5 Meals Straight Out of a Nancy Meyers Kitchen
The perfect movie-night lineup.
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Photo by Rocky Luten
Welcome to Forkcast—our weekly meal plan with five recipes, a grocery list, and tips to keep dinner easy. This week’s plan comes straight from editor Julia, and it’s inspired by one of the most iconic filmmakers when it comes to food and interiors: Nancy Meyers.
If you’ve ever wanted to live inside It’s Complicated or Something’s Gotta Give, this is your week. Think sprawling marble kitchens, copper pots hanging overhead, and the kind of meals that make you want to pour a glass of wine and linger a little longer at the table. Cozy, a little glamorous, and very much main-character energy.
Each dish nods to the kind of food you’d actually see in those movies—big bowls of pasta, toasts dressed up with a little luxury, and a dessert that feels just indulgent enough. See if you can spot the movie inspirations as you cook your way through.
The Plan
Breakfast: Pomegranate & Lox Toast
Smoked salmon and cream cheese get an upgrade with sweet pops of pomegranate. It’s quick, fresh, and feels a little fancy without the effort.
Photo by Rocky Luten
Featured Video
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A rice bowl that’s actually exciting—crunchy chickpeas, toasted cashews, and a nutty base that won’t put you in a food coma.
Photo by Food52
Click here for full recipe.
Dinner 1: Lasagna Soup With Ricotta-Parmesan Cream
All the cheesy, saucy comfort of lasagna in soup form. Stir fresh herbs into the ricotta topping to make it feel extra special. This one's a nod to Home Again when Reese Witherspoon's character eats cold lasagna straight out of the fridge.
Photo by Food52
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Dinner 2: Instant Pot Chicken in Red Wine Sauce
Like coq au vin but way easier. The Instant Pot does the work, and you get tender chicken in a rich, cozy sauce. In a way, this is inspired by all Nancy Meyers movie because there tends to be a roast chicken dinner.
Photo by Food52
Click here for full recipe.
Crunchy Oreo crust + creamy peanut butter filling = weeknight dessert win. Pair this with the Parent Trap camp scene and you'll be able to taste the movie. Apparently, Nancy also stashes chocolate in her director's chair.
Photo by Food52
Click here for full recipe.
Grocery List
Produce
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 red onion
- 2 medium yellow onions
- ½ pound (250 grams) button mushrooms
- 4 radishes
- 2 Persian cucumbers
- Dill (optional, for toast garnish)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 cup English peas (frozen or freshly shelled)
- 1 cup mixed tender herbs (for rice)
Dairy & Eggs
- 1 dozen eggs
- 12 ounces cream cheese
- 1 (16-ounce) container ricotta
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
Meat & Fish
- 12 ounces quality smoked salmon
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3 or 4 slices bacon
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Pantry
- 1 loaf “good rye bread”
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas
- 1 cup long-grain rice
- 1/2 cup dried sour cherries
- 1 pound lasagna noodles
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
The Pointers
The Pointers
- If dinner calls for a drink, mix up this apple martini (not to be confused with an apple-tini).
- Extra peanut butter? Make this Pb&J crisp. I tried it recently and am still thinking about it.
- Save some lasagna noodles to try Eleanor Wilkinson’s one-pot personal lasagna.
- To punch up the ricotta mixture for the soup, stir in fresh basil, parsley, and black pepper. I learned this trick from Jamie Vespa of Dishing Out Health. I made her one-pot lasagna soup last year and loved this addition.
- I recently tried the limited edition Reese’s Oreos and can confirm they would be perfect for the bars. Name a more perfect combo.