Quick-Fix 20-Minute Meals

By Madoline Markham
Each of these quick and easy recipes can be on your dinner table in 20 minutes or less.Being short on time doesn’t mean not enjoying a delicious dinner. These quick dinner recipes, all ready in 20 minutes, make sitting down to a family meal simple. From Our Tuscan Pasta with Basil-Cream Sauce dresses up refrigerated cheese ravioli with a semi-homemade sauce. The Pecan-Crusted Tilapia, another of these easy dinner recipes, takes only 18 minutes to prepare. You’ll love pastas that can be ready in 11 minutes, and delicious Grecian Skillet Rib Eyes that are done to perfection in 19 minutes. For the fastest of our quick dinner recipes, the Turkey and Rice with Veggies takes only seven minutes from start to table. So if time is of the essence, but dinner is still a meal that matters, savor one of these easy dinner recipes every day of the week.
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Speedy Suppers

 Photo: John O'Hagan

You won’t have to sacrifice great taste for time with our techniques for pan-searing, pasta add-ins, grilling, and more. We also make time-saving suggestions such as preparing salsa and cooking chicken ahead of time; it’s these little shortcuts as well as convenience products that make sure your evening-of prep work is as simple as possible.

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Pan-Seared Trout With Italian-Style Salsa

Recipe: Pan-Seared Trout With Italian-Style Salsa

Total Time: 9 minutes.

Pan-Seared Trout is ready for a tasty weeknight meal or impressive dinner party in only nine minutes. Prepare the Italian-Style Salsa ahead of time or top with a store-bought salsa.

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Pork Chops With Herb-Mustard Butter

Recipe: Pork Chops With Herb-Mustard Butter

Total Time: 20 minutes

Save time by preparing the four-ingredient Herb-Mustard Butter while the pork loin chops broil in the oven. Tangy honey mustard and warm notes of sage provide a savory finish to the meat hot out of the oven.

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Noodle Bowl

Recipe: Noodle Bowl

Total Time: 15 minutes

This sophisticated Asian dish combines the convenience (and budget friendliness) of Ramen Noodles with the fresh flavors of snow peas, cilantro, napa cabbage, and boiled shrimp.

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Beef Fajitas With Pico de Gallo

Recipe: Beef Fajitas With Pico de Gallo

Ready in 20 Minutes
Bottled Italian dressing provides a simple, flavorful marinade for these grilled flank steak-filled fajitas. Use store-bought pico de gallo or make your own ahead of time.

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Tuscan Pasta With Tomato-Basil Cream

Recipe: Tuscan Pasta With Tomato-Basil Cream

Total Time: 15 minutes

Dress up refrigerated cheese ravioli with a semi-homemade cream sauce flavored with chopped tomatoes and fresh basil. Garnish with fresh Parmesan cheese.

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Chili-Rubbed Salmon

Recipe: Chili-Rubbed SalmonTotal Time: 16 minutesCook salmon filets to flaky perfection in just six minutes. Chili powder, dill weed, and lemon pepper add just the right amount of seasoning to the fish. Garnish with fresh dill sprig and lemon.

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Ham-and-Broccoli Ranch Noodles

Recipe: Ham-and-Broccoli Ranch NoodlesTotal Time: 20 minutesJust stir a few ingredients into cooked noodles for a super-fast, creamy supper. Maximize your time by steaming the broccoli and chopping the cooked ham while the pasta cooks.

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White Bean-and-Tuna Salad

Recipe: White Bean-and-Tuna SaladTotal Time: 10 minutesTry a refreshing spin on tuna salad with cannellini beans, lemon juice, oregano, parsley, and green onions. Serve over lettuce with crusty bread and fresh fruit for a home picnic meal.

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Grecian Skillet Rib Eyes

Recipe: Grecian Skillet Rib EyesTotal Time: 19 minutesA simple rub of Greek spices give these steaks plenty of flavor. For a final Mediterranean touch, top the meat with feta cheese and chopped kalamata olives.

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Speedy Scampi

Recipe: Speedy ScampiTotal Time: 18 minutesLemon and garlic combine with delicate angel hair pasta and mild-flavored shrimp for a tasty supper. Buy peeled and deveined shrimp at the grocery store to cut prep time.

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Pan-Seared Flat Iron Steak

Recipe: Pan-Seared Flat Iron Steak

Cook juicy seasoned steak in the skillet to provide a simple yet flavor-packed crust. The trick to a great crust is to use a very hot skillet; a large cast-iron or heavy stainless steel skillet works best.

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Greek Chicken Salad

Recipe: Greek Chicken SaladTotal Time: 10 minutesThis robust salad is packed with our favorite easy-to-prep Greek foods―garbanzo beans, fresh tomatoes, kalamata olives, and feta cheese. The short ingredient list leaves you plenty of time to whisk together fresh Lemon-Herb Dressing, but substitute a bottled Greek dressing if you prefer.

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Veggie Fried Rice

Photo: Ralph Anderson

Recipe: Veggie Fried Rice

Ready in 20 minutes
Mix quick-cooking brown rice with crisp, sautéed snap peas, green onions, and matchstick cut carrots for this fast Asian dish. With fried egg and soy sauce, it has all the flavor of a restaurant rendition without the cost. Add precooked chicken for a quick and easy one-dish meal.

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Grilled Basil-and-Garlic Pork Chops

Southern Living

Recipe: Grilled Basil-and-Garlic Pork ChopsTotal Time: 19 minutesSprinkle pork chops with a few basic seasonings and toss them on the grill for a flavorful main dish. Prepare quick-cooking rice and sautéed vegetables while the meat is on the grill.

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Natalie's Cajun-Seasoned Pan-Fried Tilapia

Recipe: Natalie's Cajun-Seasoned Pan-Fried TilapiaTotal Time: 16 minutesCajun seasoning and cornmeal breading provide a down-home taste for this quick-cooking fish supper. Sprinkle with lemon juice and garnish with fresh parsley sprigs.

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Deli Stuffed Sandwich

Recipe: Deli Stuffed SandwichTotal Time: 10 minutesA good sandwich can make a hearty yet simple-to-assemble supper. For this sub, deli meats and cheese are stacked with a mixture of oil, vinegar, oregano, and chopped olives on crusty Italian bread.

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Bacon Bow Tie Pasta

Recipe: Bacon Bow Tie Pasta

Ready in 20 Minutes
A homemade white sauce ready in 10 minutes? Yes, please. Round out the meal with a mixed green salad and lightly toasted Italian bread. You can lighten up the entrée by using reduced fat turkey bacon, 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, and 2% reduced-fat milk.

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Easy Skillet Cordon Bleu

Recipe: Easy Skillet Cordon Bleu

Ready in 20 Minutes
Topped with Canadian bacon and Swiss cheese, this chicken dish has all the flavor of traditional chicken Cordon Bleu without the hassle. Chicken tenders cook more quickly than breasts; if you have breasts on hand, cut them into strips before cooking.

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Turkey and Rice With Veggies

Recipe: Turkey and Rice With VeggiesTotal Time: 7 minutesReady-to-serve garden vegetable rice and canned diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano keep this ingredient list down to three items. With a prep and cook time of seven minutes, you can’t beat the ease of this recipe.

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Pecan-Crusted Tilapia

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Pecan-Crusted Tilapia

Ready in 18 Minutes
This crust’s nutty flavor is the perfect complement for tasty tilapia. Top with squeezed lemon juice or, if you have time, delicious Golden Rum-Butter Sauce. Serve with green beans and precooked mashed potatoes to complete the meal.

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Grilled Chicken 'N' Cheese Sandwiches

Recipe: Grilled Chicken 'N' Cheese SandwichesTotal Time: 20 minutesStart with a simple chicken salad mixture made with raisins, almonds, and diced celery, and stack it on wheat bread with mild, creamy Monterey Jack cheese before cooking on a skillet or griddle.

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Turkey Scaloppine

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Turkey Scaloppini

Ready in 11 Minutes
Thin cuts of meat such as turkey cutlets cook quickly with Italian-style scaloppini preparation. Dredge the cutlets in flour and Cajun seasonings, sauté in olive oil, and drizzle with a simple white wine sauce. Serve with sautéed zucchini slices.

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