Healthy Recipes Mealtimes Dinner Our 20 Best 30-Minute Dinner Recipes for Winter By Dillon Evans Dillon Evans Dillon Evans fell in love with cooking at a very young age. He remembers the novel experiences of microwaving a bowl of oatmeal without his parents' permission and asking to make his mother's morning pot of coffee. These moments became catalysts for his interest in cooking and baking. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on November 12, 2023 Close Photo: Christine Ma Spend less time over the stove and more time bundled up this winter when you make these easy recipes. Each dish comes together in just 30 minutes or less, and they’re packed with hearty ingredients like carrots, chicken and legumes for a satisfying and delicious meal. Plus, EatingWell readers have visited these recipes repeatedly and ranked them with four- and five-star reviews. Recipes like our One-Skillet Cheesy Ground Chicken Pasta and Shrimp & Fish Stew make for a fan-favorite dinner you’re sure to love. 01 of 20 Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Rotisserie Chicken This creamy chicken noodle soup recipe has a delicious potpie feel to it. We call for rotisserie chicken to streamline your prep time—look for a nice big one with lots of breast meat on it. Pair this comforting soup with a green salad. View Recipe 02 of 20 American Goulash American goulash, also known as old-fashioned goulash, is the perfect economical family meal. The pasta cooks right in the sauce, so this satisfying dish can be made in just one pot. View Recipe 03 of 20 One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli Photography: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling: Greg Luna Shrimp and broccoli cook quickly in this easy, one-pot recipe, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Serve this healthy shrimp recipe over whole grains or rice. View Recipe 04 of 20 Chhole (Chickpea Curry) This healthy Indian recipe is a flavorful chickpea curry that you can make in just 20 minutes. Also called chana masala, this dish is a comforting and delicious dinner. View Recipe 05 of 20 Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan This one-pan chicken pasta combines lean chicken breast and sautéed spinach for a one-bowl meal that's garlicky, lemony and best served with a little Parm on top. I call it "Mom's Skillet Pasta," and she called it "Devon's Favorite Pasta." Either way, it's a quick and easy weeknight dinner we created together and scribbled on a little recipe card more than a decade ago, and it remains in my weekly dinner rotation to this day. It's a simple dinner the whole family will love. View Recipe 06 of 20 Shrimp & Fish Stew Christine Ma This hearty shrimp and fish stew is inspired by cioppino, an Italian-American dish that originated in San Francisco. Serve with crusty bread to soak up every last bit of the savory broth. View Recipe 07 of 20 One-Skillet Cheesy Ground Chicken Pasta Victor Protasio Make this cheesy ground chicken pasta recipe for a busy weeknight dinner. Serve with a simple side salad and a glass of red wine. View Recipe 08 of 20 Minestra Maritata (Italian Wedding Soup) Forget the marble-size meatballs you find in many versions of this Italian Wedding Soup. In this easy recipe, they're full-size, full-flavored and plenty filling. View Recipe 09 of 20 Cheesy Ground Beef & Cauliflower Casserole Jason Donnelly Ground beef and cauliflower combine to create a hearty weeknight casserole that both kids and adults will love. Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream. View Recipe 10 of 20 Chicken Cutlets with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce Though a chicken cutlet may be a chicken breast cut in half, this recipe shows how to make chicken cutlets with double the deliciousness. A jar of sun-dried tomatoes does double duty for this healthy dinner idea. The flavorful oil they're packed in is used to sauté the chicken, and the tomatoes go into the cream sauce. View Recipe 11 of 20 Creamy Skillet Chicken with Spinach & Mushrooms Marty Baldwin Chicken cutlets are topped with a spinach-mushroom cream sauce for a flavorful yet healthy dinner. Serve over pasta or grains to soak up the sauce. View Recipe 12 of 20 Weeknight Lemon Chicken Skillet Dinner Justin Walker This one-pan chicken dinner doesn't get much easier, or more satisfying. In just half an hour, you can have a complete meal on the table that doesn't require loads of dishes afterwards. We call for tender haricots verts because they're quick cooking; traditional green beans likely won't be tender enough after the brief cooking time at the end. If that's all you have on hand, steam them first, and then add them to the pan for the final step. Serve this hearty chicken and potatoes dinner with a simple side salad to sneak in another serving of veggies. View Recipe 13 of 20 Creamy White Chili with Cream Cheese This rich, yet healthy, white chicken chili recipe comes together in a flash thanks to quick-cooking chicken thighs and canned white beans. Mashing some of the beans acts as a fast thickener when your soups don't have a long time to simmer. Cream cheese adds the final bit of richness and a hint of sweet tang. View Recipe 14 of 20 Chicken & White Bean Soup Once again, rotisserie chickens can really relieve the dinner-rush pressure-especially in this Italian-inspired soup that cries out for a piece of crusty bread and a glass of red wine. View Recipe 15 of 20 Beef Stir-Fry with Baby Bok Choy & Ginger All the ingredients for this easy beef stir-fry recipe are cooked in one wok (or skillet), so not only is the meal-prep fast for this healthy dinner, cleanup is quick too. Look for Lee Kum Kee Premium oyster-flavored sauce in the Asian-foods aisle of your grocery store. It has the most concentrated oyster flavor. View Recipe 16 of 20 Creamy Sausage & Cheese Tortellini Soup Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster This cheese tortellini soup is a quick meal to throw together on a weeknight, and a crowd-pleaser if you have company. If you like soup with a kick, opt for hot Italian sausage. Tortellini, like any pasta, will soak up the broth as it sits, so if you're making it ahead of time, cook the tortellini separately and add it just before serving. View Recipe 17 of 20 Shrimp Cauliflower Fried Rice Amp up your veggie servings with this healthy cauliflower fried rice for a quick low-carb dinner. View Recipe 18 of 20 White Bean & Veggie Salad This meatless main-dish salad combines creamy, satisfying white beans and avocado. Try mixing it up with different seasonal vegetables. View Recipe 19 of 20 Salmon with Lemon-Herb Orzo & Broccoli Jacob Fox This healthy salmon dish is as balanced as it is delicious. You add broccoli right into the pot along with the pasta during its last minute of cooking to save time here. One less thing to wash too! View Recipe 20 of 20 Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Torie Cox, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen This chicken pasta bake is cheesy with a smoky kick, thanks to the combination of chipotle peppers and smoked Gouda cheese. If you want to mellow the smoky flavor, regular Gouda works just as well. Spray the foil lightly with cooking spray or brush it with a little oil to prevent the cheesy topping from sticking. Serve with a simple side salad or garlic-roasted broccoli. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit