Dinner Tonight: 200 Quick Recipes for Inspired Weeknight Cooking

by America's Test Kitchen

Bold flavors meet time-saving tricks in 200 recipes (all ready in 45 minutes or less) that make weeknight dinners fun and stress-free.

When time is short and bellies are grumbling, America’s Test Kitchen’s streamlined guide to weeknight cooking meets you in the moment—with great meals that don’t require a ton of work and bring new flavors to the table. No matter your craving, you’ll find a dinner that fits the bill in under 45 minutes with easy cleanup. That could be chicken salad with a fantastic dressing (Avocado Chicken Salad Sandwiches with Jicama and Banana Peppers); umami-rich noodles (Chili Crisp Noodles); or a deeply comforting soup (Spicy Tomato Soup with Tortellini and Sausage).

Edited by Jack Bishop, TV cast member, tasting guru, and creator of the twice-weekly Dinner Tonight newsletter (which goes out to more than 1 million fans), this collection of 200 go-to recipes delivers plenty of ways to improve your weeknight

Fresh Ideas for Pantry Are you staring blankly at your pantry? These recipes give it new life (canned tuna = Spaghetti al Tonno; frozen peas = Pea and Pistachio Pesto Pasta).Modern Flavor Every recipe showcases a smart way to add flavor, like an Old Bay–spiked lemon compound butter that melts over salmon fillets and pools into a bowl of confetti grits; or honey and red wine vinegar, which become a sweet yet sophisticated glaze for chicken.Flexible Got parsley but no cilantro? Ground turkey but no pork? These recipes indicate when swaps make sense.Riff on Recipes to Make New The sauce for Murgh Makhani (aka Indian Butter Chicken) is so perfectly spiced, you’ll want to try it with tofu or chickpeas—we show you how.Comfort-Food Flavors in Low-Key Chicken Piccata Meatballs, Pork Meatball Bahn Mi (can you tell we love meatballs?), and Mezzi Rigatoni with Spicy Gochujang Tomato Sauce offer maximum appeal with minimal effort. And that’s just the beginning of what you’ll find.  
Need help deciding? Themed lists let you choose dinner based on your mood, the season, or what's on hand. There are even tips for scaling recipes for two. With 200 recipes plus ways to spin them, you’ve got more than a year of great ideas.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Reference, Nonfiction, Culinary

432 pages, Hardcover

Published February 3, 2026

About the author

America's Test Kitchen, based in a brand new state-of-the-art 60,000 sq. ft. facility with over 15,000 sq. ft. of test kitchens and studio space, in Boston's Seaport District, is dedicated to finding the very best recipes for home cooks. Over 50 full-time (admittedly obsessive) test cooks spend their days testing recipes 30, 40, up to 100 times, tweaking every variable until they understand how and why recipes work. They also test cookware and supermarket ingredients so viewers can bypass marketing hype and buy the best quality products. As the home of Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines, and publisher of more than one dozen cookbooks each year, America's Test Kitchen has earned the respect of the publishing industry, the culinary world, and millions of home cooks. America's Test Kitchen the television show launched in 2001, and the company added a second television program, Cook's Country, in 2008.

Discover, learn, and expand your cooking repertoire with Julia Collin Davison, Bridget Lancaster, Jack Bishop, Dan Souza, Lisa McManus, Tucker Shaw, Bryan Roof, and our fabulous team of test cooks!

Learn more at https://www.americastestkitchen.com/.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

America's Test Kitchen Cookbooks are incredible. Dinner Tonight is no exception! With over 200 recipes, nearly all with stunning photographs, tips, alternations, support for unsure chefs, adjustable ingredients, and nearly all made under 40 minutes, this is one of my favorite cookbooks I've ever read.
Legitimately, this is one going on my TO-OWN Shelf!

Happy Cooking! Don't forget to tell me what time dinner is at!

[Swopna Begum · Rating 5 out of 5]

**⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Five-Star Review of *Dinner Tonight: 200 Quick Recipes for Inspired Weeknight Cooking***

*Dinner Tonight* is a wonderful cookbook for anyone who wants to make weeknight cooking easier, more enjoyable, and full of fresh inspiration. Finding the time and energy to prepare a satisfying dinner after a busy day can be challenging, but a collection of quick and creative recipes can make all the difference. This book offers an appealing approach to everyday meals, helping home cooks bring variety and excitement back to the dinner table.

One of the things I appreciate most about this cookbook is its focus on practical cooking without sacrificing flavor. With 200 recipes to explore, readers have plenty of opportunities to discover new favorites, experiment with different ingredients, and move beyond the same familiar dinner routines. The emphasis on quick preparation makes it especially attractive to busy families, working professionals, and anyone who wants to spend less time planning meals and more time enjoying them.

I also love the idea of turning ordinary weeknight dinners into something worth looking forward to. Cooking at home can be both convenient and creative when the right inspiration is available. A varied collection of recipes encourages confidence in the kitchen and makes it easier to adapt meals to different tastes, schedules, and occasions.

Another appealing quality is the potential this book offers for everyday meal planning. Having plenty of ideas in one place can reduce the stress of deciding what to cook and encourage more consistent home cooking. Whether preparing dinner for the family or making a meal for yourself, a little inspiration can transform a routine task into a rewarding experience.

Overall, *Dinner Tonight* sounds like a valuable addition to any home cook's collection. Its combination of variety, convenience, and everyday inspiration makes it an appealing choice for anyone seeking fresh ideas for busy evenings.

**Five stars!** This cookbook celebrates the pleasure of homemade dinners while recognizing the realities of modern life. It is an inviting resource for making weeknight meals more manageable, flavorful, and enjoyable.

[MD Arif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maxi's Kitchen is exactly the kind of cookbook I love having on hand: approachable, comforting, and filled with recipes that genuinely feel worth making again. The collection has a wonderful everyday quality, with dishes that are practical enough for busy schedules while still bringing plenty of flavor and character to the table.

What I enjoyed most is how accessible the recipes feel. The instructions are easy to follow, and the dishes do not make cooking seem unnecessarily complicated. There is a nice balance between familiar favorites and ideas that add variety to the weekly meal routine.

This cookbook also succeeds at being genuinely useful. These are recipes that can become part of your regular rotation rather than dishes you make once and forget. Whether you are preparing a quick family dinner, looking for something comforting after a long day, or simply wanting inspiration for the next meal, there is plenty here to explore.

The overall feel is warm and inviting, making the book enjoyable to browse as well as cook from. Maxi's Kitchen encourages the kind of relaxed home cooking that brings people together and makes ordinary meals feel a little more special. A wonderful cookbook for anyone who appreciates reliable recipes, good flavors, and dishes they will happily return to. Five stars.

[Leane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another winner from the consistently reliable America's Test Kitchen people. This one centers around making dinners with a variety of prep-times, yields, and ingredients with an array of cuisines highlighted. After a snappy Welcome and a Highly-Opinionated Guide to Weeknight Cooking, the recipes are each accompanied by color photography, clear lists of ingredients, relevant Notes, Kitchen Improv, and instructions. The meal-planning covers the spectrum from meat like chicken and beef, fish, veggies, beans, noodles, pasta, soups, stews, salads, and sandwiches. The authors also include interludes of Easy Side Dishes which I found even more valuable. The book concludes with an Index and Acknowledgements. There are also Nutritional Information and Conversion and Equivalency Charts. For all cooks—less to more experienced. So many wonderful meals to try. Readalikes may be Melissa Clark’s Dinner in One, Dan Buettner’s One Pot Meals, Ellie Krieger’s Whole in One, and Molly Gilbert's Sheet Pan Suppers, as well as the Test Kitchen’s previous cookbook, 2025’s The Sheet Pan.

[Ifffat Ara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cookbook is a fantastic resource for busy weeknights, offering plenty of quick and practical recipes without sacrificing flavor. The variety keeps dinner interesting, while the straightforward ideas make planning meals much easier. A useful collection for anyone looking for simple, satisfying, and inspiring everyday cooking.

[Danielle Booey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took several pictures of chicken, pasta, and soup recipes. I liked how the book was organized with a separate index for easy sheet pan dinners, skillet suppers, seasonal dishes, and when it’s too hot to cook.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Super excited for this one, these recipes look delicious!

[Melinda Keen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The noodles section in this is just oh so delicious!!!

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt that some of the recipes were very odd= easy but do I need to cook with harrisa? I found a few that seemed easy and that would fit our family.

[Holly TenHarmsel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worked my way through several recipes. Sent one to my mother. We LOVED them!!! The recipes I chose had a way to sneak in a lot of veggies so the people eating it would be super healthy! Yay!

[Kristen Barenthaler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m obsessed with all the recipes I’ve ever tried from America’s Test Kitchen, and this cookbook is no different. The recipes are delicious, simple, and hearty.

[K.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cover 4⭐️

[Erianne]

Easily a new staple to have at home. Easy recipes that can be done in 45 minutes or less when you just need something for dinner tonight (one of my least favorite things to do).