# 14 chicken dinners for the back-to-school scramble > A roundup of weeknight chicken recipes from Jamie Oliver, Ina Garten, Ottolenghi and more, sorted by how much effort you have left. - Title: 14 chicken dinners for the back-to-school scramble | Shortify - Summary: A roundup of weeknight chicken recipes from Jamie Oliver, Ina Garten, Ottolenghi and more, sorted by how much effort you have left. Keep three or four of… - Keywords: chicken, weeknight dinners, recipes, meal planning, cookbooks, dinners, back-to-school, scramble, House & Home - Source: House & Home — https://houseandhome.com/food/chicken-recipes - Author: Lauren Medeiros - Published: 2026-09-08T15:39:08+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: chicken, weeknight dinners, recipes, meal planning, cookbooks ## The nightly question returns School is back, so "what's for dinner?" is on repeat. Chicken is the answer that bends to whatever night you're having. > Once the school year beings, this quickly becomes everyone's favourite question. ## Leftover rice, rescued Maxine Sharf's family fried rice needs day-old rice, cubed chicken breast, soy sauce, butter and sesame seeds. A fridge cleanout that tastes deliberate. ## Milanese on a school night Mimi Thorisson swaps the traditional breaded veal for chicken breast. Pounded, breaded, fried, done, with almost no time or effort involved. ## Vij's korma, fragrant and filling Vancouver chef Vikram Vij builds his korma on turmeric and red chili powder. Serve it hot with rice or naan, or both. ## Chicken over potatoes Cory Vitiello roasts a whole bird on thinly sliced potatoes in one casserole dish. The potatoes drink the drippings, and leftover juices get spooned over the plate. ## One sheet pan, one lemon Shea McGee bakes citrusy chicken with brussels sprouts on a single pan. Oregano leaves and Parmigiano-Reggiano finish it, herbaceous and salty. ## Tagine without the fear Clodagh McKenna marinates airline chicken breasts in a deep, spicy rub, then adds saffron, smoked paprika and hot stock. Most of the time is just the oven working. > Don't be intimidated. ## A salad with real texture Molly Baz layers shredded leftover or rotisserie chicken with her Coconut Crunch granola topper. Keep a jar of it around for garnishing anything plain. > Forget boring, one-note salads. ## Crispy thighs, vinegar beans Christine Flynn fries seasoned thighs skin-side down until crisp, then sets them over butter beans, onions and olives. Cosy in any season. ## Lemongrass and chili off the grill Bone-in thighs marinate in lemongrass and siling labuyo for heat. Serve with broken rice, fractured grains that soak up more liquid, or noodles. ## Five ingredients, 75 minutes Jamie Oliver's pot-roast chicken uses the bird at the back of your freezer. Prep briefly, let it go golden in the oven, make a herb salsa, get on with your evening. ## The lazy but home-cooked bake Marinate thighs and drumsticks in jarred peppers and tzatziki, brown them, roast with cooked couscous. Mediterranean dinner with almost no shopping list. > If you're feeling lazy but still want a home-cooked meal, this one is for you. ## Ditch the flavour pack Ina Garten throws out the ramen seasoning and builds her own broth with aromatics, vegetables and skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts. The noodles do the rest. ## When you want to show off Ottolenghi Test Kitchen's blackened chicken with caramel and clementine dressing takes more effort than one pan, but it's weeknight-doable and great as leftovers. Or go simple: Trish Magwood's pomegranate-topped bake, Tieghan Gerard's sticky apricot chicken, or a batch of salt-and-pepper wings. > Sometimes, it's a wing night. ## Key takeaway Keep three or four of these in rotation and "what's for dinner" stops being a nightly crisis: one sheet pan, one pot roast, one leftovers rescue, one wing night.