Food Quick & Easy Fast-Fix Weeknight Recipes By Midwest Living editors Midwest Living editors Midwest Living's experienced editors create best-in-class travel, lifestyle, food, home and garden content you won't find anywhere else. We're loudly, proudly Midwestern, and we're passionate about helping our audience explore and create through award-winning storytelling. Midwest Living's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 22, 2023 Trending Videos Photo: Carson Downing Our 25 weeknight recipes—including dairy-free, one-pan and vegetarian dishes—deliver big flavor without a lot of fuss. 01 of 25 Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Potatoes Carson Downing Weeknight-friendly pork tenderloin, pears, potato and onion bake on the same pan—dressed in maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic and herbs. One-Pan Recipes That Make Dinner So Much Easier View Recipe 02 of 25 Pecan-Crusted Tilapia Rachel Marek / Kelsey Moylan Fish doesn't get much easier than this. The nutty coating crisps up deliciously in a skillet, and the whole meal is done in 25 minutes. Easy Fish Recipes View Recipe 03 of 25 Minted Rigatoni with Cauliflower, Sausage and Crispy Panko Carson Downing Fresh or frozen riced cauliflower clings to the pasta, and toasted breadcrumbs mimic Parmesan in this dairy-free supper dish that's perfect for a fast weeknight meal. Creative Cauliflower Recipes View Recipe 04 of 25 Thai Coconut Soup with Shrimp Carson Downing Laced with ginger, lime and fish sauce, this weeknight-easy recipe is a version of tom kha goong, a brothy, aromatic coconut soup. To make tom kha gai, swap in 3 cups shredded cooked chicken for the shrimp. View Recipe 05 of 25 Fried Trout with Cherry-Pecan Salsa Carson Downing In just 30 minutes, you can have this easy fish dinner on the table. The salsa of cherries, pecans, onion, jalapeño and cilantro takes the dish from everyday to remarkable. View Recipe 06 of 25 Tomatoey Parmesan Beans Chantell and Brett Quernemen This sleeper hit of a weeknight dinner comes from Food Network star Molly Yeh's cookbook Home is Where the Eggs Are—and is basically a vehicle for Parmesan and garlic toast. No complaints! (The alternate version, with ham and cream, is excellent too.) Great Recipes for Canned or Dry Beans View Recipe 07 of 25 Cauliflower Chickpea Bowl with Cilantro Yogurt Carson Downing Load up on nutrients (and flavor) with this healthful, all-in-one weeknight dinner. This recipe features inexpensive vegetarian ingredients like cauliflower and chickpeas, plus a cooling drizzle of cilantro-yogurt dressing. Healthy Dinner Recipes View Recipe 08 of 25 Chipotle Shrimp Scampi Jay Wilde This south-of-the-border variation on a classic Italian-American dish has a little smoky heat. It's a quick weeknight dinner, served over hot rice. View Recipe 09 of 25 Roasted Pear Salad with Farro and Arugula Carson Downing This creamy, whole-grain salad earned raves in our test kitchen. It's hardy enough to be a meatless main, or enjoy it as a festive side dish or cold-weather potluck star. View Recipe 10 of 25 Curried Cauliflower Apple Melt Carson Downing Glam up your grilled cheese with curry mayonnaise, skillet-roasted cauliflower, and sweet apple—it's a delicious combo that's far more than the sum of its part. Super Sandwich Recipes View Recipe 11 of 25 Thai-ing Up Summer Pizza Carson Downing You can't go wrong with peanut sauce, right? This popular pizza from Millsap Farm is easy to make with leftover rotisserie chicken. If you like, add a garnish of fresh cilantro. Homemade Pizza Recipes View Recipe 12 of 25 Chermoula Halibut Skewers Carson Downing Chermoula is an herby, lemony sauce found across North Africa. When making kabobs for this easy summer dinner, remember that some ingredients cook faster than others. Keeping skewers segregated by ingredient will yield perfectly flaky fish, tender zucchini and not-mushy tomatoes. View Recipe 13 of 25 Cheesy Spinach and Beef Calzones Finely chopped mushrooms replace some of the meat in these super family-friendly calzones (made with purchased pizza dough). Kids will never notice the 'shrooms are there. How to Substitute Mushrooms for Ground Meat View Recipe 14 of 25 Potato-Thyme Frittata This flavorful frittata can be a simple brunch or weeknight supper dish; if you don't have fresh thyme, just substitute dried. The recipe comes from Urban Roots Farm in Springfield, Missouri. Easy Frittata Recipes for Any Meal View Recipe 15 of 25 Vietnamese Grilled Eggplant Carson Downing Eat this peak-summer dish as a side or a meatless main. Eggplant and bell peppers are grilled au naturel—all the fun comes in the finish, when the vegetables are showered in mint, basil and peanuts and drizzled liberally with a sauce called nuoc cham. View Recipe 16 of 25 Chipotle-Maple Chicken Thighs We won't mince words: This is juicy, spicy, sticky, glorious barbecued chicken. One of the secrets? Chicken thighs. They cook fast, like breasts, but they have richer flavor and don't dry out. And nutritionally speaking, the two are more similar than you'd think. Chicken Thigh Recipes to Try Tonight View Recipe 17 of 25 Arugula-Lentil Salad with Poached Eggs Carson Downing When you're not in the mood for lentil soup, put the quick-cooking pulse to good use in this nutritious, meat-free salad. Sumptuous Salads View Recipe 18 of 25 Sausage-Stuffed Delicata Squash Carson Downing All you need is 15 minutes of prep time to make this all-in-one meal—perfect for those days when you need something easy but still cozy and comforting. Easy Delicata Squash Recipes View Recipe 19 of 25 Laap Tofu Carson Downing Laap (or larb, as it's often spelled) is an herby ground meat or tofu salad that's eaten across Thailand and is traditionally scooped with rice or lettuce. This super simple, healthful dish is a favorite of chef Shayn Prapaisilp, whose family owns four Thai restaurants (including Chao Baan) and two grocery stores in St. Louis. View Recipe 20 of 25 Thai Curried Salmon and Snap Peas A brilliantly simple and delicious way to cook salmon, this 25-minute recipe is done in the time it takes to cook a pot of rice. Don't be tempted to skip the fresh basil; its flavor seals the flavor deal on this weeknight meal. 20 Favorite Salmon Recipes View Recipe 21 of 25 Lemon Shrimp Pasta with Wilted Arugula Carson Downing This recipe is fresh and fast—just what you need on a hot summer's night (or any night at all). Wilting the arugula into the warm pasta softens its peppery flavor. Easy Shrimp Recipes View Recipe 22 of 25 Mango Toast with Prosciutto Brie Passano Cream cheese, mango, prosciutto and honey star in this easy toast recipe. Whip it up for a light dinner or a quick work-from-home lunch. View Recipe 23 of 25 Beer-Braised Smoked Pork Chops and Cabbage Jacob Fox This vibrant combination of beer-braised pork chops and cabbage makes a simple one-pan dinner, but if you want to go all German, buttered steamed potatoes are an excellent complement to this dish. Our Best Pork Recipes View Recipe 24 of 25 Tortellini, Spinach and Mushrooms in Wine-Butter Sauce A simple pan sauce and fresh vegetables dress up family-favorite cheese tortellini for a meal that's ready in 25 minutes. View Recipe 25 of 25 Honey-Sriracha Grilled Chicken Thighs Sweet and spicy! You only need five ingredients and a hot grill for a delicious weeknight entree. 5-Ingredient (Or Less) Dinner Recipes View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit