30 Days of 30-Minute Meals

September is in full swing, and we’re all busier than ever. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to enjoy fresh, flavorful, well-rounded meals every night of the week without spending hours in the kitchen.

 

We’ve gathered 30 of our favorite recipes for late summer and early fall, which can all be prepared in roughly half an hour, from start to finish. Some are best for feeding a crowd (think soups and pastas) and others are great for a quick meal of leftovers (chopped salads). Plenty are elegant enough to serve to company for an impromptu dinner party.

 

Start with the recipes at the beginning of the list, which make the most of summer fruits and vegetables. As the days progress, the meals become heartier and more fall-focused. Our tip: keep staples like canned tomatoes and beans and quick-cooking grains on hand to round out the dishes. Here’s to a month of delicious, fuss-free dinners!

 

Day 1: Pasta with Grilled Vegetables and Herbs This meatless pasta dish shows that if you start with fresh ingredients, it takes very little work to make a stellar meal. Summer vegetables take center stage, while olives and feta cheese add richness and walnuts add crunch.

Day 2: Grilled Chicken Breasts with Salsa Verde and White Beans Grilling chicken breasts takes almost no time, but you can also sauté these in a covered fry pan over medium heat. Add beans, cherry tomatoes, and a quick herb sauce to round out the meal.

Day 3: Heirloom Tomato and Arugula Pizza If you mix the dough a day ahead and let it rise in the refrigerator overnight, there’s no reason pizza can’t be weeknight-friendly.

Day 4: Grilled Black Cod with Cucumbers & Ginger Here, quick-pickled cucumbers and red onion make a crunchy salad to top grilled cod, creating an elegant dish in minutes.

Day 5: Quinoa Salad with Grilled Vegetables and Feta Showcasing a medley of summer vegetables, this fresh, vibrant salad is perfect for entertaining. And prep is simple—the vegetables are cooked on a stovetop grill pan, so you don’t have to fire up your grill.

Day 6: Panzanella Salad with Tomatoes, Chickpeas and Tuna This modern take on a bread salad combines chewy cubes of whole-wheat sourdough with a tasty mixture of marinated tomatoes, tuna and chickpeas. Use this recipe as a template for easy meals, mixing different salad ingredients with the same dressing and bread.

Day 7: Shrimp Salad with Potatoes and Green Beans Fresh dill, green onions, lemon, mustard and fruity extra-virgin olive oil are the vivid seasonings of this main course salad. Double it for a crowd, or make it ahead during a busy week.

Day 8: Spaghettini with Summer Squash and Crispy Speck This simple recipe combines the sweetness of summer squash with the smokiness of speck. It’s also gorgeous to look at: strands of thin spaghettini intertwined with bright green and yellow ribbons of squash and rosy flecks of ham.

Day 9: Baked Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes, Herbs and Lemon Here’s a low-fat, low-fuss way to make chicken for a group. Baking chicken takes longer than sautéing or poaching, but it’s totally hands-off, and the meat will be more flavorful.

Day 10: Grilled Flank Steak Salad with Tomatoes Flank steak is a great choice for salads; it’s full of flavor, cooks quickly and feels satisfying. Here, it pairs with grilled onions and tomatoes over a bed of lettuce.

Day 11: Spaghetti and Mussels with Tomatoes and Basil Briny mussels, sweet tomatoes and pungent basil make a perfect accent for pasta. Round out the meal with a simple salad. Since the dish is so lean, you can indulge in dessert—try vanilla gelato with toasted coconut.

Day 12: Spicy Pork and Eggplant Stir-Fry Indian summer signals the finale of deeply purple eggplants at the market. Toss cubes with tender pieces of pork in a fiery chili sauce. The eggplant flesh emerges from the wok seared on the outside but silken at heart.

Day 13: Moroccan-Spiced Rack of Lamb Tender and flavorful rack of lamb shouldn’t be restricted to holiday fare or fancy restaurant menus. Simply dressed with herbs or marinated briefly, it makes any occasion special. Serve on a bed of herbed couscous.

Day 14: Spice-Rubbed Grilled Chicken Cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cayenne perk up everyday chicken thighs in this easy Moroccan-inspired recipe. Serve it with boiled garden beans and whole grains.

Day 15: Salmon Tacos with Mango-Avocado Salsa Here, grilled salmon lends its rich flavor to everyday tacos, topped with a zesty mixture of sweet mango, creamy avocado and spicy chile. Make the salsa ahead to reduce prep time.

Day 16: Grilled Steak with Charmoula This main course is worthy of a dinner party, but it’s deceptively simple. A simple herb and spice blend takes steak to the next level; serve with roasted potatoes.

Day 17: Poached Eggs with White Bean-Tomato Ragout Eggs deserve a spot on the dinner table! In this recipe they’re poached and served on white beans simmered with pancetta, rosemary and fire-roasted tomatoes. Add thick slices of broiled country bread for soaking up the ragout.

Day 18: Pork Loin Chops with Romesco Sauce and Grilled Onions Romesco sauce — a Spanish blend of red peppers and almonds — goes well with most any grilled food. Paired here with pork chops and green onions, it ups the profile of the menu—it’s good enough for company and easy enough for every day.

Day 19: Grilled Tuna with Basil-Walnut Sauce This thick sauce shows off basil at its best and is the perfect accent for the gentle flavor of albacore tuna. Grill olive oil-rubbed bread along with the fish, and serve briefly sautéed zucchini ribbons on the side.

Day 20: Tuscan Farro Soup with White Beans, Tomatoes and Basil This wonderfully textured soup marries a handful of classic Tuscan flavors — the beans and farro make it hearty enough for a full meal.

Day 21: Lamb Kabobs with Pomegranate Glaze Pomegranate molasses and fresh mint lend exotic flavors to these lamb skewers. Grill colorful vegetable kabobs alongside, and accompany with quick-cooking couscous.

Day 22: Duck Breasts with Roasted Figs and Balsamic Glaze Here’s another dish for a special Sunday supper that’s still a snap to prepare. Duck breasts roast alongside figs basted with balsamic vinegar for a delicious, sweet-savory dish.

Day 23: Chopped Salad with Broccoli, Egg and Radicchio Whenever you make hard-cooked eggs, cook a few extra to have on hand to add to salads like this one. With mozzarella cheese and chopped almonds, this salad is packed with protein.

Day 24: Stir-Fried Tofu with Mushrooms and Greens Here, vegetables and tofu soak of the flavors of an Asian-inspired sauce for a quick dinner. Put rice on to cook just before starting to prepare the dish; both will be ready at about the same time.

Day 25: Pork Chops with Cranberry Beans and Thyme Perfect for an autumn supper, this hearty dish combines pancetta-wrapped pork chops with fresh shell beans. You can find fresh beans at farmers’ markets; they cook much more quickly than dried ones.

Day 26: Penne with Ricotta Cheese and Greens Hearty greens are abundant in the fall. Here, Tuscan kale adds freshness to pasta, while fresh ricotta makes a satisfyingly easy sauce.

Day 27: Chickpea, Cauliflower and Potato Curry Curry spices flatter chickpeas, cauliflower and potatoes alike. Serve this zesty meatless dish over brown basmati or jasmine rice.

Day 28: White Wine-Braised Chicken with Root Vegetables Braise chicken and root vegetables in record time by using a pressure cooker. Then enjoy this warming autumn meal with a side of risotto or simmered grains.

Day 29: Pasta with Lamb and Rosemary Ground lamb and zucchini cooked with fresh rosemary and tomatoes create a succulent—and unexpected—sauce for pasta. Slightly salty pecorino cheese is the perfect garnish. End the meal with fresh grapes and sliced ripe pears.

Day 30: Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Pear and Thyme Combining juicy pork tenderloin with fresh pear slices and red onion, this simple dish is perfect for an autumn evening.