Getting dinner on the table on a weeknight can be daunting—especially as the holidays approach—but the secret to making it happen comes down to two words: meal planning. Pick from these tried-and-true recipes at the start of each week, shop ahead for the ingredients, and watch your repertoire of home-cooked meals grow. In partnership with Finish, we're spotlighting three classic cooking methods that will make cleanup easy, too. Read on for fresh recipes and time-saving tools to nail your weeknight dinner routine.

Let your favorite Dutch oven or casserole do all the heavy lifting to turn out delicious stews, baked pastas, pilafs, and that classic cold-weather go-to, roast chicken.

Roasting multiple ingredients together on a single pan simplifies your prep, promotes even cooking, and means fewer dishes after dinner.

Whether you reach for your cast-iron or enameled cast-iron skillet, these versatile pans ensure every ingredient is cooked to perfection. Outside of wood-handled skillets, you can also easily move them from stovetop to oven for hands-free roasting.

All the tricks you learn from weeknight cooking? Apply them to your holiday entertaining. Here are our best tips for making the most of hosting season with minimal stress.