Store-Bought Dinner Shortcuts

Store-bought dough yields pizzeria quality. Ask for it in the bakery of your supermarket, or check specialty retailers like Trader Joe's. In a pinch, buy dough in tubes from the refrigerated section of the grocery store (it's higher in sodium than fresh dough). Just bring the dough to room temperature while the oven preheats.

2| Cut into small portions, roll small circles, bake and top with salad or meats for piadines.

3| Make great calzones with dough, pasta sauce, cheese, wilted spinach, and cooked, crumbled sausage.

4| Roll into a rectangle, brush with butter, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar for roll-ups. Cut crosswise and bake.

5| Cut into strips and make garlicky cheese sticks.

Rinsing, drying, stemming, and chopping supermarket spinach is a messy time-eater. Ready-to-use baby spinach from the bag cuts out that whole process. Inspect in the store to make sure it's in prime condition—no black spots, no wilting.

2| Up your veggie intake by adding chopped or whole leaves to rice or pasta. 

3| Toss with olive oil, thinly sliced shallots, and crumbled bacon. Put on a pizza after it's baked.

4| Stir into soups just before serving for a boost of garden flavor.

5| Sauté spinach and garlic until wilted and use it to fill savory tarts.

The nutritional difference between refrigerated pie dough and one made from scratch is actually quite small, so on a weeknight, this is a shortcut that's worth the trade-off. Pillsbury is our favorite brand.

2| Use dough to top individual or casserole-style potpies. 

3| Divide dough; roll into small circles. Fill with cooked meat, beans, cheese. Fold, crimp, bake; empanadas. 

4| Bake in mini muffin cups, and fill with crab or shrimp salad for appetizers. 

5| Wrap seasoned chicken or fish, and bake for an en croûte entrée. 

When you purchase a rotisserie chicken, look for a just-done bird. Most stores follow a schedule, and packages are marked with the time the chickens came off the spit. Stick with the original, unflavored version, as it's the most versatile.

2| Toss shredded chicken with favorite barbecue sauce. Add greens for a hearty salad. 

3| Make a classic béchamel sauce; stir in chicken and cheese, and fill crepes. 

4| Make a noodle bowl with coconut milk, broth, chicken, peanuts, chile paste, and lime wedges.

5| Sitr shredded or cubed white and dark meat into chili. 

Use organic or no-salt-added beans to keep sodium levels in check.

2| Use in your favorite baked beans recipe for a firmer texture—try all chickpeas or just half.

3| Toss rinsed and drained beans with canola oil and spices. Then toast them in the oven for a healthy snack. 

4| Puree with canola mayonnaise or Greek yogurt and lemon juice for a sandwich spread. 

5| Add to soups and stews for an al dente bite of earthy flavor.