lists: Grilled Bone-In Chicken Breasts and Tomato Salad
Glazes for Chicken: Orange-Chipotle Glaze, Curry-Yogurt Glaze, or Soy-Ginger Glaze
The Best Grill Tongs
What qualities separate the best grill tongs from the pretenders?Dinner 3: Gazpacho Andaluz and Goat Cheese Garlic Bread
Creamy Gazpacho Andaluz is a refreshing soup that highlights summer produce. For ideal flavor, make it a day in advance, but it's also fine to eat it right away. If you don’t have white sandwich bread, other types of bread can be substituted: Use about 1 cup of crustless, torn bread pieces. Goat Cheese Garlic Bread calls for a combination of goat cheese and Parmesan, but the Parmesan can be omitted, or another hard grating cheese can be used. A loaf of supermarket Italian bread, which has a soft, thin crust and a fine crumb, works best here.
Printable Shopping Lists: Gazpacho Andaluz and Goat Cheese Garlic Bread
To view more quick weeknight dinner ideas, check out the rest of the Dinner This Week series.