Dinner in 30 Minutes or Less
Fast Paella [1]
"Paella is a snap when you use precooked turkey sausage, precooked shrimp and pouch rice," says Colleen Weeden, Test Kitchen project supervisor. Serve this delicious dish with warm, crusty bread to sop up the juices at the bottom of your bowl.
Fast Paella [2]
Loaded Greek Chicken Pizza [5]
Frozen spinach-artichoke dip is the secret ingredient in this fabulous pizza that delivers an authentically salty punch of kalamata olives and feta cheese.
Italian Dinner Soup [9]
Gail Gladding-Pullara of Oregon, Wisconsin, created this simple, crowd-pleasing soup. "My family loves this recipe," she says. "It’s easy and tastes like you’ve been cooking for hours."
Italian Dinner Soup [10]
Pineapple Chicken Stir-Fry [13]
Garden-fresh veggies and juicy pineapple give classic stir-fry a seasonal refresh. For an easy substitute, switch the chicken for thinly sliced boneless pork or peeled, deveined medium shrimp.
Blue Cheese and Balsamic Chicken Pizza [17]
Topped with blue cheese, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and a balsmic-spiked tomato sauce, this potent pizza has definite adult flavor.
Potato Chips Meet Fish [21]
How do you get your family to eat fish? By serving them tilapia coated with potato chips, herbs and honey-mustard dressing, says Diana McMillen, senior food editor at Midwest Living®.
Waldorf Chicken Salad [25]
All the traditional Waldorf ingredients are here: apple, grapes, walnuts, celery and mayo. This is a great choice to pack for weekday lunches.
Sriracha-Lime Ranch Dressing [29]
How can just three ingredients taste so good? This crazy-simple pantry fix-up begs to be drizzled over a chicken wrap or salad, or tossed with shredded cabbage for an easy slaw.
Easy Tortilla Casserole [33]
This cheese-and-vegetable casserole cooks right on your stove--no oven-baking required. The recipe is from renowned Chicago chef Rick Bayless.
Simple Salsa Skillet [37]
For a change in routine, substitute green salsa for red in this easy Mexican-inspired meal.
Simple Salsa Skillet [38]
Pineapple Barbecue Chicken Pizza [41]
We updated the modern-classic barbecue chicken pizza by adding sweet, juicy pineapple.
Quick and easy chili [45]
Ground Beef and Salsa Chili (left) uses a variety of canned ingredients for a fast-fixing chili. The recipe is from The Dakota Diner in Webster, South Dakota.
Another quick chili is Chunky Chili Supreme, a recipe from a reader in Phillips, Wisconsin. Purists might question the black-eyed peas, but our reader's family loves the combination of flavors.
Ground Beef and Salsa Chili [46]
Chunky Chili Supreme [47]
Peppery Beef with Mushrooms [50]
Prepare this hearty main dish even faster by using prepared ingredients such as purchased steak seasoning and presliced mushrooms. A quick side dish: Easy Roasted Red Potatoes.
Raceway Blackened Chicken [55]
Serve this Cajun-style chicken with sides of rice and vegetables, or embellish it with a refreshing avocado and papaya salsa. Why "Raceway" chicken? It's from the chefs who cook for Indianapolis' Pennzoil Panther Racing Team.
Coconut Chicken Noodle Bowl [59]
Ready in 25 minutes, this restaurant-style noodle bowl is a breeze to throw together. It uses Vietnamese bahn pho noodles, which you can find at large supermarkets or Asian groceries. It's fine to substitute another rice noodle or vermicelli.
Season's Best Shrimp Parmesan [63]
Spoon this creamy, rich shrimp sauce over rice or pasta. It's a specialty from Cafe Beignet in St. Charles, Missouri.
Easy Potato Soup [67]
This quick and easy recipe, from a Halstad, Minnesota, farming family, features just five ingredients and can be on the table in 15 minutes.
Easy Potato Soup [68]
Mushroom and Gorgonzola Fettuccine [71]
Tempt family or guests with this meatless main dish pasta from Herman's restaurant at Garland resort near Lewiston, Michigan. A creamy, colorful mushroom-and-sweet-pepper sauce coats the pasta.
Grilled Salmon with Pistachio-Basil Butter [75]
A mixture of fresh basil, pistachios, lime juice, garlic and butter tops easy grilled salmon. Store leftover pistachio-basil butter in your refrigerator for up to a week; toss with hot pasta or spread on toasted French bread.
Fajitas [79]
Let your family or guests build their own filled tortillas, tucking favorite condiments inside. The recipe comes from Manny's Restaurante Mexicano in Kansas City. Although Manny makes his pico de gallo, chili sauce, refried beans and Mexican rice, you can substitute purchased products.
Fajitas [80]
Spa Shiki Stir-Fry [83]
At Spa Shiki at the Lodge of Four Seasons in Lake Ozark, Missouri, guests are served the meatless side-dish version of this colorful and fresh-tasting recipe. Add 2 cups cooked chicken to make it a main dish.
Spa Shiki Stir-Fry [84]
Midwest Corn Chowder [87]
Here's a reduced-fat, yet delicious version of classic Midwest Corn Chowder, made without butter or whole milk. Serve with a salad or fruit for a light dinner, or with a sandwich for heartier appetites.
Midwest Corn Chowder [88]
Four-Vegetable Chicken Stir-Fry [91]
Chinese chili oil gives this Asian chicken dish extra pizzazz. A mix of broccoli, snow peas, carrots and celery keeps the calories and fat low but the flavor high.
