Skip to content

Top Navigation

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Home
  • Garden
  • Holidays
  • Videos
  • current issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Midwest Living

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 14 Fresh Places to Eat, Drink, Play & Stay This Summer

      14 Fresh Places to Eat, Drink, Play & Stay This Summer

      Hot off the minds of Midwest travel writers: a fresh look at where to eat, drink, play and stay around the region. Read More
    • Out Now: Best of the Midwest 2022

      Out Now: Best of the Midwest 2022

      Find your summer adventure with our new bookazine, available now in the magazine store! Read More
    • This Family's Garden Farm is a Nature-Filled Paradise

      This Family's Garden Farm is a Nature-Filled Paradise

      On land passed down through generations, a Wisconsin family experiences—and shares—the glory of gardening. Read More
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel
    Urban-Pop Art, a New Boutique Hotel and More—Here's What to See and Do in Fort Wayne Right Now

    Urban-Pop Art, a New Boutique Hotel and More—Here's What to See and Do in Fort Wayne Right Now

    On a trip to Fort Wayne, Indiana, catch a colorful wave of fresh development, plus a new hotel from the cofounder of Vera Bradley.
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Family Travel
    • Around the Region
    • Beyond the Region
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • Nebraska
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • South Dakota
    • Wisconsin
    • Free Travel Info
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food
    Mango Toast with Prosciutto

    Mango Toast with Prosciutto

    • Comfort Foods
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Quick & Easy
    • Chicken
    • Soups & Stews
    • Midwest Favorites
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Fish
    • Grilling
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    5 Clever Tips for Repurposing a Potting Bench as a Bar Cart 

    5 Clever Tips for Repurposing a Potting Bench as a Bar Cart 

    With smart accessorizing, a potting bench becomes a celebration station for summer soirees.
    • Quick Decorating
    • Featured Homes
    • Organizing & Storage
    • Outdoor Living
    • Seasonal Decorating
    • Room Decorating
  • Garden

    Garden

    See All Garden
    Expert Tips for Growing a Window Box Garden

    Expert Tips for Growing a Window Box Garden

    Casey Lawrence’s lush window boxes were a revelation to her online followers. Use her tips to grow your own.
    • Container Gardens
    • Flowers
    • Featured Gardens
    • Midwest Gardening Calendar
    • Garden Ideas & Inspiration
  • Holidays

    Holidays

    See All Holidays
    Festive 4th of July Dessert Recipes

    Festive 4th of July Dessert Recipes

    Get out your red, white and blue for these patriotic dessert recipes.
    • Easter
    • July 4th
    • Thanksgiving
    • Halloween
    • Christmas
    • Valentine's Day
  • Videos

    Videos

    See All Videos
    These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing

    These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing

    Don't toss those orange peels! Instead, use them as vessels for our super-simple and fragrant candles.
    • Brighten Your Front Door with This Colorful Easter Egg Wreath
    • These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing
    • Ring in the New Year with This Glam Star Garland
    • How to Make a Modern Fruit Cake Box
    • An Eye-Catching Oval Treat Box You Can Make
    • Make a Colorful Paper Raffia Wreath to Welcome Fall
    • How to Make a Dried Floral Arrangement
    • How to Make an Easy Pina Colada
    • How to Make an Amazing Pavlova
    • How to Make Pumpkin-Spice Icebox Cake
    • How to Make an All-Butter Pie Crust
  • current issue

    current issue

    See All current issue
    Midwest Living's Best of the Midwest Winners 2022

    Midwest Living's Best of the Midwest Winners 2022

    • March/April 2022 Issue
    • January/February 2022 Issue
    • November/December 2021 Issue
    • September/October 2021 Issue
    • July/August 2021 Issue
    • May/June 2021 Issue
    • Summer 2022 Issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Midwest Living
  2. Food
  3. Quick & Easy
  4. Six Quick and Easy Dinner Menus

Six Quick and Easy Dinner Menus

By Food photographs by Dasha Wright Updated May 24, 2021
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Shrimp Fusilli with Sweet-Pea Pesto

Our six dinner menus—including a shrimp and pasta dinner, rigatoni dinner and simple steak dinner—offer quick and easy recipes for both main dishes and desserts.

Start Slideshow

1 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

#1: Shrimp and pasta dinner

Shrimp Fusilli with Sweet-Pea Pesto
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This quick dinner features Shrimp Fusilli with Sweet-Pea Pesto, garlic bread and a simple dessert. Frozen seafood is the rushed cook's friend-here, peeled and deveined shrimp let you skip the prep work. Peas, garlic, mint, butter and vinegar form the pesto. For dessert, a build-it-yourself ice cream sundae bar can be elegant or simple, depending on your topping choices. 

1 of 9

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

#2: Fish taco dinner

Tilapia Tacos with Chipotle Cream
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Another fast meal: Tilapia Tacos with Chipotle Cream, Spanish rice, Mexican hot chocolate and purchased sugar cookies. Break spiced white tilapia into pieces for tacos and top with a creamy chipotle sauce.

Frozen tilapia is easy to work with; it's already skinned and boned. Rub with seasonings, and it's ready for the skillet. Rice mix from a box is an easy side dish. Another option: Pick up some side dishes at your supermarket's deli and get cookies from the bakery department.

2 of 9

3 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

#3: Off-The-Shelf Chili Meal

#3: Off-The-Shelf Chili Meal
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This quick and easy meal includes Chicken Salsa Chili with assorted toppers and Mocha Chocolate Mousse. While the chili bubbles away, mix together the simple mousse (next). Chill it until you're ready for dessert.

3 of 9

Advertisement

4 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Mousse in minutes

Quick and Easy Dessert Recipes—Mocha Chocolate Mousse
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This delicious mousse is a snap to mix together. You can layer it over fresh fruit and top with your choice of miniature chocolate pieces, chocolate sprinkles or chocolate-covered espresso beans.

4 of 9

5 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

#4: Salmon Dinner

Oven-Roasted Salmon
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

A cooking school in Chicago suggested this menu: Oven-Roasted Salmon, fresh fruit and Chocolate Panini. Just four ingredients go into the salmon main dish. Pepper and a salt blend season the ready-to-cook salmon fillets. Use packaged broccoli slaw or cabbage slaw from the market's produce section and fruit from the salad bar for an easy, yet nutritious, meal. Serve with a melty chocolate dessert panini (next).

5 of 9

6 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Warm and gooey Chocolate Panini

Chocolate Panini
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Assemble the panini dessert while the salmon roasts. Just before serving, toast the sweet sandwich until the chocolate filling is warm and gooey.

6 of 9

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

#5: Rigatoni Dinner

Rigatoni with Spinach, Walnuts, Sweet Potatoes and Goat Cheese
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This menu features One-Dish Rigatoni, Italian bread and Pear Caramel with Ice Cream. Split up the prep time for this pasta meal by making the 30-minute main dish first; then heat the dessert (next) before serving.

7 of 9

8 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Pear Caramel with Ice Cream

Pear Caramel with Ice Cream
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Scoop the ice cream and freeze while the pears cook in their sugary syrup. 

8 of 9

9 of 9

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

#6: Simple Steak Dinner

Cracked-Pepper Steak with Yogurt-Lime Sauce
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

The meat lovers in your family will especially appreciate this meal: Cracked-Pepper Steak with Yogurt-Lime Sauce (recipe at link above), Lemon Couscous, cooked vegetables and dessert coffee. A sprinkling of pepper adds a boost to already flavor-packed flank steak. A cool yogurt topper tames the peppery heat.  

9 of 9

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Food photographs by Dasha Wright

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 9 #1: Shrimp and pasta dinner
    2 of 9 #2: Fish taco dinner
    3 of 9 #3: Off-The-Shelf Chili Meal
    4 of 9 Mousse in minutes
    5 of 9 #4: Salmon Dinner
    6 of 9 Warm and gooey Chocolate Panini
    7 of 9 #5: Rigatoni Dinner
    8 of 9 Pear Caramel with Ice Cream
    9 of 9 #6: Simple Steak Dinner

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Midwest Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • Free Newsletters this link opens in a new tab
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Renew this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Affiliate Program
    • Free Travel Info this link opens in a new tab
    • Special Promotions this link opens in a new tab
    • Sweepstakes this link opens in a new tab
    • Video
    • Home Advisor this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithMidwest Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Midwest Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.midwestliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    Six Quick and Easy Dinner Menus
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.