5 Easy Weeknight Meals That Are Ready In About 30 Minutes
Photo, Erik Putz.
As we start revving into high gear for the holidays, fast, easy and delicious meals become even more important than usual. This dinner plan will carry you through last-minute weeknight meals with minimal effort—so you can kick back and relax—or find extra time to work out which last-minute holiday cookies you want to bake this year:
Monday: Fattoush
Ready in: 30 mins. Serves: 4. Sometimes you just need a break from lettuce. This fattoush, pita, chickpea, cucumber, tomato and herb-based salad, packs plenty of colour, and no romaine. Get this fattoush recipe.
Tuesday: Maple-cider chicken and nutty quinoa
Ready in: 30 mins. Serves: 4. This sweet glazed chicken pairs wonderfully with an off-dry sparkling wine. Get this maple-cider chicken and nutty quinoa recipe.
Wednesday: Salmon cakes with green beans
Ready in: 35 mins. Serves: 4. Hero ingredient: canned salmon. Why? Canned salmon is a healthy, affordable, versatile choice and easy to have on hand as a pantry staple. Get this salmon cakes with green beans recipe.
Thursday: Hearty Tuscan soup
Ready in: 30 mins. Serves: 4. Prepped in 10 and ready in 30, this hearty soup is one of our favourite winter cure-alls. Get this hearty Tuscan soup recipe.
Friday: Tuscan margherita pizza
Ready in: 1 hour 30 (less, if using pre-prepared dough) Serves: 4-6. Celebrate the end of the work week with a couple of homemade slices. Use your choice of toppings, or go with this simple classic. Get this Tuscan margherita pizza recipe.
Dessert: Bushberry pudding cake
Ready in: 1 hour. Serves: 9. Raspberries add a dose of antioxidants and (with the help of cranberries) give this dessert its sweet-tart taste. To serve, drizzle a whisky-butter sauce over the warm cake and top with whipped cream. Get this bushberry pudding cake recipe.
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Want to streamline your life? In our Spring 2025 issue, we’ll show you how—whether it’s paring down your wardrobe, decluttering your messiest spaces or spending way less time cooking thanks to an easy, mostly make-ahead meal plan for busy weeknights. Plus, our first annual Pantry Awards.