Here’s What to Cook This Week (November 28 – December 4)

After a week’s worth of Thanksgiving cooking (and leftovers), we’re feeling a bit lazy this week. Enter the slow cooker and Instant Pot, which allow us to set and forget dinner, since they practically do all the work for us. Read on for seven appliance-driven meals that will help you bounce back from the Cooking Olympics in no time, from vegan pho to the prettiest poached salmon of all time.

Can you believe this photo-ready stunner only takes 20 minutes to prepare? The fish is steam-poached in coconut milk, which keeps the salmon impossibly moist and gives it a jolt of tropical flavor. Toss in snap peas or shiitake mushrooms if you’d like a side of veggies.

This citrusy Italian classic never gets old, especially when it’s served on a bed of buttery linguine. The recipe calls for simply dumping in all the ingredients and cooking on low, but you can also brown the chicken first for maximum flavor. 

Breakfast for dinner is an easy win, especially if there are kids at the table. And thanks to your handy Crockpot, you’ll be able to cook the eggs, hash browns and bacon in one fell swoop.

We wouldn’t mind a little plant-based deliciousness after all that roast turkey and sausage stuffing, and this Vietnamese soul-soother is just the ticket. It usually takes hours to simmer pho broth, but your pressure cooker can do it in a fraction of the time.

Complete with savory au jus for dipping, these handhelds are the definition of winter comfort food. Sink your teeth into herby, oniony beef, melty provolone cheese and buttery bread, then wash it down with your favorite red vino.

Comfort food at its finest—and ready in 25 minutes flat. Treat up to eight dinner guests to this creamy, cheesy pressure cooker risotto, which is way less fussy than the traditional version (not to mention requires less patience, attention and stirring).

Get in, we’re going to Tuscany. From the canned tomatoes to the white beans to the ditalini, consider this soup your pantry’s time to shine. We’ll take extra Parm shavings on ours, per favore.

_{Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.}