Ten minutes of prep, forty at the stove, and one dish that feeds six. This cheesy chicken and broccoli casserole hides the broccoli in a way the kids actually swallow — and the stuffing base makes every bite golden.
I tested a few different versions before I nailed it, and this is the honest result: silken tofu braised in a fiery, deeply savoury sauce with a little golden pork, done in about half an hour, and better than most restaurant takeout.
One pan of sausage-and-ricotta manicotti under bubbly marinara, done in about an hour. My version freezes well, feeds a crowded table, and survives picky-eater houses. Here's the whole method, including the bag-piping trick that saves the noodles.
A creamy, one-pot curried black eyed pea soup with sweet potato, kale, and coconut milk. Real time about an hour, and it freezes beautifully for weeknights that go sideways.