30-Minute Meals

by Rachael Ray

See where it all started with the original 30-Minute Meals. This classic Rachael Ray collection will help you get dinner on the table in no time, with easy-to-follow directions and budget-friendly ingredients. With over 120 recipes to choose from, you’ll never get stuck in a boring dinner routine again.

Favorites include Quick Jambalaya, Ziti with Sausage and Cannellini, and Fajitas, along with kid-tested fare like Zesty Chicken Cutlets Parmigiana and Mini-Meatball Soup that are sure to please even the pickiest of eaters. Over 900,000 sold!

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Rachael Domenica Ray is an American cook, television personality, businesswoman, and author. She hosted the syndicated daily talk and lifestyle program Rachael Ray. Other programs to her credit include 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels, $40 a Day, Rachael Ray's Week in a Day, and the reality format shows Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off and Rachael Ray's Kids Cook-Off. Ray has written several cookbooks based on the 30 Minute Meals concept, and launched a magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray, in 2006. Ray's television shows have won three Daytime Emmy Awards.

Reviews

[Kathy (Kindle-aholic) · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I mostly learned how to cook by watching/reading Alton Brown, Rachel Ray's very easy recipes got me going in the right direction.

If you are a foodie, chances are you will not like this. If you spend hours making your own stock and like doing everything by hand, you will not like this.

If you are a novice cook, feeling overwhelmed at the grocery store, but the idea of reheating a frozen entree has lost its appeal, then this is a good book for you. The recipes are pretty forgiving if you don't like an ingredient and want to substitute something else.

[Linnea Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book before I had even seen an episode of her shows. I feared getting into the kitchen and creating a meal from scratch, but the hands-on approach made it so easy for me. Years later I turn to this book at least once a week for something my husband and I will enjoy, and he does, without fail.
My only qualm is that 30 minutes is an estimated completion time, IF you have your prep work done and don't count that. Otherwise, it is my go-to book in the kitchen. It's got the stained pages to prove it!

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really a Rachel Ray fan, but I'm trying to learn new recipes and heard she was a good place to start. I really didn't enjoy this one.

Most of these recipes had too many random ingredients (which gets pricey if you're a fledgling foodie). The book didn't have nearly enough photos, which made it difficult to see what the dish I was prepping SHOULD look like upon completion. (Important for a new cook.) Plus, the foods were not really healthy, so I couldn't even try most of these.

Also, 30 minutes of prep time is not realistic if you've never diced a tomato or prepped a chicken breast before.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing real special. Some dishes are worth it but I am glad I did not spend more then a quarter on it.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of RR's TV persona at all. But there is the odd meal she's does that sounds interesting, so I'm glad to have it all in print. Not every recipe is a winner, but I've yet to find a flawless cookbook. And I would agree that some probably will take longer than 30 minutes given your prepping speed. Another positive was I found many of these meals fairly low on the "mess factor" so clean up was easy.

[Lisa Topp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is set up kind of neat - she groups recipes together into meal menus. She groups meals as "fast food at home," ethnic meals, etc. I've made a few individual recipes from here and they simple and good. Nothing fancy. The setup of the book does make it hard to search for recipes if you are looking for something in particular.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first RR book, and I have really enjoyed it. I especially love her wonderful pasta sauces and chicken dishes. My only complaint is purely personal: I cannot eat fish or seafood, and a lot of the recipes are indeed fish or seafood. But--that did not detract from my enjoyment of the book.

[Jess Van Dyne-Evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow! I would have liked this so much more if most of the recipes....weren't the same as in her second book, which I already have. Clever recipes - just distressingly similar. Seriously, the woman has a crapload of books out - do they ALL have the same recipes in them?

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

30-Minute Meals, eh? Many of these have taken closer to 60 minutes with the prep time. Most of the meals have been good but not great. The book itself is organized pretty well but the lack of pictures puts this one way down my list of favorites.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the format of this book. It is clear and concise and it is very easy to follow. She has a glossary of the terms she has created and uses herself so you can follow her recipes closely. I have enjoyed every meal I have tried from this book so far.

[Juan Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some recipes I find easy to make and is great because you can make any meal in a small amount of time. Great but it was not challenging like others book or did not have recipes that I was interest in making,but still it was a good book.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

another one from my database, I use it all the time!

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

So handy...

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love this book because who wouldn't love to eat something so wonderful i less than 30 minutes and you can so it your self

[Katherine]

Tried to love it (30-minute cooking? What's not to love?) but was very not inspired. Sad but true.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVE Racheal Ray, but this was not my favorite book!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this three stars cause out of all of RR cookbooks this one is the best. It is her first one and should have been her only one.

[Cheryl Schibley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe this may have been Rachael's first cookbook with the Food Network - published in 1998 and its very good.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sure, she's a bit too much but this book, her first, is quite good. Lots of great, uncomplicated recipes and tips. I've cooked a lot of this book and have yet to be disappointed.

[Trishtator · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Rachael, and this was well put together. It needs some color pictures! (but I understand it was her first...)

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

They take a lot longer than 30 minutes.

[Lisa Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great.....I believe this was her first cookbook.

[Karan Johnstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

There a some good recipes in here but I probably wouldn't buy it again.

[Heather Willson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate how many of her recipes call for new "foodie" ingredients

[Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a joke of a person trying to act as a Chef. She is the wrost chef, I have ever seen execpt for the America Worst Cook. Why is she not on that show as a contestant?

[Maryalice Hogg-O'Rourke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11685971

[Tony Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

All good recipes. My wife and I have made just about all the meals and we've marked some that we've regularly made.

[Danielle Siel-Butler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing real special. Some dishes are worth it but I am glad I did not spend more then a quarter on it.

[Kathy Smuz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good recipes, pretty easy to follow. But I take exception to calling these 30-minute meals; that only applies if you ignore the prep work.

[Cornelia Lind · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Rachael Ray and I love all her cookbooks, this one is no exception! Super recipes, even kids love to eat.