Post 12: Our Go-To Weeknight Dinners – Throuple Edition
- DCW
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Cooking for three people with different cravings is a wild ride—especially when agreeing on what to eat can sometimes feel harder than paying for California life. Add in Will’s texture issues (RIP anything too squishy), and we’re already eliminating 25% of the food pyramid.
But over the years, we’ve nailed down some weeknight meals that hit the spot for all three of us. These are the no-fuss, quick-to-make, guaranteed-to-please staples that we come back to over and over. Lately, we’ve been leaning a little more “healthy-ish”—blame it on Costa Rica’s fresh fruit, unprocessed food, and the realization that summer is around the corner.
Mexican Night – Because Let’s Be Honest, It’s Just ‘Food’ Now
At this point, it’s not even a themed night. It’s just dinner. Between breakfast burritos, lunch tacos, and dinner enchiladas, we could probably eat Mexican food all day and not blink. It’s the comfort food that keeps on giving—and somehow always sounds good.
Our go-to version is simple but solid: shredded smoked meat tacos, Spanish rice, and a salad. And we’re not talking about Taco Bell-style tacos—no offense to them, because a Chalupa always hits when it needs to—but these are next level. Nothing fancy, but absolutely delicious. Daniel makes a killer Spanish rice using chicken stock, taco seasoning, and spicy tomato sauce. The guy also whips up guac in under 30 seconds—and yes, it’s so good it’s converted people who “don’t like guacamole.” (Looking at you, Will’s parents.)
We always keep the basics stocked: tortillas, cheese, onions, lettuce, and cilantro. The meat changes depending on what’s left from the weekend—brisket, carnitas, even grilled chicken. Pro tip: swap out lettuce for cabbage and throw on some pickled veggies for an easy twist. And don’t skip the Queso Fresco. Must. Have.
Lazy Pizza Night – Garlic Bread Crust for the Win
This one’s pure comfort, but still weeknight-friendly. It’s our garlic butter pepperoni pizza night—but with a twist.
Instead of fussing with dough, we grab a French loaf (or garlic bread pre-made in foil) and bake it just until the garlic butter is melted. Then we split the loaf, load it up with toppings (onions, peppers, jalapeños, pepperoni, lots of cheese), and bake again until crispy and golden. The sauce? That’s on the side. We heat it up for dipping instead of spreading it on top, because otherwise the toppings just fall off. Will swears by this trick now.
And yes, we still argue about red vs. white sauce every time. Caleb usually wins by asking Will to make his homemade red, but let’s be real—on a weeknight, a jar will do. Just level it up with sautéed onions, garlic, and herbs. Bonus tip: this is the ultimate fridge-cleanout meal. We’ve done Mexican street corn pizza before and it slaps.
Quick Chicken Sandwiches – Not Fancy, Still Delicious
Some nights, the goal is survival, not fine dining. Enter: chicken sandwiches.
We found these giant 'Mega Chicken Patties' that air fry to crispy perfection. Pop 'em on a bun, throw together a salad, and maybe toss some fries in the air fryer too. Not healthy food, but better than drive-thru grease.
The fun part? Toppings. Whatever you’ve got works—pickles, slaw, spicy mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, a little shredded cheese. Build your own and call it a night.
Bonus: those same patties are MVPs in other weeknight dinners. Try:
Angel hair chicken parm with jarred sauce and cheese
Big chicken salads with all the toppings
Chicken Alfredo pasta with jarred sauce and cheese
Pro Tips from the Kitchen
Start looking at your favorite ingredients in new ways. That leftover roast? Tacos. Those chicken patties? Chicken parm. That jarred sauce? Boost it with fresh ingredients and act like you made it from scratch. We won’t tell.
Salad Obsessed (Thanks, Costa Rica)
You probably noticed—we eat a lot of salads. We try to have one with every meal or make it the main course at least a few times a week. And yes, we fully blame Costa Rica.
While we were there, they had pickled veggies at the salad bar and we haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Now we’ve got a jar in the fridge that we rotate every few days. It’s super easy: vinegar, water, sugar, salt, onion, shredded carrots, sliced jalapeños, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and dill. There are a ton of recipes online, but that’s our basic version.
Pro tip: They go on everything. Sandwiches, tacos, steak, salads—you name it. It’s that extra zing you didn’t know was missing.
Conclusion
These three meals (plus all the ways we remix them) keep us sane during the week. No one’s spending hours in the kitchen on a Tuesday, but that doesn’t mean you can’t eat well. Everything’s customizable, easy, and gives us more time to chill after work instead of fighting about dinner.
Got a go-to weeknight meal you love? Share it in the comments—we’re always down to try something new!
Life Lately: Grey Skies, Smoked Meat, and a Real-Life Book!
Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend and that you're feeling those summer vibes—even if the SoCal weather didn’t get the memo. It stayed stubbornly gray and around 70° most of the weekend, only showing some sun later in the day. Not exactly pool weather, which worked out since our pool isn’t quite ready. We should’ve replaced the filter earlier, but now we’re deep in the battle of cloudy water vs. algae. That said, the water’s already a toasty 84°, so fingers crossed we can dive in by June.
We spent the weekend doing what we do best: house projects, fair prep, and sneaking in some fun. Daniel tackled inventory on Monday, Caleb washed the truck, and Will tackled a mountain of emails. We made Saturday count with a 19-mile bike ride, and Sunday was all about the smoker. Honestly, it’s been nice to just be home and appreciate the house—especially since this time last year we were tearing the whole backyard apart. The Timehop photos have us feeling all kinds of construction PTSD.
BIG news: we finished the book! Like, officially done. The artwork is locked, formatting is set, and the release date is June 18, 2025. There’s a giveaway up on our site (tresamigosunavida.com) for a free signed copy—enter by June 4! We ordered 30 copies on Monday, and honestly? We still can’t believe this is real. Oh, and we already sold our first book! Someone snagged a presale signed copy the day we launched on Etsy. It’s happening, y’all!
And in the garden? Total explosion. Pumpkins, peppers, potatoes, corn—you name it, it’s growing. We even spotted our first jalapeño this week! The weather’s been chaotic (101 one day, 60 the next), so the corn’s a bit confused, but the blackberries are about to go OFF. Our neighbors better be ready for a berry drop-off or a surprise treat from Caleb’s bake shop.
Otherwise, life’s rolling along—we’re just hoping this weekend’s fair goes smoothly. The hate in social media comments lately has been overwhelming, and Will’s been feeling it hard. We’re hoping for a safe, positive season and no unnecessary drama. More to come in the next blog… and Happy early Pride Month!
– D.C.W.
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