Time-Saving Ingredients

Your kitchen is full of items that can get a mouthwatering dinner or dessert on the table in minutes. Convenience products like rotisserie chicken, frozen veggies, boil-in-a-bag rice, and cake mix have never tasted so good, or saved so much time. Start with one of our favorites, Salmon Croquettes with Rémoulade, made from canned salmon and lots of yummy spices.

Recipe: Salmon Croquettes with Rémoulade

Burger night doesn't have to mean defrosting plain patties. Instead, pick up some ground round and pack it with lean ham and shredded Swiss cheese. Serve it to spice up your usual cookout fare, or plate it without a bun for a low-carb hamburger steak dinner.

Recipe: Ham and Swiss-Stuffed Burgers

Instead of waiting for water to boil and then for the potatoes to cook, skip that step and buy diced, cooked potatoes instead. They come refrigerated and can go from bag to skillet without any work in between, making this frittata a speedy weeknight supper.

Recipe: Frittata with Spinach, Potatoes, and Leeks

Keep bags of frozen mixed vegetables on hand for simple sides, or use them in homey dishes like Quick Chicken and Dumplings to add color, flavor, and boost nutritional content.

Recipe: Quick Chicken and Dumplings

Jarred pasta sauce is often a two-for-one steal at the grocery store, so stock up and use it to make soups, pizzas, and other Italian favorites. The best part is that most sauces are fairly mild, so you can add lots of herbs and spices to create a finished product that tastes deliciously homemade.

Recipe: Herbed Chicken Parmesan

Some trends catch on for good reason, and while we love spending an afternoon up to our elbows in homemade icing, sometimes you just want melty treats in no time. These over-the-top brownies start with devil's food cake mix and a few common pantry items and still make your home smell amazing while they bake.

Recipe: Ooey-Gooey Peanut Butter-Chocolate Brownies

If you're interested in breaking out of the peas-and-carrots mold, swing through the frozen-vegetable section of the grocery store again–you may be surprised. Frozen pepper stir-fries, a mixture of red, green, and yellow bell peppers, add a crisp bite to any weeknight dish, and give extra color and flavor to this Creole dinner.

Recipe: Creole Chicken and Vegetables

If you're out of the flour and baking powder your usual biscuit recipe calls for, try this one that calls for an all-purpose baking mix, such as Bisquick. Because it has only three ingredients, you may find this recipe getting a permanent home in your recipe file.

Recipe: Basic Buttery Biscuits

The next time you're cruising the aisles of the grocery store wondering what to make for dinner, swing by the deli counter and grab a hot-and-ready rotisserie chicken. The pulled chicken is great in tacos, casseroles, or even a hearty dinner salad like this one. Add fresh and dried fruits, a little honey, and some curry powder, and dinner is ready.

Recipe: Curried Chicken Salad

Making rice just got easier. No more stirring, scraping rice off the bottom of the pot, or soaking during cleanup. Toss the bag in a pot of boiling water and prep the rest of the ingredients for this tasty Mexican meal while the rice cooks.

Recipe: Double-Bean Burritos