30 Healthy, Easy Dinners in 30 Minutes to Make in January

Skillet Ravioli Lasagna
Photo: Jasmine Comer

Whether it's a cozy bowl of soup or a melty grilled cheese, these comforting dinner recipes are well-suited for January. Only taking 30 minutes or less to prepare, these delicious dishes will be sure to keep you warm throughout the chilly month. Recipes like our Cheesy Spinach-&-Artichoke Stuffed Spaghetti Squash and Mushroom French Dip are healthy and easy dinners you'll want to make all winter long.

01 of 30

Skillet Ravioli Lasagna

Skillet Ravioli Lasagna
Jasmine Comer

This easy inside-out ravioli lasagna is the ultimate weeknight comfort food—no layering or mixing bowls required. Feel free to swap in ground turkey for the beef. Look for fresh mozzarella balls (also called "pearls") in the specialty cheese section of your grocery store.

02 of 30

Creamy White Chili with Cream Cheese

creamy white chili in a bowl

This rich, yet healthy, white chicken chili recipe comes together in a flash thanks to quick-cooking chicken thighs and canned white beans. Mashing some of the beans acts as a fast thickener when your soups don't have a long time to simmer. Cream cheese adds the final bit of richness and a hint of sweet tang.

03 of 30

Cheesy Spinach-&-Artichoke Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

6149762.jpg

This spaghetti-squash-for-pasta swap slashes both carbs and calories by 75% for a delicious, creamy casserole you can feel good about eating. It's worth roasting the squash versus cooking it in the microwave if you have the time: the flavor gets sweeter and more intense.

04 of 30

Mushroom French Dip

Mushroom French Dip
Jacob Fox

Meaty portobello mushrooms have just the right amount of earthy, savory flavor and the perfect texture to replace beef in these vegetarian French dip sandwiches.

05 of 30

Sheet-Pan Maple-Mustard Pork Chops & Carrots

6433778.jpg

You need just one pan for this satisfying weeknight dinner. A sweet and savory maple-mustard glaze livens up baked pork chops, while the carrots are jazzed up with flavor-boosting and anti-inflammatory garlic, ginger and turmeric. Rainbow carrots add colorful pizazz, but regular orange carrots are a just-as-tasty substitute. Pork dries out easily--using an instant-read thermometer ensures meat is cooked safely, but still moist.

06 of 30

Adobo Chicken & Kale Enchiladas

4572833.jpg

Put out your favorite toppings for these quick and healthy layered enchiladas. We like cilantro, sour cream, guacamole and jalapeños.

07 of 30

Rotini with Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
Will Dickey

This creamy pumpkin pasta sauce, spiked with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese, is a great fall alternative to traditional tomato-based sauce. Here, we serve it with pasta, but it can also be used on pizza or as a dipping sauce alongside fresh-baked breadsticks.

08 of 30

Winter Greens Bowl

Winter Greens Bowl
Ali Redmond

This one-pan meal packs in lots of plant-based protein and flavor thanks to beans and quinoa, while a creamy lemon-garlic dressing completes the dish.

09 of 30

Chicken Thighs with Couscous & Kale

3969981.jpg

One-pot meals, like this all-in-one chicken thigh, kale and Israeli couscous recipe, are perfect for nights when you want to keep cleanup to a minimum. Look for Israeli couscous--small pearl-shaped pasta made from semolina flour--near other Middle Eastern dry goods in well-stocked supermarkets or specialty-foods stores.

10 of 30

Spinach-&-Artichoke-Dip Grilled Cheese

spinach artichoke dip grilled cheese
Jacob Fox

This spinach-and-artichoke-dip grilled cheese offers the classic ooey-gooey filling, packed with plenty of spinach and artichokes, between two slices of crispy toasted bread so you can ditch the dipping.

11 of 30

Chicken & White Bean Soup

3933878.jpg

Once again, rotisserie chickens can really relieve the dinner-rush pressure-especially in this Italian-inspired soup that cries out for a piece of crusty bread and a glass of red wine.

12 of 30

25-Minute Sweet Potato & Bean Enchiladas

25-Minute Sweet Potato & Bean Enchiladas
Antonis Achilleos

These quick sweet potato and bean enchiladas are diabetes-friendly thanks to egg wraps that are lower in carbs than traditional tortillas. The vegetarian filling is both sweet and savory, while the topping adds texture and freshness.

13 of 30

Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Spinach & Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Spinach & Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Serve these saucy, ultra-quick chicken cutlets over your favorite pasta. This easy dinner recipe is sure to become a new weeknight favorite.

14 of 30

Vegan Grain Bowl

4525967.jpg

This easy grain bowl has so much to love--sweet potatoes, protein-packed chickpeas, creamy avocado and homemade tahini dressing. Make the full recipe on the weekend and pack into individual serving containers for ready-to-go lunches for work all week.

15 of 30

Veggie Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup

Veggie Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup
Leslie Grow | Veggie Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup

Maya Feller, M.S., RD, CDN, of Brooklyn-based Maya Feller Nutrition, upgrades this popular budget-friendly combo. "Adding veggies to a classic sandwich—in this case, broccoli, zucchini and red bell pepper—boosts the nutrient-density of the meal," she says. This recipe was part of a feature story, "The Real Cost of Healthy Food."

16 of 30

Chhole (Chickpea Curry)

3879367.jpg

This healthy Indian recipe is an authentic chickpea curry that you can make in minutes. If you want to add a vegetable, stir in some roasted cauliflower. Serve with brown basmati rice or warm naan.

17 of 30

Skillet Lemon Chicken with Spinach

Skillet Lemon Chicken with Spinach
Diana Chistruga

This simple, ultra-quick chicken dinner—packed with spinach and peppers—is delicious on its own or served over brown rice or your favorite pasta.

18 of 30

10-Minute Tuna Melt

10-Minute Tuna Melt
Joy Howard

This variation of a classic sandwich uses mayonnaise, but not where you think! Mayo is brushed on the outside of the sandwich in place of butter to make the sandwich golden and crispy as it heats in a skillet. Plain Greek yogurt takes mayo's place in the salad—along with crunchy celery, roasted red bell peppers and scallions—for a satisfying lunch with less saturated fat.

19 of 30

Minestra Maritata (Italian Wedding Soup)

Bowl of Easy Italian Wedding Soup on a gray cloth background

Forget the marble-size meatballs you find in many versions of this Italian Wedding Soup. In this easy recipe, they're full-size, full-flavored and plenty filling.

20 of 30

Chicken Cutlets with Tomatoes & Olives

4473515.jpg

This saucy one-skillet chicken dish is full of tomatoes, spinach, olives and capers. Try Kalamata olives in place of the green Castelvetranos or a combination of both. Serve over whole-wheat egg noodles with a mixed green salad on the side.

21 of 30

Tofu & Vegetable Scramble

4565087.jpg

Feel free to customize this speedy tofu and vegetable scramble with your favorite combination of vegetables and spice. Try to use veggies that will all cook at the same rate, like peppers, green beans and sugar snap peas.

22 of 30

Mushroom Melts

Mushroom Melts
Antonis Achilleos

This mushroom melt has both Gruyère and Swiss cheeses that work together with earthy mushrooms to create a delicious ooey-gooey vegetarian grilled cheese. Balsamic vinegar helps lighten the sandwich, and the thin slices of rye bread help keep the sodium in check.

23 of 30

Grain Bowl with Chickpeas & Cauliflower

4565076.jpg

This beautiful grain bowl is packed with healthy ingredients like quinoa, chickpeas, kale and cauliflower--all drizzled with a lemony tahini sauce. The fast one-bowl meal makes a satisfying weeknight dinner or packable work lunch. If you don't have za'atar, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon each ground cumin and coriander.

24 of 30

20-Minute Creamy Chicken Skillet with Italian Seasoning

20-Minute Creamy Italian Chicken Skillet
Jason Donnelly

Chicken cutlets cook quickly and are highlighted with a creamy sauce made with tomatoes, zucchini and Italian seasoning. This recipe is sure to become a new weeknight favorite the whole family will love. Serve it with whole-wheat pasta or rice to make it a meal.

25 of 30

Mushroom & Tofu Stir-Fry

7254998.jpg

This tofu veggie stir-fry is quick and easy, making it a great go-to weeknight meal. Baked tofu has a firm, toothsome texture that crisps well in a hot pan. You can find it in flavors like teriyaki and sesame, both of which are delicious here. Or opt for a smoked version, which has the same texture with a more robust flavor. Serve over brown rice.

26 of 30

White Bean Soup with Pasta

Pasta & White Bean Soup
Jacob Fox

We use mirepoix—a combination of onion, celery and carrots—to flavor this white bean soup. Keep a store-bought bag of the mixture in your freezer to ensure you always have some on hand without worrying about it going bad.

27 of 30

Creamy Garlic Skillet Chicken with Spinach

Creamy Garlic Skillet Chicken with Spinach
Marty Baldwin

Quick-cooking chicken cutlets are coated in a garlic cream sauce, while spinach adds a boost of color and nutrition in this easy, one-skillet recipe. Serve over pasta or whole grains to soak up the delicious sauce.

28 of 30

Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta

89723.jpg

If you've ever wanted to make a meal out of warm spinach and artichoke dip, this creamy pasta is for you. And here's what's almost as good as the flavor of this comforting dish: the fact that this healthy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare.

29 of 30

25-Minute Chicken & Veggie Enchiladas

25-Minute Chicken & Veggie Enchiladas
Jennifer Causey

These chicken enchiladas are great for using up any veggies you have lingering in your fridge. Our chicken enchilada recipe calls for zucchini, squash and onion, but you could easily swap in spinach, onions or potatoes.

30 of 30

Sichuan Ramen Cup of Noodles with Cabbage & Tofu

4609281.jpg

The Sichuan province in the southwestern corner of China is known for its fiery dishes. Here, the richness of tahini tempers the spicy chile paste in this cup-of-noodles-style mason jar soup recipe. You can grind the Sichuan peppercorns in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, or crush them with the bottom of a heavy skillet.

Was this page helpful?
Related Articles