Whether you’re a meticulous meal-planner who knows what’s on the menu a week in advance or a seat-of-the-pants type constantly able to pull something together at the last minute, it can be frustrating to feel like dinnertime is a series of the same meals coming around over and over like a culinary merry-go-round.
For our 2025 Ohio Cooperative Living Reader Recipe Contest, we asked co-op members for their go-to weeknight dinner recipes that make the whole family happy — quick and easy yet delicious, nutritious, and satisfying. We think the winning entries are worthy additions to that repast rotation.
Deb DeLoye of Sidney says it was probably 30 years ago that she was at a holiday dinner gathering where her friend served a light and tasty Southwestern-style casserole that just knocked everyone’s socks off. “I asked her for the recipe right then and it’s been in the ‘favorites’ section of my recipe box ever since,” she says. “I’ve probably made it five or six times a year for the last 30 years.”
DeLoye says Tato Taco Casserole works because it’s fresh and light (especially for a Southwestern dish), and because she just seems to always have all the ingredients on hand. “It’s a meal all by itself, and it comes together in under an hour,” she says. “And if there are any leftovers, they warm up well in the microwave.”
For the winning entry in this year’s contest, DeLoye, a member of Piqua-based Pioneer Electric Cooperative, will receive an Ohio-made KitchenAid stand mixer.
Joyce Reer of Shelby and her family operate a sugar shack full time when the sap starts running in the early spring, and she says her Macadamia French Toast, one of the runners-up in our contest, takes full advantage of it.
“We love breakfast for dinner at times,” says Reer, a member of Attica-based North Central Electric Cooperative. “We still make maple syrup the old-fashioned way, so it’s a treat to be able to use it whenever we can.”
Her recipe takes a little advance planning, soaking bread slices all day (or overnight if you’re having this breakfast dish for breakfast), but it comes together in next to no time for dinner — rewarding the earlier work with a sweet, crispy toast covered in buttery macadamias, just waiting to be drenched in that maple syrup.
Elisabeth Bodey of St. Paris says her Chicken Divan recipe is slightly deceiving in that she didn’t enter it exactly as she normally prepares it. She and her husband, Jesse, also members of Pioneer Electric, are the parents of five boys ranging from 6 to 16 years old, so a single batch isn’t nearly enough for all of them.
Bodey says the dish is an old family favorite that she grew up making and eating — and since she has seven siblings, it’s likely her mom never made it without doubling (or tripling) it, either.
“It’s super easy to assemble,” she says, “and since you use precooked chicken, it’s fast too. I probably make it at least once a month, and my kids never complain.”
Turn the page for this year’s winning recipes!
Chicken Divan, runner-up
Deb DeLoye, Pioneer Electric Cooperative member
Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine the crust ingredients. Press crust mixture into a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.
In a skillet, brown the ground beef and drain off the fat. Add the taco seasoning and the water into the skillet with the ground beef. Stir to combine. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Spread the ground beef mixture evenly over the baked crust. Sprinkle the crushed corn chips over top of the beef mixture. Then sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the corn chips. Put the casserole back into the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until cheese has melted.
Let casserole cool for 5 minutes. Cut into squares to serve. Top each serving with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and sour cream as desired.
Elisabeth Bodey, Pioneer Electric Cooperative member
Cook the rice in water with the salt. While rice is cooking, start the casserole. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Steam broccoli until just tender. Grease an 8x8-inch pan. Spread the chicken and broccoli in the pan and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix soup, mayonnaise, curry powder, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Spread over the chicken and broccoli. Spread cheese on top, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly. Serve over rice.
Joyce Reer, North Central Electric Cooperative member
Arrange bread slices in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, orange juice, milk, sugar, vanilla, and nutmeg until blended; pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Pour butter into a 10x15x1-inch baking pan. Transfer bread slices to prepared pan; sprinkle with nuts. Bake uncovered at 400 F for 20 to 25 minutes or until bread is golden brown. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with syrup.
