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Tacos, burritos, chiliquiles, rice and beans, omelets, tri tip sandwiches, bbq pork sandwiches, udon, risotto. I could go on and on but my kids are getting bored with all of that and are looking for something more exotic.

If I don't already have something in mind, I'll choose the protein based on what we haven't had lately, either something from the freezer, or maybe if there's something appealing at the grocer. So I'm usually rotating chicken, beef, pork, lamb, fish, and other seafood. Sometimes turkey. Also vegetable/pasta/cheesy things. And I'll try to use different cuts of meat, as well. So if the last beef we had was steak, next time it might be a stew or chili or even Italian Beef sandwiches.

I'll also think about what cuisines we haven't had recently. So if we just had pork tamales, it might be an Italian chicken dish, or shrimp stir fry. If I'm doing a simple grilled steak or roast chicken, I might spend a little more time with sides, or at least I'll use something that we haven't had for the last few meals.

Hmmmm...I guess what I'm saying is that often I start with the ingredients, and then I build the meal around the ingredients. Not always, though. I mean, sometimes I know that the next thing I want is spaghetti, so that's what I make.

PumpkinBear: I hate to point out the obvious, but have you looked at what Nick Kindelsperger and Blake Royer are doing in the Dinner Tonight column here on the site? They're good about varying things up and making meals that are quick.

you might want to try a "brainstorming session" one day, before grocery shopping for the week. Let everyone suggest a meal, then make your list and that way no last min (expensive ) trips to the market. I also love Jerzee's idea of freezing something into smaler portions. And I know everyone keeps suggesting cook ahead and freeze, but it really does work. Besides it helps save $$ ;)

PumpkinBear, I like this question. I love to cook, and also find myself cooking dinner most often (and breakfast on weekends).
When I had the luxury of more time, I used to paw through my cookbooks and experimented with a new recipe every night. Now, however, I often turn to the old standbys (ditto on the stir-fry):

Pot pie -- Veggies (meat if you like), some flour, broth, drip of soy sauce and any other flavor you like, top with a simple buttermilk biscuit crust.
Soba noodles w/ veggies and peanut/tahini/lemon sauce. Mmmm.
Taco night is always a favorite.
Mac and cheese with veggies is good. I recently tried one with frozen pureed squash in place of half the cheese. The color really fools people!
Pasta with roasted red pepper sauce is a fun change from tomato-based sauce. Just puree roasted red peppers with some garlic and seasonings.
Roasted vegetables on puff pastry.
Nicoise salad w/good bread.
Paninis for dinner.

I think it's easy to vary your dinners and try new things if you simply plan ahead. I definitely have staples and repeats in my dinner regimen, but every week, on Friday, I take the time to make a complete menu for the next week, including one or two new recipes to try - I scour food blogs, magazines, etc. for new recipes to try - that way, I have the menu worked out, I can make a shopping list based on the menu, and am all set for the next week.

Soup! I have a large family and they love homemade soup - and very easy to do in a crockpot whilst you are away at work. Beef Barley, chicken or turkey noodle, sausage and greens, ham and bean, white bean, lentil and sausage.... the list goes on and on.

As we are meat eaters, I also tend to make a roast on weekends (or least every other two weekends, when we have our kids here - three of the four still at home live with their other parents every other weekend) -a ham, turkey, large chicken, pork loin, occasionally beef, often a seriously marinated London Broil. That leaves me with leftovers that often provide inspiration. Not sure if you are cooking for a few or a lot, but dishes like ham and scalloped potatoes, shepherd's pie, chicken a la king, hot meat sandwiches are old fashioned I know, but tasty, appealing, and work well as lunches if there are any leftovers and you have access to a microwave (and there are plenty of recipies out there now to "lighten" these old faves up if you are concerned about the traditionally high fat and sodium content).

In summer, a salad with grilled meat or fish on top is also lovely. And don't discount what my mom calls the salad supper - grab some favourite cold cuts on the way home, use some left over potatoes to make a potato salad, cut up veggies, fruit, set out crackers and cheese, throw together a quick bean salad using canned beans and there you have it!

PumpkinBear, we seem to share the same life ... in the kitchen anyway. One of my family's favorites is soup and sandwich night. I've made some very easy homemade soups and paired them with sandwiches made with quality ingredients and cooked on the panini press. The easiest soup is canned chicken broth with packaged tortellini. I have a terrific tomato soup recipe that uses canned tomatoes (use the best quality you can find) and whips up in half an hour. My kids even loved a cream of cauliflower soup.

No self promotion intended here, but my blog

http://www.dinnersforayear.blogspot.com

chronicles the dinners - with reviews - and a few other tidbits and recipes that are prepared in my kitchen. Hopefully there are some new dinner ideas there for you.

Monday--pork cutlets coated with breadcrumbs and parm, artichokes with lemon mayo, lentils.
Tues--fish & chips, Maine cole slaw (that is, with pineapple)
Wed--Bombay sliders (turkey burgers w mustard seed, cumin, cayenne), cabbage sauteed with turmeric and leftover lentils with sauteed carrots and a touch of cream
Thurs--linguine with clams, sauteed spinach with pine nuts
Fri--Zataar chicken, rice, veg to be determined later

I wish I just had a link to this, but nevertheless, this recipe is a) fast b) cheap c) delicious d) healthy. For a weeknight, it doesn't get any better.

Chicken Larb Gai
Serves 6

2 pounds ground chicken
4 scallions, chopped
2 small to medium shallots, chopped
2 Tb roasted rice powder
4 tsp red chile paste (I just use sri racha)
2 thai chiles, minced
2 Tb lemongrass, chopped (if available, or skip and use extra lime juice)
6 tb cilantro, chopped
6 tb mint, chopped
Juice of 3 limes (depending on taste)
2 tb fish sauce
Lettuce leaves (romaine or Bibb)

To make rice powder, toast white rice in saucepan until medium brown. Grind in spice grinder. (You can do this during the weekend, etc)
Heat up wok until smoking. Add a few tablespoons of canola oil. Cook the chicken until no longer pink.
Lower heat to medium and add roasted rice powder. Cook for one minute. Add shallots and lemongrass (if using) and cook for two minutes.
Add cilantro, mint, chile, chile paste, lime juice and fish sauce. Cook for a few minutes, taste and adjust seasoning (spicier? Need salt?)
Garnish with additional herbs, scallions if desired. Also, serve in lettuce cups (or not if you don't feel like it!)

If you like Middle Eastern flavors, try making lamb kafka in pita bread. Just mix ground lamb with spices like cumin, cinnamon, dry mustard etc. Shape into small patties and grill. Put them in pita bread and dress with tahini, tabouli lettuce etc. When I make these I also will have a salad with cucumbers and yogurt/dill dressing. Just make sure to get the freshest pita bread you can find - like a great burger can be ruined by a bad roll, if your pita bread is no good your efforts on the lamb will go to waste.

I totally agree with mixing up the meats/protein source and ethnicities, textures, etc. We try to do chicken, pork, beef, seafood, sausage, etc on a different day every week.

I plan a week's worth of dinners and snacks before going to the grocery store to only make one trip that week and if seafood is on the list, that's the first thing to get cooked since it never lasts long in the fridge.

Also, if I try a new recipe that requires strange/expensive ingredients, I'll try to incorporate those ingredients in other recipes that week - like using lemongrass in one recipe and as flavorful skewers for grilled pork for the next dinner- or a giant pork roast - definitely having BBQ sandwiches later that week).

I also don't like to bore the family with having left overs the very next night.
A big pot of soup one night, then two nights later, smaller portions of the leftover soup (maybe add a new ingredient or spice) with sandwiches.

Do you have a lot of one ingredient left in the fridge? A ton of ginger or a bag of potatoes that need to be used ASAP? Work around that to avoid waste.

Think about your family schedule too. Is one evening going to be especially hectic? Get take-out or do leftovers, or a super easy meal that evening. Try to plan your week of meals around busy days to avoid stress.

ALWAYS have a jar of pasta sauce, frozen ravioli, texas toast and a bag of lettuce! It's a life saver for disastrous nights when something comes up!

Cooking a whole chicken on the weekend, picking it apart and freezing 3 separate bags is great for a busy week ahead. You've got soup, pot pie and fajitas half done already!

Looked it up. Garlic bread made with extra thick Wonder-type bread, right?

Salads and sandwiches can be very creative, and quick. All you need is a great loaf of crusty bread, and whatever toppings appeal to you/your family - I would try tapenade, caramelized onions (can be made in advance, and last all week), a favorite cheese, homemade mayo, proscuitto, pesto. Also, you can grill sandwiches/make panini. Foro salads you could throw in any canned/bottled ingredients you love, such as roasted red peppers, tuna, capers, beans, beets, etc.

I've taken detailed notes from all of you. Someone said that they make chicken pot pies- I've decided to make that for dinner tomorrow. I would thank that person specificially, but quite honestly I'm too lazy to go back through 30 comments :)

renzata--Sounds pretty damn good. Wish I could find it in NYC. Thanks for the clarification.

This time of year, it's homemade soups and freshly baked bread at my house.

We get a CSA basket, with a variety of fresh, local fruits and veggies that keep me inspired. I usually wait until after we get our basket, and then plan meals around the veggies we have on hand. I like to use the fresh stuff with legumes (lentils are my favorite thing lately,) risotto, grains, rices, and pastas. Add a fresh salad and usually lean pork, fish, or eggs and dinner is done. We also grow a ton of herbs in our garden for added flavor. We can adapt most meals for whatever we're craving; be it Asian, Mexican, Italian, etc.

check out www.eveningedge.com. good recipes!