Dinner in 30 Minutes or Less
Pineapple Chicken Stir-Fry [1]
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.
Italian Dinner Soup [5]
Gail Gladding-Pullara of Oregon, Wisconsin, won honorable mention in our 2012 Best of the Midwest Recipe Contest for this simple, crowd-pleasing soup. "My family loves this recipe," she says. "It’s easy and tastes like you’ve been cooking for hours."
Potato Chips Meet Fish [9]
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®.
Fajitas [13]
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 [14]
Fast Paella [17]
"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 [18]
Midwest Corn Chowder [21]
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 [22]
Easy Tortilla Casserole [25]
This cheese-and-vegetable casserole cooks right on your stove--no oven-baking required. The recipe is from renowned Chicago chef Rick Bayless.
Rosemary-Garlic Stir-Fry [29]
Fresh garlic and chopped rosemary flavor this easy chicken-and-vegetable stir-fry dinner from a Zumbro Falls, Minnesota, reader. Top with crunchy cashews.
The Walleye Whopper [33]
This Heartland fried fish sandwich comes from a Garrison, Minnesota, restaurant. The town is home to Mille Lacs lake, known for its abundance of walleye.
The Walleye Whopper [34]
Quick and easy chili [37]
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 [38]
Chunky Chili Supreme [39]
Peppery Beef with Mushrooms [42]
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 [47]
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.
Two-Fisted Pizza Sub [51]
True to its name, this big sandwich takes two hands to eat! The sandwich recipe comes from Tony's I-75 near Birch Run, Michigan (80 miles north of Detroit), known for its big servings of everything.
Two-Fisted Pizza Sub [52]
Chicken with Agillo [55]
A sweet garlic-sherry sauce adds the finishing touch to this juicy chicken. The recipe is from Cafe Barcelona in Kansas City, Missouri.
Chicken with Agillo [56]
Season's Best Shrimp Parmesan [59]
Spoon this creamy, rich shrimp sauce over rice or pasta. It's a specialty from Cafe Beignet in St. Charles, Missouri.
Easy Potato Soup [63]
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 [64]
Mushroom and Gorgonzola Fettuccine [67]
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 [71]
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.
Traditional Chicken-Fried Steak [75]
Classic chicken-fried steak actually is crispy, fried beef, usually topped with a creamy gravy. The recipe is from Devil's Pool Restaurant at Big Cedar Lodge near Branson, Missouri.
Spa Shiki Stir-Fry [79]
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 [80]
Creamy Sausage-Tomato Rotini [83]
This pasta with a creamy sauce of tomatoes and Italian sausage comes from a Madison, Indiana, supper club.
Simple Salsa Skillet [87]
Create a quick and easy dinner with Simple Salsa Skillet, a recipe from a Westchester, Illinois, reader. "My mom and I love this recipe because it's easy, doesn't cost much to make and is low in fat," she says.
Simple Salsa Skillet [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.
