

Chicken, Leek and Parsley Pie: Paired with a salad, it’s a midweek meal that satisfies. (The Washington Post)

A frequent question during our weekly online Free Range chat concerns our favorites — the meals and drink recipes we at WaPo Food turn to most often. For me, a perfect weeknight meal is a modest portion of warm, savory pie with a crisp green salad, because there’s something so satisfying about the contrast in temperatures and textures. Plan it right, and the combo’s a veritable #DinnerInMinutes.

[More Weekend Kitchen: Take your food’s temperature; 8 things to do with avocado beyond guacamole]

With the Recipe Finder as your guide and leftovers in hand, you could start with a simple Olive Oil Dough, which makes enough for a single-crust pie, and Anna’s Veloute Sauce, an all-purpose base for a potpie-type filling.



Greek Greens Mixed Pie With Phyllo Crust. (Quentin Bacon)

Chicken, Leek and Parsley Pie and Cheddar Cheese and Onion Pie can feed a family and are both double-crusters, but you could top them with a single crust. If you can’t make either in advance, use the brand of frozen pie shell or dough you like best. Their fillings don’t take long to make. Speaking of store-bought, it’s always to keep a roll of phyllo dough in the freezer; that way, you could make a Greek Mixed Greens Pie in about an hour.



Gooey Chicken, Brie and Cranberry Pies. (Deb Lindsey/For The Washington Post)

Single-serve savories like Gooey Chicken, Brie and Cranberry Pies are just as good at room temperature and make for a tidy lunch at work.



(Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post)

My go-to salad of late is Ellie Krieger’s healthful Green Salad With Pears, Pecans and Blue Cheese, pictured above, and of course you can skip the blue cheese altogether or use another creamy-crumbly cheese instead.

Try the combo approach and let us know what you liked best.

Top recipes of the week

Love and loss (of the weight variety) could be the theme of our readers’ most-viewed recipes online:



(Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post)

1. Onions Stuffed With Herbs and Cheese, pictured above. Every now and then, it’s nice to give a star turn to such a culinary stalwart.

2. Cincinnati Chili Over Spaghetti Squash. If carbs held you back from enjoying the classic, Ellie Krieger’s healthful version may be just the ticket.

3. Skinny Corn Bread. From Oprah Winfrey’s new cookbook, “Food, Health and Happiness: 115 On-Point Recipes for Great Meals and a Better Life” (Flatiron Books, 2017).

4. Dorie Greenspan’s Creamy Chocolate Tartlets. So indulgent and easy to assemble.

5. Crunchy Salad With Curry Lime Vinaigrette. The chopping’s worth it, and the dressing’s a keeper. Also from Winfrey’s cookbook.