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       If you're looking for low-carb, high-protein dinners that don't require cooking for hours, these recipes got you covered. These dinner options are ready to serve in 3 steps or less so you can meet your nutrition goals easily. Each recipe l meets our nutrition parameters, with less than 14 grams of carbs and more than 15 grams of protein, without wasting on flavor. Recipes like 20-Minute Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Pesto Sauce and Cheesy Ground Beef Cauliflower Casserole are delicious options for you to get a healthy meal on your table in no time.  Read More
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  7. 20 Comforting Winter Dinners in 20 Minutes

20 Comforting Winter Dinners in 20 Minutes

portrait of Dani
Danielle DeAngelis January 11, 2023
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20-Minute Creamy Mustard Chicken Thighs

These comforting dinners will be sure to warm you up on cold winter nights. While they'll taste like they took hours to make, these cozy meals require no more than 20 minutes to prepare. Recipes like our Grilled Chicken with Farro & Roasted Cauliflower and One-Pot Lemon-Broccoli Pasta with Parmesan are healthy, delicious and will be on the table in no time.

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Grilled Chicken with Farro & Roasted Cauliflower

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You can find farro in most grocery stores, near the rice. If you can't find farro, you can use wheat berries or brown rice instead; cook according to package directions.

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Quick Shrimp Puttanesca

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Because refrigerated fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried pasta, this Italian-inspired pasta dish will be on the table lickety-split! Puttanesca, traditionally made with tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies and garlic, gets shrimp for extra protein and artichoke hearts to boost the vegetable servings (and the fiber!). If you can't find frozen artichoke hearts, sub in drained canned artichoke hearts.

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One-Pot Lemon-Broccoli Pasta with Parmesan

overhead shot of brown bowl filled with rotini pasta, broccoli, parmesan and lemon slices
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This hearty pasta dish with bright, fresh flavor is ideal for busy weeknights. The Parmesan adds welcome saltiness and notes of umami and you get added texture from the slight crunch of broccoli and whole-wheat noodles. Add some shredded rotisserie chicken, grilled shrimp or crispy chickpeas to punch up the protein.

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Marinara Meat Sauce Topped Baked Potato

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Break out of your pasta routine by subbing in a baked potato in this simple and satisfying dinner for one.

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20-Minute Creamy Mustard Chicken Thighs

20-Minute Creamy Mustard Chicken Thighs
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This quick-cooking chicken thigh recipe is perfect for weeknights. A little bit of mustard mixed with a touch of cream creates a luscious sauce for the chicken thighs.

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Lemon-Garlic Pasta with Salmon

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Wondering what to do with leftover salmon? This is a delicious and easy way to turn it into another weeknight-friendly, quick dinner. Don't forget to reserve some pasta water—its starch thickens the lemon-garlic pasta sauce and makes it silky-smooth.

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Pan-Seared Steak with Crispy Herbs & Escarole

Pan-Seared Steak with Crispy Herbs & Escarole
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This easy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare, meaning that seared steak can be a weeknight meal. Cooking herbs in the pan with the steak releases their aroma, infusing it into the meat while creating a crispy garnish. After the steaks and herbs are pan-seared, the escarole is cooked in the same skillet, so this healthy dinner requires minimal cleanup too.

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Garlic, Sausage & Kale Naan Pizzas

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We love sausage, but it can be high in sodium. In this fast, healthy dinner, we make our own turkey sausage with crushed red pepper, garlic, fennel seeds, paprika and just a touch of salt.

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Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta

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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.

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Sweet & Sour Chicken with Broccoli

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This easy chicken and broccoli recipe makes a delicious, healthier alternative to Chinese takeout--and it takes just 20 minutes to make, so it's ideal for an easy weeknight dinner. When toasted, ramen noodles make a tasty, crunchy topping for a stir-fry or salad.

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Linguine with Lemon Alfredo Shrimp

Linguine with Lemon Alfredo Shrimp
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This bright and lemony shrimp pasta dish was inspired by traditional Alfredo but comes in at only a fraction of the fat and calories. Reduced-fat cream cheese adds body to the sauce, while Parmesan cheese adds its signature robust flavor. This recipe calls for brown rice pasta, which is gluten-free, but if gluten is not a concern for you feel free to serve this sauce over regular linguine or fettucine—or any pasta you like!

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Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Halloumi

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Take advantage of healthy convenience foods, such as pureed vegetable soups, to make a healthy meal in minutes. We enhance the flavor of boxed butternut squash soup with curry powder, then top it with irresistible halloumi cheese. Serve with warm whole-grain pita bread.

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20-Minute Creamy Tomato Salmon Skillet

20-Minute Creamy Tomato Salmon Skillet
Credit: Jamie Vespa
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Salmon fillets cook quickly and are coated with a delicious creamy sauce made with tomatoes, zucchini and Italian seasoning. This easy salmon dinner is sure to become a new weeknight favorite the whole family will love. The best news: you can get this meal on the table in 20 minutes flat.

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Skillet Buffalo Chicken

Skillet Buffalo Chicken
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If you like Buffalo wings, you'll love this quick skillet Buffalo chicken recipe. Chicken cutlets are sautéed, then smothered in a creamy-spicy sauce. A side-salad garnish of carrots, celery and blue cheese pulls it all together.

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Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach & Feta Penne Pasta

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In this quick 20-minute dinner recipe, tender penne pasta is combined with garlic, roasted red peppers and spinach and topped with crumbled feta cheese for a fast and easy Mediterranean-inspired meal. This recipe was graciously shared by EatingWell reader Dottie Carpenter, who states, "Recipes are no good if they're not shared!"

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Chicken Saltimbocca

Chicken Saltimbocca
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This healthy chicken saltimbocca recipe makes an impressive, yet fast, classy dinner. Serve this Italian-inspired chicken with roasted broccoli rabe and creamy polenta to round out this elegant meal.

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Beef & Bean Sloppy Joes

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This healthy copycat recipe of the comfort food classic trades beans for some of the meat to bump up fiber by 7 grams. We also cut back on the sugar and ketchup in this Sloppy Joe recipe makeover to save you 12 grams of added sugar.

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Chhole (Chickpea Curry)

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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.

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Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp Scampi
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Shrimp scampi is a favorite dish at many Italian restaurants but our version takes just 20 minutes to prepare, so it's perfect for a weeknight dinner at home. Large shrimp are cooked with garlic and then served over linguine pasta with a buttery-wine sauce.

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Bacon and Avocado Topped Baked Potato

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A baked russet potato is topped with crumbled bacon, diced avocado, salsa, and shredded Colby Jack cheese--a meal in itself!

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    1 of 20 Grilled Chicken with Farro & Roasted Cauliflower
    2 of 20 Quick Shrimp Puttanesca
    3 of 20 One-Pot Lemon-Broccoli Pasta with Parmesan
    4 of 20 Marinara Meat Sauce Topped Baked Potato
    5 of 20 20-Minute Creamy Mustard Chicken Thighs
    6 of 20 Lemon-Garlic Pasta with Salmon
    7 of 20 Pan-Seared Steak with Crispy Herbs & Escarole
    8 of 20 Garlic, Sausage & Kale Naan Pizzas
    9 of 20 Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta
    10 of 20 Sweet & Sour Chicken with Broccoli
    11 of 20 Linguine with Lemon Alfredo Shrimp
    12 of 20 Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Halloumi
    13 of 20 20-Minute Creamy Tomato Salmon Skillet
    14 of 20 Skillet Buffalo Chicken
    15 of 20 Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach & Feta Penne Pasta
    16 of 20 Chicken Saltimbocca
    17 of 20 Beef & Bean Sloppy Joes
    18 of 20 Chhole (Chickpea Curry)
    19 of 20 Shrimp Scampi
    20 of 20 Bacon and Avocado Topped Baked Potato

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