CookingLight diet CookingLight diet

80 Meals Under 40 Minutes

By Ann Taylor Pittman
November 30, 2016
Photo: Romulo Yanes
Quick, simple, delicious menus to satisfy every weeknight hunger.
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80 Fast Menus!

Photo: Johnny Autry

Use this meal-planner guide to find menus that suit your weeknight fancy, and voilà: faster, healthier weeknight eating for your entire family.

To get a shopping list for a specific menu, click the View Menu link at the bottom of the slide. You will be taken to that menu's page on MyRecipes.com. From there, click Add to Shopping List to the right of the menu. You will be prompted to sign in to your personal Recipe File account. If you don't have an account, click Print Menu. From there, select the Shopping List option from the left column of the page.

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Meal #1: Chicken Dinners

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Menu: Blackened Chicken with Dirty Rice Menu

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Meal #2: Chicken Dinners

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Menu: Chicken and Broccoli Rice Bowl Menu
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Meal #3: Chicken Dinners

Photo: Johnny Autry
White BBQ Sauce is an Alabama staple condiment—peppery, creamy, and tangy; medium-thick. Here, we serve it with quick grill pan chicken, but you can also try it with: Grilled, roasted, or smoked chicken; shredded cabbage (for coleslaw); chicken or turkey sandwiches.

  • Grill Pan Chicken
  • White BBQ Sauce
  • Garlicky Asparagus
  • Wheat Rolls with Orange Butter

View Menu: Grill Pan Chicken with White BBQ Sauce Menu

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Meal #4: Chicken Dinners

Photo: Johnny Autry
Plenty of sautéed mushrooms give this sauce deep, meaty, umami flavor, balanced by a touch of acid from white wine. Medium-bodied texture. Other delicious pairings: Steak; roasted or grilled chicken or pork; mashed potatoes; shepherd's pie filling; hot cooked rice or egg noodles.

  • Grill Pan Chicken
  • Mushroom Sauce
  • Creamed Spinach and Mushrooms
  • Garlic Mashed Potatoes

View Menu: Grill Pan Chicken with Mushroom Sauce Menu

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Meal #5: For Seafood Lovers

Photo: Johnny Autry
Breading the flesh side of the fish allows the skin to crisp up on the other side.

  • Pecan-Crusted Trout
  • Creamed Spinach and Mushrooms
  • Steamed Sugar Snap Peas

View Menu: Pecan-Crusted Trout Menu

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Meal #6: For Seafood Lovers

Photo: Johnny Autry
Fish is a great choice for quick dinners—most fillets cook to perfection in less than 10 minutes. You can use pecans, walnuts, or pine nuts in place of hazelnuts. To streamline prep, roast the asparagus together with the suggested potato side dish.

  • Hazelnut-Crusted Halibut with Roasted Asparagus
  • Roasted Red Potatoes

View Menu: Hazelnut-Crusted Halibut with Roasted Asparagus Menu

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Meal #7: For Seafood Lovers

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Menu: Shrimp and Pea Rice Bowl Menu

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Meal #8: For Seafood Lovers

Photo: Johnny Autry
Our warm bacon vinaigrette is salty, smoky, and tart. Thin-bodied, with chunks of bacon crumbles and chopped shallots. Here, we pair it with basic striped bass. Some other options: Main-dish green salad with shredded rotisserie chicken; grilled or roasted chicken or trout; seared scallops; steamed or sautéed green beans or asparagus; roasted Brussels sprouts.

  • Basic Striped Bass
  • Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
  • Garlic Mashed Potatoes
  • Sautéed Butter-Thyme Mushrooms

View Menu: Basic Striped Bass with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette Menu

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Meal #9: Sandwich Night

Photo: José Picayo
View Menu: Hummus-Stuffed Pitas Menu

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Meal #10: Sandwich Night

Photo: Levi Brown
View Menu: Pan-Seared Flank Steak Sandwich Menu

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Meal #11: Sandwich Night

Photo: José Picayo
View Menu: Grilled Veggie and Hummus Wraps Menu
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Meal #12: Sandwich Night

Photo: José Picayo
View Menu: Open-Faced Hummus Sandwiches Menu

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Meal #13: Sandwich Night

Photo: José Picayo
View Menu: Hummus “Cheesesteak” Hoagies Menu

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Meal #14: Sandwich Night

Photo: Levi Brown
View Menu: Roasted Pork Tenderloin Pitas Menu
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Meal #15: Salad Meals

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Menu: Romaine, Asparagus, and Watercress Salad with Shrimp Menu

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Meal #16: Salad Meals

Photo: José Picayo
View Menu: Avocado Chicken Salad on tortilla chips Menu

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Meal #17: Salad Meals

Photo: José Picayo
We made a classic Greek sauce of creamy yogurt and cucumber for the base of this tangy salad.

  • Tzatziki Chicken Salad on pita chips
  • Mixed Greens Salad

View Menu: Tzatziki Chicken Salad on pita chips Menu

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Meal #19: Salad Meals

Photo: José Picayo
A combo of yogurt and mayo gives a traditional chicken salad more zip. We like the richness of white and dark meat, but you can use all one type.

  • Creamy Tarragon Chicken Salad on whole-grain crackers
  • Steamed Sugar Snap Peas

View Menu: Creamy Tarragon Chicken Salad on whole-grain crackers Menu

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Meal #19: Salad Meals

Photo: José Picayo
Crunchy green beans and juicy tomatoes create a beautiful salad.

  • Chicken and Green Bean Salad on crostini
  • Roasted Red Potatoes

View Menu: Chicken and Green Bean Salad on crostini Menu

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Meal #20: Meaty Meals

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Menu: Pan-Grilled Flank Steak with Soy-Mustard Sauce Menu
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Meal #21: Meaty Meals

Photo: José Picayo
View Menu: Sausage-Spinach Rice Bowl Menu

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Meal #22: Meaty Meals

Photo: Levi Brown
View Menu: Pan-Seared Flank Steak Menu

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Meal #23: Meaty Meals

Photo: Levi Brown
The lightly meaty, flour-thickened chicken broth base for our quick gravy is enriched with cream cheese for a smooth, medium-bodied, herb-flecked sauce. Paired here with roasted pork tenderloin, try also with: Grilled or roasted chicken, pork, or turkey; meatballs; potpie fillings; mashed potatoes, savory bread pudding, or oven fries.

  • Roasted Pork Tenderloin
  • Quick Gravy
  • Roasted Red Potatoes
  • Steamed Sugar Snap Peas

View Menu: Roasted Pork Tenderloin Menu

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Meal #24: Global Fusions

Photo: Johnny Autry
Use all white sesame seeds if black seeds are unavailable.

  • Sesame Tuna with Edamame and Soba
  • Napa Cabbage Slaw

View Menu: Sesame Tuna with Edamame and Soba Menu

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Meal #25: Global Fusions

Photo: Levi Brown
View Menu: Grill Pan Chicken Menu

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Meal #26: Global Fusions

Photo: Levi Brown
View Menu: Basic Striped Bass with Chimichurri Menu
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Meal #27: Global Fusions

Photo: Levi Brown
View Menu: Sautéed Shrimp Menu

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Meal #28: Fiery Flavors

Photo: Johnny Autry
Substitute lower-sodium soy sauce if fish sauce is difficult to find. The flavor won't be as complex, but soy sauce will still add a salty note. You can also substitute thinly sliced Thai bird chiles or jalapeño for the sambal oelek—or leave it out completely if you'd rather enjoy a mild dish.

  • Spicy Basil Chicken
  • Brown Rice with Sesame
  • Sautéed Snow Peas and Peppers

View Menu: Spicy Basil Chicken Menu

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Meal #29: Fiery Flavors

Photo: Levi Brown
View Menu: Sautéed Shrimp with Wasabi Cream Menu
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Meal #30: Fiery Flavors

Photo: José Picayo
View Menu: Tex-Mex Rice Bowl Menu

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Meal #31: Fiery Flavors

Photo: Johnny Autry
Editor Scott Mowbray proclaimed, "These are the best crab cakes we've ever made!" Try them out and see for yourself. For a milder Rémoulade sauce, omit the red pepper.

  • Crab Cakes with Spicy Rémoulade
  • Mixed Greens Salad

View Menu: Crab Cakes with Spicy Rémoulade Menu

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Meal #32: Healthy Pizzas

Photo: José Picayo
In the roster of shortcut ingredients, fresh pizza dough is an all-star. In as little as 30 minutes, you can make a fantastic pie with a crispy-chewy, deliciously browned crust, hot from the oven. And when you load it with fresh veggies: voilà, a wonderfully healthy salad pizza.

Each pizza is a complete meal. However, you can buy extra greens and have more salad on the side.

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Meal #33: Healthy Pizzas

Photo: José Picayo
Fresh dough, from the supermarket bakery section or from a local pizzeria, is our favorite to work with, though canned dough and prebaked crusts work fine in a pinch.

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Meal #34: Healthy Pizzas

Photo: José Picayo
Kitchen Tip: If the dough starts retracting and fighting you as you shape it, walk away for a couple of minutes; let it relax, and it will cooperate.

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Meal #35: Healthy Pizzas

Photo: José Picayo
All your favorite steak house flavors and ingredients—blue cheese, balsamic vinaigrette, and beef tenderloin—come together for a delicious salad pizza.

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Meal #36: Pasta Dinners

Photo: Johnny Autry
For those nights when you just don't have the 12 minutes to cook dried fettuccine, reach for refrigerated fresh pasta: It's done in about two minutes. The texture is deliciously different: more delicate, with a slightly springy bounce. Yet, it's not too refined for a bold Bolognese, a meatball treatment, or a creamy vodka-tomato sauce. Fast Fact: These pasta dishes are ready, beautifully, in under half an hour.

For our first pasta menu: This Creamy Spring Pasta dish is luxuriously creamy, but the pasta soaks up the sauce quickly. Be sure to serve right away.

  • Creamy Spring Pasta
  • Butter Roasted Carrots

View Menu: Creamy Spring Pasta Menu

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Meal #37: Pasta Dinners

Photo: José Picayo
View Menu: Shrimp Vodka Pasta Menu

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Meal #38: Pasta Dinners

Photo: José Picayo
View Menu: Ricotta-Spinach Pasta Menu
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Meal #39: Pasta Dinners

Photo: José Picayo
View Menu: Pasta Pork Bolognese Menu

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Meal #40: Pasta Dinners

Photo: José Picayo
View Menu: Garlicky Meatball Pasta Menu

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Desserts: Last-Minute Tropical Sherbet

Photo: Nigel Cox
Extra! Extra! We put together a few sweets along parfait, pudding, and sundae lines—the perfect punctuation to any quick meal.

First up: Frozen fruit and yogurt get whirred together to make a tangy sherbet that's the texture of soft-serve. You can make it ahead, but don't freeze overnight; the mixture will become icy.

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Desserts: Mango-Ginger Parfaits

Photo: Nigel Cox
Make a quick, creamy parfait by combining Greek yogurt with mascarpone cheese. Top with chopped fresh mango, gingersnap crumbs, and toasted coconut.

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Desserts: Greek Yogurt with Warm Berry Sauce

Photo: Nigel Cox
Frozen berries make this a year-round treat. Although this is dessert, there's enough protein to consider it for breakfast.

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Desserts: Coffee-Drenched Ice Cream with Banana and Nuts

Photo: Nigel Cox
This quick treat is a coffee-lover's dream. We used espresso, however feel free to substitute strong brewed coffee, or use instant coffee/espresso granules to make the coffee. A vegetable peeler is a great tool to make chocolate curls from a bar of chocolate.

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Desserts: Warm Mocha Pudding

Photo: Nigel Cox
If you've never tried a warm pudding, this is the one to try. The flavors are more up front when the pudding is warm.

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Desserts: Limoncello Freeze

Photo: Nigel Cox
Mush together purchased ice cream, lemon curd (found near the jellies and jams), and limoncello, and you get a delicious lemony version of a Creamsicle—fruity-tangy and creamy-milky at the same time. Meringue cookies add welcome crunch.

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Meal #41: Chicken Dinners

Photo: Iain Bagwell
This quick braised dish tastes like it has been cooking for hours. We make ½-inch-deep cuts in the chicken to expedite the cook time.

  • Chicken Braised in Wine and Rosemary
  • Quick Chive Mashed Potatoes
  • Asparagus with Lemon and Pecorino

View Menu: Chicken Braised in Wine and Rosemary Menu

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