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 half an hour: that's all you need to make a filling, nourishing bowl of noodles, hearty soup, or 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.
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.
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.
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 egg drop soup 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 choicefor weeknight dinners. Get this vegan nachos 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.
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