Test cooks share their favorite low-effort high-reward complete weeknight dinners most ready
in an hour or less.Imagine surveying your pantry or fridge and realizing you already have every
ingredient you need to make any number of fast flavor-packed meals. Sounds like a dream? These
back-pocket dinners make it a reality with recipes that transform foods such as a rotisserie
chicken a baguette hummus or quinoa into full meals using just five ingredients (plus salt
pepper and fat) that require little in the way of planning.What these recipes lack in
ingredients they more than make up for in flavor and creativity. We use simple techniques to
our advantage to coax the maximum amount of oomph out of each component:Turn rotisserie chicken
into a cheesy melty tart with frozen spinach Brie and store-bought crustShape lemony
meatballs from ground chicken and quinoa--given a flavor boost from garlicky hummus that
doubles as the base for a sauceGet resourceful with our Grilled Tofu with Charred Broccoli
Peanut Sauce and Crispy Shallots repurposing the often drained-away shallot frying oil to
coat the broccoli before grilling for an added layer of savorinessWith each recipe a test
cook's commentary gives an inside peek into the recipe creation process whether offering a tip
for using a high-impact ingredient like red curry paste or oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (we
help you compile a treasure trove of useful flavor bombs) or an imaginative technique (such as
mincing carrot tops for a garnish). These recipes and tips will have you looking at your pantry
with fresh eyes.
