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When it comes to wrapping up the weekend with a good meal while saving some energy and time for the week to come, keep these easy recipes in your back pocket. Our favorite Sunday night dinner ideas are comforting—and you don't have to cook all day to pull them off. We keep it simple with meals that come together in an hour or less but taste like they are cooked low and slow. There are no ultra-processed foods in these nutritious entrées, because fresh ingredients are just as quick to cook when you know what to do with them.
End your weekend on a relaxed note with one of these meals that soothe and satisfy. And when Monday morning comes around, you'll be off to a good start.
Chicken Saltimbocca With Sage
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Chicken breast cutlets are wrapped in prosciutto and fresh sage leaves for this tasty riff on the traditional version that uses veal. Serve with polenta or mashed potatoes and steamed squash, or with a tomato salad.
Fish Stew With Herbed Toasts
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Light yet also substantial, this tomatoey fish stew is a flexible dish. Make it with cod or halibut or another meaty white fish. It's also fast, dinner will be on the table in 30 minutes. Pro tip: Double up on the toasts, it is Sunday, after all
Turkey Pesto Meatball Soup
Dark meat turkey and pesto give lots of flavor to this bowl of comfort. Whether you've made your own pesto and chicken broth and stored them in the freezer or they're both store-bought, this is a meal we consider convenience food.
Quick Pork Goulash
This version of goulash may be quicker to make than the traditional stew, but it doesn't sacrifice the sweet and warming flavors of peppers, carrots, and paprika.
Creamy Lemon Chicken With Spinach and Artichokes
For those nights when you could use a rich, satisfying meal but you don't have a lot of time to give, there's this comforting meal. You can make it in about half an hour, and it all cooks in one skillet.
White Fish Stew With Dumplings
Hearty and comforting but also healthy—that's this easy stew. It starts with filets of cod or halibut, but we think the cornmeal dumplings are the real stars.
Vegetarian Gumbo
Getting a head start on Meatless Monday? Try making this comforting dinner on Sunday night (it's also vegan!).
Beef and Barley Burgers
Add cooked barley, grated carrots, and ginger to a burger for their flavors and textures, as well as their health benefits. It doesn't hurt that it makes these burgers an economical dinner, too.
Shrimp Chow Mein
Having a few specialty ingredients and condiments on hand can really help when it comes to pulling together a quick dinner—on Sunday or any other night. The Asian pantry staples needed for this meal can all be found in supermarket aisles, and keeping a bag of shrimp in your freezer is always a good idea.
One-Pot Penne With Spinach, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts
Stirred into cooked pasta and vegetables at the last minute, ricotta makes a simple, creamy sauce. Adding half a cup or so of the pasta-cooking water to the pot will help melt the ricotta and coat all the ingredients. Don't forget to reserve some water before you drain the pasta.
Lemon Parsley Fish Cakes
Make this recipe for Sunday supper, but also consider making an extra batch of the fish cakes and storing them in the freezer for the next time you need a quick dinner solution. You could also make a different cod recipe for dinner one night, double the recipe, and save leftover cooked fish to turn into these fish cakes the next.
Beef-Zucchini Meatballs
Meatballs are the comfort food of choice for many of us. Mixing healthy grains and grated zucchini into these meatballs adds not just bulk and flavor but also makes them a healthy option. Factor in the time to cook your grains or keep some pre-cooked in your freezer.
Buttermilk Chicken
Baking chicken pieces instead of frying them saves time and clean-up; the chicken goes straight from a buttermilk dip to seasoned, crunchy coating before being popped into the oven.
Black Beans and Sausage
Cook this quick, simple dinner in one skillet and serve it over rice or with flatbread. You can adapt it using a favorite sausage instead of kielbasa or swapping sour cream or grated cheese in for the yogurt.
Clam Chowder
A creamy pot of chowder is a wonderful excuse to gather around the table. Serve with buttered, toasted rolls or a baguette, make a green salad, and a delicious dinner is done.
Turkey and White Bean Chili
This white chili is seasoned with cumin, jalapeño, cilantro, and just a hint of tomato. Seek out dark meat turkey instead of white for added richness.
Flounder in Parchment With Asparagus and Shiitakes
Not only does it result in a quick, restaurant-quality dinner, but this recipe also teaches an essential technique. Once you get the hang of folding parchment into an airtight packet, you'll see that this way of cooking has many advantages; it's healthy, minimizes cleanup, and concentrates flavors.
Healthier Chicken Parmigiana
Here's a lighter, quicker version of the classic Chicken Parm. There's no frying, and a simple tomato-onion purée simmers in the oven with the chicken as it cooks.
Beef and Potato Burritos
Oh so versatile, a burrito can be what you want it to be—breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This one's got the meat and the potatoes. We call it a meal in one.
Beef and Broccoli With Black Bean Garlic Sauce
This must-make dinner relies on two ingredients worth keeping on hand: Chinese black bean garlic sauce and sesame oil. Be sure the sesame oil says toasted on the label for the distinctive flavor it adds to stir-fries and other dishes.
Brick Chicken With Vinegar Peppers
Like dinner at your family's favorite Italian restaurant, this 50-minute entrée features tender chicken with an agrodolce or sweet-and-sour sauce made with peppers, onions, garlic, vinegar, sugar, and capers. The technique of cooking under a skillet (or "brick") promotes crispy, golden skin.
General Tso's Chicken
The key to success with stir-frying is the concept of mise-en-place, the French term for having your ingredients ready to go. Once the ingredients are all lined up at the stove, give your full concentration to the wok, and you'll turn out this delicious Chinese restaurant dish easily and in no time at all.
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