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One-pan chicken thighs, gnocchi alla vodka and more recipes to make this week

Celebrate the start of spring with tasty transitional recipes.

Spring is officially in the air! If you’re anything like us, the change of seasons marks an exciting time to start switching up your grocery list. With warmer weather on the way, we look forward to trading hearty dishes for ones that are light and bright. But because temperatures still fluctuate around the end of March, transitional recipes are your best bet to close out the month — think cozy meals packed with seasonal ingredients.

Easy mains are a must when there are extra hours of daylight to enjoy after work. No need to rush home and start cooking — 15 minutes of prep work is all it takes to whip up our spicy chicken thighs and gnocchi alla vodka. Not to mention, the first dinner option uses only one pan so cleanup is a breeze as well. It wouldn’t be a spring recipe roundup without some fresh produce in the mix. Our spring asparagus breakfast tart is creamy, tangy and only fitting to include given the season in its name. For something more hands-off that still uses in-season finds, try our slow-cooker potato leek soup. One spoonful and you’ll see why it’s deemed so much more than the sum of its parts. Even dessert falls into this category, as carrot cake cheesecake bars packed with the colorful veggie are on this week’s menu.

Avoid spending a sunny spring day in the supermarket by ordering ingredients from Walmart through the shoppable recipes below. You can even score free delivery on orders $35 and up with a Walmart+ membership. Not a member? Now is a good time to sign up: New customers can snag $10 off their first three online pickup or delivery orders of $50 or more with code TRIPLE10.

What to cook this week

The beauty of skin-on chicken thighs? They’re almost impossible to overcook. In fact, you can bake this one-skillet dish with the lid off and not worry about them drying out. The result is perfectly crispy skin on the outside and juicy flavorful meat on the inside — all atop a bed of orzo and green beans to balance out the Calabrian chili heat.

Baked Gnocchi Alla Vodka

Step aside, penne. Potato gnocchi is the star of this vodka sauce bake, and it may be our favorite twist on a traditional pasta pairing. This recipe calls for store-bought gnocchi to keep things weeknight-friendly, but you’d never be able to tell from taste alone. Why? Decadent sauce aside, we’ve taken the toppings up a notch, too, with bubbly cheese and toasted panko.

Our tasty asparagus breakfast tart is as easy to make as it is showstopping. If you’re planning to serve it for a special occasion, no need to wait until the morning of. This spring specialty can be prepared a full two days beforehand, just cover tightly with foil and pop it in the fridge.

A slow cooker is a year-round kitchen staple, and this potato leek soup recipe is proof. Just because it’s getting warmer doesn’t mean soup season is behind us. Swap out winter veggies for seasonal produce (hello, leeks and chives) and you’ll find yourself using the simmer feature well into spring.

Who knew that two classic dessert recipes could go together so well? These carrot cake cheesecake bars take all the warm spices from carrot cake and all the rich creaminess from cheesecake to make a bite that’s truly the best of both worlds.