Assembling cassoulet, proofing sourdough bread or constructing a Harry Potter Sorting Hat croquembouche are all worthwhile pursuits, but, for many people, the word “cooking” means weeknight cooking: recipes that are fast and easy without sacrificing a little excitement. Those are exactly the kind of recipes NYT Cooking readers loved most this year.

The top five recipes of the year are below. Some are innovative in method or flavor, which means you get to try something new without having to dedicate the entire weekend to it; all are just plain delicious. And be sure to take a look the full list of our 50 most popular recipes of 2019, determined by how many times readers viewed them on NYT Cooking. You’ll find plenty more weeknight wonders there, but also Dorie Greenspan’s Lisbon chocolate cake (No. 10). Always leave room for cake.

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A reader posted a note on NYT Cooking calling this saucy, tangy sheet-pan chicken “lick-your-plate good,” and many others agree. The recipe, by our columnist Alison Roman, is as simple as can be: First, roast the turmeric-dusted chicken on the sheet pan. Then use a combination of fresh garlic, parsley, crushed Castelvetrano olives and a bit of water to deglaze the pan for a quick sauce that’s poured over the roasted chicken. We like it served with rice.