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Need to find dinner recipes for tonight…fast? Try these easy dinner ideas that are tasty, healthy, and made in 5 to 30 minutes.
The question we get asked most often is,“What are your favorite easy dinner ideas?”We get it: there are 101 things to do and adding cooking can be stressful, especially on weeknights.But making healthy recipes doesn’t have to take all day! The best easy dinner ideas balancebig flavorandquick cooking methods. As cookbook authors and recipe experts, we’re sharing our top easy dinner ideas you can make in between 5 minutes to30 minutes, listed in order of speed. In many cases, making one of these simple dinner ideas is even faster than takeout!
The recipes below include recipes for a variety of diets, including vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, pescatarian, and chicken recipes. Want recipes by type? Try our top 50 Healthy Dinner Ideas, 30 Minute Meals, 40 Vegetarian Dinner Recipes, 30 Vegan Dinner Recipes, 30 Gluten-Free Dinner Recipes, and more.
And now…our top fast and easy dinner recipes!
5 Minute Tacos
Here's the very definition of easy dinner recipes: 5 Minute Tacos! Can dinner really be made in 5 minutes? Yes, dinner will materialize before your eyes! These tacos are filled with taco-spiced scrambled eggs, which take on a meaty texture and flavor in a flash. Top them with salsa fresca, red onion slivers, cilantro & hot sauce, and prepare to be amazed.
Total time: 5 minutes
Quick Hummus Bowls
Hello and welcome to the besthealthy easy dinneraround: theHummus Bowl! At it’s base, this simple concept requires no cooking at all: layer a dollop of hummus with crunchy veggies and serve with pita wedges. It’s easily customizable and you can make it super basic or fancier with easy additions of ingredients.
Total time: 5 to 10 minutes
Easy Cajun Shrimp
Shrimp are one of the simplest paths to a fast and easy dinner, and this recipe makes them taste irresistible in minutes. Try thisCajun Shrimp! Toss these babies with a little Cajun seasoning and sauté them up in a skillet. The flavor is so savory, garlicky and irresistible, you’ll hardly believe the prep time: it takes only 5 minutes to put together! Pair it with a quick veggie side or salad and you’ve got dinner.
Total time: 5 minutes
Easy Quesadilla
If there’s easy dinner recipe we lean on time and time again, it’s the mighty quesadilla. This Mexican and Tex Mex recipe is genius in its simplicity, from the golden tortilla outsides to its melty, gooey interior. Thiseasy quesadilla makes a crispy, deliciously seasoned tortilla melt every time.
Total time: 7 minutes
Avocado Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Who doesn’t love a good grilled cheese sandwich? Here’s one with a glamorous twist: theavocado grilled cheese.Simply adding an avocado and tomato to a standard grilled cheese makes it fit for serving to company!Although it’s a simple dish, grilled cheese can be gussied up as much or as little as you like.
Total time: 10 minutes
Easy Pita Pizza
There’s nothing we love more than a greatartisan pizza, with the perfect supple charred crust and gooeytoppings. But of course, there’s not time for that every day. Here’s a great shortcut to pizza night:Pita Pizzas! This recipe uses pita bread to stand in as the crust of a personal pizza. It’s the trick to a quick and easy meal, and it’s especially a hit with kids.
Total time: 10 minutes
Easy Garlic Shrimp
Next up in our fast and easy dinner recipes: garlic shrimp! The shrimp come out impossibly juicy with the best garlic flavor. The best part? It takes under 10 minutes to make. Yep, that’s pretty unheard of in dinnertime territory. Serve with pasta or couscous and a salad for a speedy meal. Also tryCilantro Lime Shrimp.
Total time:10 minutes
Mediterranean Tuna Salad
Here's a throw-together easy dinner recipe: Mediterranean Tuna Salad! Combine canned tuna with crunchy vegetables, feta cheese, olive oil and a punch of Dijon mustard for the most flavorful salad to hit your plate! Serve it with crackers as an easy lunch, or over greens for a quick dinner with pita bread and olives.
Total time: 10 minutes
Caprese Sandwich
What’s better than the classic combination of tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil? Not much, in our opinion. So try this summery delight: theCaprese sandwich! This riff on the classicItalian saladfrom Capri layers the classic ingredients as a sandwich filling, with an irresistibly creamy, pesto aioli that adds a pop of savory brightness to each bite.
Total time: 10 minutes
Honey Garlic Shrimp
Every now and then a recipe comes along that knocks our socks off. And so it was with thisHoney Garlic Shrimprecipe! There’s nothing like the sweet savory combination of honey garlic glaze and juicy shrimp. The best part?It takes 10 minutes to make. This one is hits all the comforting, satisfying dinner notes with a lightning fast prep speed.
Total time: 10 minutes
Smoked Salmon Sandwich
Forfast and easy meals, it’s smoked salmon to the rescue! This flavor-packed protein requires no cooking at all, which makes it ideal for quick lunches and dinners. When you just don’t have time to think, try thisSmoked Salmon Sandwich! The bold flavors don’t give away it’s secrets: it takes less than 10 minutes to whip up.
Total time: 10 minutes
Cheese Tortellini in Creamy Marinara
Some pasta recipes stand a head above the rest, and this is one of them. Try thischeese tortellini in creamy marinara sauce! In just 15 minutes, you’ve got a pasta skillet that’s a literalsymphonyflavor. The fresh basil-infused marinara sauce is perfectly complimented with pillows of tangy goat cheese.(In fact, it’s like thisbaked goat cheese dipmade into a main dish.)
Total time: 15 minutes
Classic Tuna Melt
Want a good retro-style fast dinner? Try thisclassic tuna melt:it’s the stuff dreams are made of! Between crusty bread is sandwiched a creamy, savory mess of tuna and crunchy veggies so perfectly seasoned that you won’t be able to stop taking bites.
Total time: 15 minutes
Quick Burrito Bowl
Here’s aquick dinner ideathat’salwayssatisfying and works for nearly every diet. That’s right, the good oldBurrito Bowl! We can thank Chipotle for its widespread popularity, but it really is a killer idea. Throw rice, veggies, and burrito fillings in a bowl and call it meal! You can make this one 15 minutes (really: we timed ourselves).
Total time: 15 minutes
Easy Blackened Tilapia
Looking for a fast dinner recipe?Try thisBlackened Tilapia! This Cajun technique for cooking seafood and meat makes it taste restaurant-style in minutes, ideal for fast and easy meals. Blackened seasoning has savory intrigue and makes a crispy darkened crust on the outside of the fish.
Total time: 15 minutes
Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp, butter, garlic, lemon, and white wine: what could be better? Yes, it’s the Italian Americanshrimp scampi, a classic that’s been stealing hearts and minds for decades. This version is pretty stellar: juicy, garlicky shrimp swimming in a rich, tangy butter sauce. Sop it up with crusty bread, or pour it overpasta: either way, it’s divine.
Total time: 15 minutes
Easy Salmon Bites
Looking for a fun way to mix up dinner? Try thissalmon bites recipe! Salmon is tasty in a fillet and all, but have you ever tried slicing it into pieces before cooking? It makes perfectly seasoned bites that are simple to eat and perfect for serving with rice or over a salad.
Total time: 15 minutes
Smoked Salmon Salad
Here’s a genius trick that makes afast and easy dinnerwithno cooking required. That’s right, no need to grab your pan and spatula. Try thisSmoked Salmon Salad! It’s healthy, fresh, and 100% cook free. Imagine: savory smoked salmon, fresh greens, fluffy goat cheese dollops and a tangyshallot vinaigrette. It’s ideal for a summer meal al fresco or fast lunch: and it comes together in 15 minutes flat.
Total time: 15 minutes
Easy Veggie Wrap
In need of lunch ideas? Try this easyveggie wrap recipe! Veggie wraps can be bland and boring, but this one is anything but. Fill a tortilla with savory chickpea salad, colorful veggies, and a tasty spread, and you’ve got a lunch that will make everyone jealous! Here’s how to build a veggie wrap that’s full of flavor.
Total time: 15 minutes
Chicken Piccata
Here’s a classic dish that impresses every time:chicken piccata! Tender, golden-brown chicken cutlets are bathed in a vibrant lemon-butter sauce with pops of briny capers. This classic Italian American dish has captured hearts and stomachs around the world, and it’s a huge favorite over here. Don’t be intimidated by its fancy name; this chicken piccata recipe is surprisingly simple to make at home!
Total time: 20 minutes
Garlic Butter Noodles
Here’s one of those “back pocket” recipes to bookmark for when you’re short on time:Garlic Butter Noodles! This easy pasta uses mostly pantry ingredients and is quick and simple to whip up in just 20 minutes. Take a bite from this pile of warm, buttery pasta and it’s pure bliss! This one works for both kids and adults: it’s both sophisticated and elegant yet at the same time buttery and savory.
Total time: 20 minutes
Creamy Garlic Chicken
You can tell by the shine on that creamy sauce that this one’s a good one. Welcome to one of our favorite ways to eat chicken: thisGarlic Chicken recipe! The tender, juicy chicken breasts are coated in garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika, then cooked and smothered in a garlic cream sauce! Dinnertime win.
Total time: 20 minutes
Cacio e Pepe
Here's an easy dinner recipe that sounds fancy: Cacio e Pepe! There’s something intoxicating about this shallow bowl of steaming pasta covered in salty, creamy sauce, black pepper and fluffy bits of Pecorino Cheese. This famous Roman pasta that’s blown up in world-wide popularity.
Total time: 20 minutes
Quick Chickpea Tacos
Here’s an easy dinner idea for when you’re not sure what to cook:Chickpea Tacos! This plant based recipe does heavy lifting with a short cook time and big flavors. Garbanzo beans make a flavorful filling coated in cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and lime.
Total time: 20 minutes
Sheet Pan Salmon and Asparagus
It’s simple, it’s elegant, but it tastes like something you’d order at a restaurant: Sheet Pan Salmon and Asparagus! Roasting it up on a sheet pan with lemon slices and fresh herbs adds effortless flavor that feels fresh yet refined. This sheet pan meal is the perfect weeknight meal.
Total time: 20 minutes
Crispy Tofu
Thiscrispy tofurecipe is easy to make and comes out perfectly seasoned, with extra crunchy edges and a tender interior. There’s no need to even press the tofu! It’s actually pretty amazing that it can go from a tasteless blob to meaty, savory cubes in just 20 minutes.
Total time: 20 minutes
Creamy Spinach Pasta
Thiscreamy spinach pasta recipe stars chewy al dente pasta and an irresistible Parmesan garlic cream sauce! The way the creamy sauce and garlic accentuate the leafy greens makes it one of our topvegetarian pasta recipes. Cozy up to a bowl and it’s positively life-giving.
Also try: Creamy Gemelli Pasta
Total time: 20 minutes
Easy Pan Fried Chicken Thighs
Need dinner in a hurry? Enterpan fried chicken thighs! It’s hard to find meal that comes together quickly with little fuss, but this one is an absolute game changer. All you need is a simple blend of spices and this comes together in just about 20 minutes! This one is a huge hit at our house and perfect for when you need to get dinner on the table fast. Here are all the tricks to a simple dinner!
Total time: 20 minutes
Shrimp and Broccoli
Looking for a healthy and easy weeknight meal?Try this shrimp and broccoli!The pair are cooked with soy sauce and and rice vinegar until bright and savory. The contrast of the crisp tender broccoli against the juicy shrimp is really something. Serve it with rice or noodles to make it a complete meal that comes together quickly.
Total time: 20 minutes
Easy Mushroom Tacos
Here’s a quick and easy dinner recipe for weeknights: try theseMushroom Tacos! Portobello mushrooms have enormous savory flavor: throw them in a skillet with some punchy seasonings and they make plant-based magic. This recipe is for when you have just a few minutes to throw together a meal: combine those portobellos with creamy refried beans and the quickest slaw, and you’ve got dinner!
Total time: 20 minutes
Easy Chickpea Curry
This chickpea curry is the epitome of healthy weeknight dinners! It can be made in just 20 minutes, a speed record for sure. But there are no flavor shortcuts: it's bursting with garlic, ginger, cumin, and curry powder, with a bit of coconut swirled in for a creamy body. Serve with basmati rice and it's a true gem.
Total time: 20 minutes
Soba Noodle Bowl
Here's the ultimate quick weeknight meal, a filling vegetarian dinner that comes together in 20 minutes flat. Meet thissoba noodle bowl! It’s filled with stir fried broccoli, red pepper and onion, mix with a savory sauce with creamy peanut butter. Even better: eggs are scrambled right into the mix (like fried rice, but with noodles!).
Total time: 20 minutes
Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Sauce
Is there anything better than shrimp tacos? Add chips and salsa as a side, and we can’t think of much better. The cilantro sauce drizzle is creamy like ranch, but with cilantro and cumin. This easy dinner idea is fast enough for weeknights and fancy enough for entertaining: making it a double whammy.
Total time: 20 minutes
Pecan Crusted Salmon
Here’s a meal that consistently makes everyone who takes a bite sayWow. Try thisPecan Crusted Salmon! It has an air of restaurant-style fancy, but it’s fast and easy to whip up on a weeknight. It takes basic salmon to the next level, coating it in a crunchy topping of nuts, seasoned breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese. The flavors are elevated enough for dinner guests, but also tasty enough for kids to shovel in bites.
Total time: 20 minutes
Salmon Croquettes
Are you a salmon lover? Here's one for you: this salmon croquettes! Similar to salmon cakes or salmon patties, they're simple and incredibly tasty. Mix canned salmon with some spices and breadcrumbs, then pan fry them until golden. Serve dipped into tartar sauce or remoulade, and they're a total treat!
Total time: 20 minutes
Healthy Mac and Cheese with Broccoli
This tasty mac and cheese recipe is about balance: it’s got big flavor, a bit less cheese per serving than the standard recipe. And, it’s loaded with broccoli for a dose of nutrients and fiber. Also try our Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese.
Total time: 20 minutes
Pesto Chicken
Got pesto? Here’s a great way to use it to make an impressive dinner recipe:Pesto Chicken! Combinebasil pestowith a bit of cream and it makes a stunning fresh sauce for juicy chicken breasts! It’s a quick trick that makes an everyday dinner into something special, perfect for entertaining or just an easy weeknight meal.
Total time: 25 minutes
Salmon Caesar Salad
Here’s an easy dinner that’s basic but satisfies every time:Salmon Caesar Salad! Imagine: tender, perfectly seasoned chunks of salmon nestled with bursts of crunchy romaine, juicy cherry tomatoes and crunchy croutons. It’s all covered in a creamy homemadeCaesar dressingthat makes each bite absolutelysublime.
Total time: 25 minutes
Sheet Pan Quesadillas
This recipe makes the humble solo meal into a delicious fast and easy dinner, resulting in a big batch all at once on a sheet pan! All the quesadillas are done at the same time, and they come out with a beautifully crispy exterior. In fact, it feels like a whole new version of this classic: like Quesadillas 2.0. Here's how to whip up a pan of baked sheet pan quesadillas that are so good, everyone will be begging for more.
Total time: 25 minutes
Mediterranean Couscous Bowls
This chickpea bowls recipe is a common repeat in our easy dinner recipes repertoire. In just 25 minutes, you have a fresh bowl of veggies that’s smothered in a tangy lemon tahini sauce. If you’re just starting to eat plant based recipes or have been eating them for years, this one is a truly tasty way to eat your veggies.
Total time: 25 minutes
Shrimp Stir Fry
Here’s a go-to fast and easy dinner:shrimp stir fry! This one is packed with flavor with a glossy, savory stir fry sauce that coats the juicy shrimp and colorful veggies. Use your favorite vegetables to make a super-satisfying dinner that pleases everyone around the table. It’s quick to whip up: just add rice or noodles to make it a meal!
Total time: 25 minutes
Honey Garlic Salmon
Looking for easydinner recipes? When it comes to flavor and simplicity, thisHoney Garlic Salmon delivers. The salmon is pan fried for brown, seared exterior, then baked in the oven until it’s perfectly tender. Drench it all in this stickyhoney garlic sauce, a sweet savory glaze that adds layers of complexity in flavor.
Total time: 25 minutes
Mushroom Pasta with Goat Cheese
Next up in our easy dinner recipes: this mushroom pasta! It's a fan favorite recipe because of the big flavor that's possible in under 30 minutes. Imagine: creamy goat cheese and savory mushrooms, seasoned with thyme and oregano and paired with the bite of chewy pasta. An absolute showstopper.
Total time: 25 minutes
Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
You know those recipes where people rave and only you know the secret that it’s actually easy to make? That’s the case with thisCreamy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta! There’s major wow-factor to this pasta, which comes together in just 25 minutes. Earthy, fruity sundried tomatoes lend a meaty quality to thiseasy vegetarian dish, which is bathed in a Parmesancream sauce.
Total time: 25 minutes
Easy Lettuce Wraps
Need a fresh dinner idea or crowd-pleasing appetizer? Try thislettuce wrapsrecipe! The punchy, savory filling is infused with hoisin, soy sauce and rice vinegar, mixing savory tofu with cashews and green onions. Throw it into tender leaf of crunchy green lettuce with a few more colorful veggies, and it’s to die for!
Also try: Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
Total time: 25 minutes
Peanut Noodles
Need dinnertime inspiration? Cozy up to a bowl of these creamy, zingypeanut noodles! This is one of our favorite fresh,easy dinnerrecipes and it comes together in less than 30 minutes. Thepeanut butter sauceis lusciously creamy, bursting with flavor from soy sauce, fresh lime juice and honey or maple syrup. Mix it together with luscious noodle strands and crunchy veggies and top with loads of fresh cilantro and crunchy peanuts.
Total time: 25 minutes
Vegetarian Black Bean Chili
Introducing a favorite easy dinner recipe...thisVegetarian Chili! It’s beyond simple to make, and the flavor isoutstanding. It’s got a hint of smokiness to highlight the tangy tomatoes and savory black beans. Top it with your favorite toppings, and it’s so hearty and savory, you’ll forget it’s healthy, too.
Total time: 30 minutes
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
If we could eat just one dinner for the rest of our lives, this might be it: a skillet ofcreamy Tuscan chicken! What is it that makes it so outrageously good? Maybe it’s the dreamy sauce of sun dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic, and Parmesan, or the savory flavor explosion from the pan seared chicken breast. Either way, it’s beyond delicious, you can whip it up in 30 minutes, and it will please absolutely everyone. Get ready for the chicken dinner of your dreams!
Total time: 30 minutes
Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Want a meal to impress…with a little kick? TryShrimp Fra Diavolo! This Italian-style dish stars tender shrimp that swim in a garlicky, spicy tomato sauce. “Fra diavolo” translates to “brother devil” in Italian, alluding to the intense heat of this dish. But make it homemade and you can customize the spiciness to your taste!
Total time: 30 minutes
Tuscan Soup with White Beans
Ready in just 30 minutes, we affectionately call this soup “pizza soup” because it tastes like liquid pizza! The pizza flavor comes in part from the San Marzano tomatoes, an Italian variety of tomato that’s available canned. Combine with fennel and smoked paprika, throw in some Tuscan kale to the mix, and you've got one delicious soup that reminds you of your favorite pizza pie.
Total time: 30 minutes
Easy Shrimp and Rice Skillet
Love a goodshrimp dinner? Here’s one with your name on it: thistasty shrimp and rice skillet! Succulent, juicy shrimp sit atop a bed of fluffy rice flavored with garlic, dill and spinach. Give it a good sprinkling of feta cheese and a few spritzes of lemon juice, and it’s a total homerun.
Total time: 30 minutes
Vegan Stir Fry
Here’s a fun way to infuse loads of veggies into your life: this tastyVegan Stir Fry! This mess of vibrant vegetables is just as tasty as it looks. It’s all smothered in a tangy, zingy vegan stir fry sauce that you’ll want to drizzle on just about everything. We love serving with soba noodles, but it’s just as tasty with rice.
Pesto Salmon
Salmon is so quick to prepare and full of nutrients that it prominently features in our easy dinner recipes. Here this 10-minute baked salmon recipe makes for an ultra quick dinner, paired with a bright green pesto sauce. Serve with a whole grain like our pesto quinoa or rice.
Total time: 30 minutes
What people are saying…
Does this sound too good to be true: recipes that are easy AND taste good? Well let us assure you, it’s absolutely possible! Here are a few recent testimonials from readers who have emailed us about the easy dinner recipes they’ve been trying:
- “My husband has a heart condition and I have borderline high cholesterol. My son bought me your cookbook and I am continuing to try new recipes from your book and website. I have managed to lose about twenty pounds and my cholesterol has improved. This week I made your teriyaki stir fry and mushroom and goat cheese pasta. Both were TERRIFIC!” –Debbie
- “My husband and I decided to take our family down the vegetarian road about 9 months ago. I used to LOVE cooking, but have been in a slump since we went vegetarian.Well, tonight, the tides have turned! I made four of the five sandwich recipes I got from your blog and every single one was a winner! I have not felt this satisfied in the kitchen in such a long time! ” –Terra-Leigh
Top concepts for easy dinners
Turns out, you can find dinner recipes made in less than 30 minutes with big flavor. These are recipes with fresh, high quality flavor that’s achieved without using cheap shortcuts. Outside of the easy dinners above, here are some of our favorite concepts for fast and easy dinner ideas for you to riff on:
- Simple pastais a go to for quick dinner ideas: be itpasta salador our speed demon 15-minute creamy gnocchi or pesto gnocchi
- Quesadillasare always quick: like ourloaded veggie quesadillaoravocado quesadilla
- Sandwichesare the ultimate simple dinner ideas, like our5 minute sandwich(for brinner!) or ourvegan bahn mi
- Tacosare all about speed, like ourBBQ bean tacosor quinoa tacos
- Pita pizzasare perfect for “no think” dinners, like these Easy Pita Pizzas
More easy dinner ideas
Want more? Pick from these easy weeknight dinner recipes:
- Go for 20 Easy Dinner Ideas for Two
- Try these 50 Healthy Dinner Ideas
- Opt for 30 Dinner Ideas for Tonight
- Make brinner with 20 Breakfast for Dinner Ideas
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50 Healthy Dinner Ideas
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20 Easy Dinner Ideas for Two
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40 Dinner Ideas for Tonight
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20 Breakfast for Dinner Ideas
50 Easy Dinner Ideas (5 to 30 Minutes!)
- Author: Sonja Overhiser
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Cheese tortellini makes the best easy dinner idea! Serve it up in a creamy marinara sauce flavored with goat cheese and basil.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 to 16 ounces frozen or refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 28 ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes (or best quality crushed tomatoes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves, tightly packed (or chopped spinach)
- 8 fresh basil leaves
- 4 ounce goat cheese log
Instructions
- Boil the tortellini according to the package instructions (fresh usually takes 2 to 3 minutes and frozen takes 2 to 5 minutes to boil). Then drain it.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, place the crushed tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, oregano, kosher salt, spinach, and whole basil leaves. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer while the pasta cooks or at least 10 minutes.
- When the pasta is done and drained, add it to the skillet. Crumble in the goat cheese into the sauce and stir until a creamy sauce forms (if you’d like, save out a few crumbles for topping). Serve immediately.
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Keywords: Easy Dinner Ideas, Fast Dinner Ideas, Easy Recipes, Quick Recipes, Dinner Recipes, Find dinner recipes
vegan vegetarian
Published on / Last updated on
Categorized In:
- Recipe Collections
Tagged with:
- Easy
- Roundup
- Vegan Recipes
- vegetarian
About the authors
Sonja & Alex
Hi, we’re Alex and Sonja Overhiser, married cookbook authors, food bloggers, and recipe developers. We founded A Couple Cooks to share fresh, seasonal recipes for memorable kitchen moments! Our recipes are made by two real people and work every time.
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