Hello and happy Friday! Can you believe it’s already September? Summer flew by, and I’m more than ready for fall—cooler weather, cozy comfort food, and an abundance of pumpkin recipes.
I’m launching a new series called the Friday Five, where I’ll share five of my favorite finds each week. Topics will vary—recipes, cookbooks, cookware, beauty picks, home accents, and occasionally fashion or toddler items. To kick things off, this week’s post features our favorite dinner recipes from August.
Rather than strict weekly meal plans, I find it easier to curate a Pinterest board of recipes I want to try. I cook a selection, note what we liked, and share mini reviews here so you can skip the guesswork. I’ll tell you what my picky husband thought, whether the toddler approved, and any tweaks I made. The goal is simple: help you decide what to cook.
Here are the five dinner recipes that stood out for us last month.
First up: PF Chang’s-style Chicken Lettuce Wraps. I discovered a copycat recipe on Pinterest and made them twice because they’re so quick and satisfying. The recipe is straightforward and even includes a short video demonstration if you like visuals. I served the wraps with brown rice and marinated cucumbers both times.
This dish was my top pick for the month. My husband enjoyed them but mentioned he felt hungry again after a few hours, so next time I’ll add a bit more filling for him. Our toddler called them “lettuce tacos” and requested them again for lunch the next day—definite family hit.
Next is a slow-cooker Mississippi Roast. I made a few on-the-fly substitutions when I didn’t have pepperoncini or homemade ranch on hand: banana peppers and a few tablespoons of bottled ranch did the trick. The house smelled amazing by dinnertime, and the roast shredded beautifully.
I served it over egg noodles with a big salad—perfect comfort food for a rainy evening. It’s now a fall staple in our home because it’s fuss-free, flavorful, and reheats well. My husband even finished the leftovers, which is rare praise.
These Swedish Meatballs are a longtime favorite—if I made them every week my husband would be thrilled. Since finding the recipe earlier in the year, I’ve made it repeatedly. The meatballs are tender and the cream gravy is rich and comforting.
Sometimes my husband prefers just the gravy and noodles; other times I simplify by using frozen meatballs or just seasoned ground beef without forming meatballs at all. The leftovers taste even better, and this version beats the store-bought options hands down.
We eat a lot of grilled chicken, especially in summer, and this month I tried a simple, flavorful chicken marinade that uses pantry staples. It takes minutes to mix and benefits from at least a six-hour soak, though even a short marinating time yields good results.
We typically grill the marinated chicken and serve it with a big green salad and corn on the cob—an easy, balanced meal that’s perfect for warm evenings and simple enough for weeknights.
Finally, Ritz Cracker Chicken is a go-to for busy nights. With just chicken and Ritz crackers—plus a bit of butter—you get a crunchy, buttery crust and juicy interior. It’s consistently reliable when dinner needs to come together quickly.
We usually pair it with garlic butter noodles, and my husband loves scraping the pan crumbs onto his serving for extra flavor. It’s fast, comforting, and always a crowd-pleaser.
Those are our five favorite dinners from August. If you try any of these recipes, let me know what you think. I’d also love to hear your current go-to meals so I can test them in future Friday Five posts.