Learn Hardcore Chinese: wǒ yīnggāi huí jiā, ránhòu zuò fàn gěi tā chī.

然后 (ránhòu) links steps in sequence: “then/after that.” It’s great for listing actions.
以后 (yǐhòu) is “after(wards)” in a time sense. You’d restructure: 回家以后，给她做饭 (“After getting home, [I’ll] cook for her.”).
再 (zài) means “then/next” and often pairs with 先 (xiān): 先回家，再做饭给她吃.
You can combine: 然后再 to stress “then and only then”: 回家，然后再做饭.

Do I need 了 here to show completion or “it’s about time”?

As written (no 了), it’s a neutral plan/obligation.
我应该回家了 adds the nuance “It’s time for me to go home (now).”
If you want to stress “after arriving,” use: 回家以后再做饭 or 回到家以后再做饭. Using 了 on 回家 is not the way to express “after arrival.”

Can I change the word order around 给? Are these all okay: 给她做饭 / 做饭给她吃 / 做给她吃?

Yes, all are natural, with slight focus differences:

给她做饭 (gěi tā zuòfàn): emphasizes the beneficiary “for her.”
做饭给她吃 (zuòfàn gěi tā chī): emphasizes the action “cook,” plus the purpose “for her to eat.”
做给她吃 (zuò gěi tā chī): emphasizes “make (it) and give (it) to her to eat.”
给她做饭吃 is also common and colloquial.

Is the final 吃 necessary? Could I just say “给她做饭”?

You can omit 吃: 给她做饭 is perfectly natural. Adding 吃 makes the purpose explicit (“for her to eat”), which is very idiomatic in Chinese.

Why not say 做饭给她吃饭? Isn’t 吃饭 “to eat a meal”?

Don’t double “饭” here. 做饭 already means “cook (a meal).” You then use 吃 to show the purpose: 做饭给她吃. Saying 做饭给她吃饭 is redundant and unidiomatic.

Does 给 literally mean “to give” here?

In 给她吃, 给 (gěi) works as a preposition meaning “for/to (the benefit of).” If you use it as a full verb “to give,” you’d include an object: 给她饭吃 (“give her food to eat”). Both patterns exist, with slightly different structures.

Can I drop the subject 我 in the second clause?

Yes. Chinese often drops repeated subjects.

我应该回家，然后给她做饭。
我应该回家，然后做饭给她吃。
Both are fine; the subject of the second clause is understood to be 我.

Do I need 然后 at all? Could I just use a comma or 再?

You can simply write: 我应该回家，给她做饭 (natural in speech and writing).
Or use 再: 我应该回家，再给她做饭.
然后 is a clear, neutral step-linker; it’s very common in speech, but try not to overuse it as a filler.

What’s the difference between 回家 and 回到家?

回家 (huíjiā): “return/go back home” (neutral; arrival is often understood from context).
回到家 (huí dào jiā): explicitly “arrive back home.”
If you need to say “after arriving,” prefer 回家以后/回到家以后 before the next action.

Do I need 去 or 来 with 回家?

No. 回 already implies “(go/come) back.” 回家 suffices.

To go to someone else’s home, say 去她家.
回她家 is only used if her place is the place you/they are returning to (e.g., you had been there before and are going back).

How strong is 应该 compared with 要 or 得?

应该 (yīnggāi): “should/ought to” (recommendation/expectation).
要 (yào): “going to/need to” (plan/intention or mild necessity).
得 (děi): “must/have to” (strong necessity).
该 (gāi): also “should,” often in set phrases or a bit literary: 我该回家了 (“It’s time I went home.”)

Why is “she/her” written as 她? Isn’t “he/him” also pronounced tā?

Yes, 他/她/它 are all pronounced tā. In speech there’s no difference; in writing you choose:

他 for “he/him,”
她 for “she/her,”
它 for “it.”

Why isn’t there 我的 before 家? Shouldn’t it be “my home”?

回家 by default means “go back to one’s own home,” so 我的 is unnecessary. If you need to contrast (my place vs someone else’s), you can say 回我家 or 回他家.

Is 做饭 the same as 做菜 or 烧菜? What about specifying dinner?

做饭 (zuòfàn): general “to cook/prepare a meal.”
做菜 (zuòcài)/烧菜 (shāocài): “to cook dishes,” focusing on the dishes.
To specify the meal: 做晚饭/做午饭/做早饭 (cook dinner/lunch/breakfast).

Can I add a measure word like 顿 to say “cook a meal”?

Yes. 做一顿饭给她吃 (“cook a meal for her to eat”) or 给她做一顿饭.
You can also soften with 点(儿): 给她做点儿饭.

Could I use 就 instead of 然后 to show immediacy?

Yes, 就 (jiù) suggests immediacy or a direct result:

我回家就给她做饭 (“As soon as I get home, I (immediately) cook for her.”)
This is stronger than neutral 然后.

What about using 为 or 替 instead of 给?

为她做饭: “cook for her (for her sake)”—more formal.
替她做饭: “cook in her place” (do it on her behalf, implying she would otherwise do it).
给她做饭: neutral, very common “cook for her.”

Any pronunciation/tone tips for words here?

应该 yīnggāi (1st, 1st)
回 huí (2nd)
然后 ránhòu (2nd, 4th)
给 gěi (3rd)
她 tā (1st)
Third-tone sandhi: before another 3rd tone, 给 becomes rising: 给你 géis nǐ (géǐ→géi). In 给她 (3rd + 1st), no sandhi change.

Is the comma placement correct? How would I pause when speaking?

Yes. Chinese often uses a comma to separate clauses: …回家，然后…. In speech, make a light pause after 回家 before continuing with 然后….

Could 做饭给她吃 ever mean “cook her (as food)”? The word order worries me.

No. 给她吃 is the benefactive pattern “for her to eat.” It cannot mean “cook her.” If you meant “feed her,” you’d say 喂她吃(东西) or 喂她饭.

Can I rewrite with 以后 instead of 然后?

Yes: 我应该回家以后，给她做饭 is ungrammatical because 以后 must follow a time point. Correct options:

回家以后，我应该给她做饭。
我应该回家，以后给她做饭。 (two separate time frames; the first is a plan, the second is “later on” more generally)
Most natural here: 回家以后，再给她做饭.