Our Favourite Quick Weeknight Dinner Recipes
Produced by Aimee Nishitoba; Photo by Christie Vuong; Food Styling by Ashley Denton; Prop Styling by Madeleine Johari.
Ten ingredients and 45 minutes, max: that's all you need to make a filling, nourishing bowl of noodles, a hearty soup or a protein-packed pasta. Here are some of our all-time favourites by our Cross-Canada Test Kitchen recipe developers. You'll want to cook them again and again, any night of the week.
Curry-Coconut Sheet Pan Noodles With Chicken and Kale
This recipe is inspired by cookbook author Hetty McKinnon’s ingenious sheet pan noodle technique and influenced by the flavours of khao soi, a Thai dish known for its contrast in textures. Roasting the noodles in the oven allows the top surface to crisp up, while the layer below stays tender and moist. Get this sheet pan noodles recipe.
Puttanesca Beans On Toast
Beans on toast—but make it Italian. Use thick slices of the crustiest loaf bread you can find to hold up to the saucy weight of these salty, briny beans. Get our recipe for puttanesca beans on toast.
Roasted Sweet Potato, Halloumi And Kale Salad
This warm winter salad has it all: crispy kale, roasted sweet potato and salty pops of halloumi. I top it off with pita chips and sumac-pickled onions as a nod to my favourite Middle Eastern salad, fattoush. Get our roasted sweet potato, halloumi and kale salad recipe.
Çilbir (Turkish Eggs And Yogurt)
We love making breakfast for dinner, and whipping up çilbir, a Turkish dish typically made with cool garlicky yogurt and silky soft-poached eggs, is a quick and nourishing way to do it. To speed up the process even more, make the soft-boiled eggs in advance. We also add dill and parsley for a grassy, lemony zip to cut through the butter and yolks. Get our recipe for cilbir (turkish eggs and yogurt).
Alison Roman’s Creamy Cauliflower Pasta With Pecorino Breadcrumbs
This recipe is wonderful for many reasons: A whole head of cauliflower caramelizes in a skillet before being simmered with heavy cream, black pepper, pecorino cheese, and a bit of lemon zest, breaking down into a special (and yes, decadent) sauce to coat the pasta shape of your choosing…it’s all very dreamy. But really, it’s the pecorino breadcrumbs we’re here for, and that’s okay—they’re magnificent. Get Alison Roman's recipe for creamy cauliflower pasta with pecorino breadcrumbs.
Gnocchi Shepherd’s Pie
This comforting dish comes together quickly by substituting the traditional mashed potatoes with tender, ready-made potato gnocchi, which cooks in just minutes. Get this gnocchi shepherd's pie recipe.
Steamed Dill And Cod En Papilotte
Papillote is a cooking method that uses folded parchment paper to make little steam baths for seasoned fish, poultry and vegetables. Once you’ve mastered the folding technique, it’s a shockingly easy way to put a quick dinner together—and opening the puffed-up envelopes tableside to release their steam before serving is a neat trick if you’re entertaining. Get this cod en papilotte recipe.
Harissa Baked Beans
Everyone needs a go-to bean recipe, and this has been recipe developer Stefanie Phillips's go-to for as long as she can remember. A riff on the classic English beans on toast, it’s made better with harissa, a North African chili paste. It’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner that will please the whole table. Get this baked beans recipe.
Savoury Dutch Baby
A Dutch baby—a crunchy-edged pancake that rises dramatically in the oven as it bakes—is a high-reward, low-effort dish. Essentially a giant Yorkshire pudding, it’s the ultimate delivery vehicle for saucy leftovers. Get this savoury dutch baby recipe.
Kimchi Tuna Melts
Long live sandwiches for dinner! These tuna melts by recipe developer Michelle Lucas Larving feature the bright and briny flavour of kimchi. Get this kimchi tuna melt recipe.
Tomato Egg Drop Soup
There are as many variations of dan faa tong (egg flower soup) as there are fans of it, yet the core components remain steadfast—a cornstarch slurry thickens the broth, into which ribbons of egg unfurl and bloom. The trick to the latter is slowly pouring the whisked eggs into the swirling broth and then allowing those strands to set before stirring again, lest they break. This rendition has tomatoes for a balance of sweet and sour. Get this tomato egg drop soup recipe.
Pizza Mac And Cheese
This household favourite came about when recipe developer Camilla Wynne was making mac and cheese and had some leftover tomato sauce to use up. It’s endlessly customizable—perfect for cleaning out the fridge! Get this pizza mac and cheese recipe.
White Bean And Tomato Pasta
Ready in less than 30 minutes, this white bean and tomato pasta is topped with toasted bread crumbs for delicious crunch. Get this white bean and tomato pasta recipe.
Easy Vegan Nachos
Not only are these vegan nachos seriously delicious, but they also come together in a flash, making them a no-brainer choice for weeknight dinners. Get this vegan nachos recipe.
Easiest-Ever Mac And Cheese
This fabulously cheesy mac and cheese comes together in a flash—perfect for busy weeknights. Get our mac and cheese recipe.
Hearty Quinoa And Bean Soup
One of our most-loved recipes! In just 30 minutes, this hearty vegetable soup is ready to be ladled out. Get this quinoa and bean soup recipe.
Shrimp Aguachile with Watermelon-Cucumber Salad
Aguachile couldn’t be a more straightforward name for this coastal Mexican dish: it translates to “chili water” and is a spicier cousin of citrus ceviche. This version isn’t strictly traditional—aguachile is usually served in a nearly raw, less-cured state—but it’s a great option if you don’t have access to ultra-high-quality freshly caught shrimp. Get this shrimp aguachile recipe.
Spinach and Eggs (Nargesi-e Esfanaj)
In this Iranian/Persian dish, the eggs can be scrambled directly into the spinach or poached on top for those who love a runny yolk moment. Some recipes add mint or parsley to the wilted greens and saffron in addition to or in place of the turmeric. Feel free to do the same if you have them on hand. Get this spinach and eggs recipe.
Herby Tahini Chickpeas With Red Pepper Sauce And Feta Cucumber Salad
We all crave more fresh vegetables and bright flavours in seasonal transitios, and this dish ticks those boxes. Plus, you can throw it together in 25 minutes—even less if the sauce is prepped ahead of time. Get this tahini chickpeas and salad recipe.
Gazpacho
Too hot to cook dinner? A cool bowlful of gazpacho is the perfect solution. When laid out with a few snacks, such as almonds and serrano ham, it truly feels like a guest-worthy meal—one that tastes even better if made ahead and chilled. Get this gazpacho recipe.
Pork Schnitzel With Fennel And Radicchio Slaw
This is schnitzel for fall: crispy pork cutlets, tangy slaw and roasted potatoes for an extra crispy bite. Get this pork schnitzel recipe.
Alison Roman’s Buttered Tomato Soup With Lentils And Fennel
Seasonally agnostic (canned tomatoes here!), this soup thrives in winter with the best of your pantry staples. Once this soup comes together, you may forget there are lentils in here at all. They magically melt into the pot, nearly disappearing (that’s the idea), giving you creamy texture and luscious body: tomato (and lentil) soup utopia. Get Alison Roman's buttered tomato soup with lentils and feta recipe.
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Chantal Braganza is a writer and editor living in Toronto. She is deputy editor, food at Chatelaine, a cookbook nerd, lover of vintage dish ware, and currently training for yoga teacher certification. Her first book, Story of Your Mother, is out with Strange Light Press.
