Banish Dinner Boredom With Maxine Sharf's Day-of-the-Week Cooking Strategy
Plus, the one thing you need to do before serving every meal.
“I feel like the natural rhythm of the week usually determines what I’m in the mood to cook and eat,” Maxine Sharf tells me.
She’s organized her new cookbook, Maxi’s Kitchen, accordingly: “On Mondays, for example, the recipes are super quick, with short ingredient lists. Then Tuesday, everything comes together in one pot. So there’s very minimal cleanup. And then by the time Wednesday rolls around, usually I’m a little bit bored with the simple stuff, and I want something that’s more fun and exciting…It’s almost the weekend, but not yet. So let’s get over the midweek slump.”
Maxine opts for date-night worthy dishes on Thursday, then invites friends over for small bites on Friday. Weekends have more space for fun projects and brunch. “It’s not meant to be a meal plan” that you follow strictly, she says: “it’s just meant to help you pick the right recipe for your mood.”
For Maxine, the key to cooking more often is keeping boredom at bay: “I always just recommend people try to tap in and think about what actually sounds good to them, because that’s how I get motivated on days where I’m like, oh, do I really feel like cooking?”
“If you can try to harness a craving,” she says, that drive to cook returns.
It helps that Maxine’s recipes are user-friendly and immediately appealing. She uses crispy baked chicken cutlets as a base for a bruschetta-inspired topping, adds umami to carbonara with a little miso, and quick glazes edamame in honey and soy sauce. Her teriyaki meatballs—you’ll find the full recipe below—bake in the oven for minimal fuss.
“I hope that these recipes become your family recipes,” Maxine says. “I would love for my mom’s spaghetti and meatballs to then become your family favorites. And I don’t need credit or anything. It’s nice how recipes can really become something that lives on for generations to come. And they become a part of your family traditions.”
As you add these dishes to your repertoire, she’s hoping you’ll get better and better at dialing in the flavor and seasoning on whatever you’re making for dinner.
Maxine notes that a dish’s seasoning might need to be adjusted even if you’ve just reached for an onion that’s slightly bigger than the one that was used in a recipe’s testing: “If you have actually more vegetables in the dish, you probably need to season a little bit more.”
Tune in to hear the full conversation on The Dinner Plan podcast for Maxine’s thoughts on all the levers you can pull for better flavor, her policy on repeat meals, and the easy dishes she actually cooks when she’s making dinner for one off-camera.
Win a copy of Maxi’s Kitchen
This book is full of fresh recipes to add to your rotation—and I think you’ll find it especially useful on weeknights. There are two different ways to enter to win a copy from The Dinner Plan.
Details just below but please, please check your Substack DMs and your email spam folder—I’m waiting on a few previous winners to respond!
🥇 The simplest way to enter this week’s book giveaway is to sign up as a paid subscriber to this newsletter by end of day Sunday, March 8, 2026. That’s all you need to do. Becoming a paid subscriber also gives you full access to the 99+ Dinner Ideas list and our cookbook hall of fame.
🥈 Free subscribers can still enter this giveaway. Just send in a “what’s in my fridge/freezer/pantry right now” voice memo for us to play on The Dinner Plan podcast. We’ll come up with a dinner idea just for you based on what you have around. Follow the instructions here by end of day Sunday, March 8, 2026.
Giveaway winner will be alerted by Substack DM and email. 18+, U.S. and Canada addresses only (sorry!). Giveaway not sponsored or administered by Substack. Ends March 8, 2026.
This send includes affiliate links; a small commission from your purchase helps to keep this newsletter (and the podcast) going.
Maxine mentioned:
Grandpa’s Jjigae with beef, tofu, and sweet potato noodles (video)
Maxine’s chicken parm video
Maxine’s chicken Milanese video
Maxine’s mom’s spaghetti & meatballs video
Bench scraper (OXO / Amazon)
Alison Roman’s Blueberry Cornmeal Tart
Alison Roman’s Eggplant Parm
Salad tostadas: Southwestern style, chopped with avocado and dill, avocado caesar tostada
Jumbo shells with ricotta and vegetables—plus mini spring shells here!
Samin Nosrat’s Salt Fat Acid Heat (Omnivore (signed!))
Maangchi’s kimchi jjigae
From the ad break:
Find LaBelle Patrimoine chicken at Whole Foods or GrownAsPromised.com
Brooklyn Delhi: Use code DINNERPLAN15 for 15% off your order.
Made In Cookware: Head to madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.
Find Brami’s made-in-Italy protein pasta at Costco or wherever you shop.
Get Franklin Farms Ready Bake Tofu Kits wherever you buy groceries.
Maggie mentioned:
Amelia Rampe’s Pork Adobo Sliders (Bon Appétit)
SPONSOR NOTE
Take the prep-work out of tofu with the new Organic Super Firm Tofu line from Franklin Farms. No water, no mess, no press: Just versatile, protein-packed tofu that’s ready to transform your meals. With 18g of protein per serving, Franklin Farms USDA-certified Organic Super Firm Tofu is kosher, non-GMO, and gluten-free. Simply remove from the package and enjoy hot or cold.
Teriyaki Chicken Meatball Bowls
Excerpted with permission from Maxi’s Kitchen, copyright © 2026 by Maxine Sharf. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, A division of Penguin Random House LLC.
Serves 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Everybody loves a teriyaki chicken bowl, right? This recipe is a spin on the classic, where instead of grilled chicken, you’ll find meatballs packed with ginger, scallions, and garlic. If making meatballs seems like a lot of work, don’t worry—I promise it’s easier than you think! Just toss everything into a bowl, mix it up with your hands, and use a cookie scoop (or a tablespoon) to shape them. Then pop them in the oven while you whip up an easy teriyaki sauce. The sauce coats the meatballs beautifully and seeps into the rice, infusing every bite with flavor.
MEATBALLS
1 pound ground chicken (93/7 or similar; non-breast-only)
⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 large egg
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons avocado oil or other neutral oil
TERIYAKI SAUCE
1 cup water
¼ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon avocado oil or other neutral oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
BROCCOLI
10 ounces broccoli crowns, cut into florets
3 tablespoons water
Kosher salt
FOR SERVING
Cooked jasmine rice
Toasted sesame seeds
Preheat the oven to 400ºF on convection mode (or 425ºF on regular bake).
Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, panko, scallions, egg, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and garlic. Using your hands or a spoon, mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Drizzle a sheet pan with the avocado oil. Form the meat mixture into balls, about 1 heaping tablespoon each (I like to use a cookie scoop, then round them out with my hands) and place them on the prepared sheet pan. Dip your fingers in the oil on the pan or a little water if the meat mixture is sticking to them.
Bake until the meatballs are golden brown and the internal temperature registers 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer, 12 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the teriyaki sauce: In a medium glass measuring cup or bowl, mix together the water, brown sugar, soy sauce, cornstarch, and vinegar.
In a medium pot, heat the avocado oil over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar mixture and whisk until it bubbles and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.
Add the meatballs to the pot and roll them in the teriyaki sauce to coat. Remove from the heat, cover the pot, and set aside.
Make the broccoli: Place the broccoli in a large microwave-safe bowl. Drizzle with the water and sprinkle with a little salt. Cover the bowl with a plate and microwave until the broccoli is bright green and slightly tender, 3 to 4 minutes. (Alternatively, blanch the broccoli in boiling salted water for about 1 minute.)
To serve: Scoop some rice into four bowls and add the broccoli and meatballs on top. Spoon on some teriyaki sauce, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and enjoy!
I love her recipes! Excited to listen to this episode!
We all knew I was going to love this episode, right?