Food and Recipes Quick and Easy Dinners 26 Quick And Easy Dinner Ideas For Two By Alana Al-Hatlani Alana Al-Hatlani Alana Al-Hatlani is an Assistant Food Editor at Southern Living. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on August 18, 2024 Close Photo: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely A lot of recipes are geared for four, so what is one to do when they need quick and easy dinners for two? Although we are guilty of scaling most of our recipes to four people, this collection of hits is perfect for serving half as many and in record time. These recipes can all be easily halved, or prepared in full and used as excellent leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day. When cooking for two, these are the recipes we turn to make cooking a breeze. 01 of 26 Steak Frites Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox If prepared as is for two, you'll have leftover steak perfect for topping a salad the next day, or you can turn leftovers into a sandwich with the chimichurri aioli. Get The Recipe 02 of 26 Cast-Iron Salmon With Baby Kale Salad Photographer: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn This salmon salad is easily scaled down for two, and makes for an effortless and light weeknight meal. A cast-iron pan is crucial for getting the skin on the salmon perfectly crispy. Get The Recipe 03 of 26 Weeknight Bolognese Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely A classic bolognese is typically a labor of love that simmers for hours, but we create a shortcut version that is perfect for serving two or ten. (Leftovers freeze beautifully for those only cooking two.) Get The Recipe 04 of 26 Shrimp Orzo Salad Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Prissy Lee This is the kind of salad that only gets better as it sits. Prep the whole batch and enjoy it throughout the week as lunch or dinner. Get The Recipe 05 of 26 Burrito Bowls Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Thanks to smart shortcuts like canned black beans, microwavable brown rice, and store-bought pico de gallo, this meal comes together in only 10 minutes. Get The Recipe 06 of 26 Lemon Chicken Pasta Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Veggies, pasta, and chicken all in one dish? You can't ask for a more complete meal in one. You can reduce the quantities for two, but leftovers (especially the cutlets) reheat nicely. Get The Recipe 07 of 26 Marry Me Chicken Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Sun-dried tomatoes are the key ingredient in this provocatively named recipe, that may or may not illicit a proposal. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to three days, and are delicious served over pasta. Get The Recipe 08 of 26 Bourbon-Glazed Salmon Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox The South's favorite spirit is good for so much more than just cocktails. Here, bourbon combines with honey and oranges to make a quick glaze for a salmon dinner ready in just 20 minutes. Get The Recipe 09 of 26 Chicken Cordon Bleu Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley This dish might be more involved than just throwing a chicken breast in the oven, but it's well worth the extra effort (and it's still ready in just 45 minutes). Store-bought cutlets can help speed up the process, and our Herby Dijonnaise served alongside is a stir-together sauce that takes only five minutes to make. Get The Recipe 10 of 26 Crispy-Ham Carbonara with Peas Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Don't be intimidated by this Italian classic, we promise you don't have to be a nonna to pull it off. Just make sure to add the hot pasta water a little at a time to avoid scrambling the silky egg yolks that make up the base of the sauce. Get The Recipe 11 of 26 Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken Cutlets With Haricots Verts Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Chicken cutlets, whether serving a few folks or an entire party, help make cooking go a lot faster. Here, we wrap the thin cut in prosciutto, which forms a crispy and salty outer shell on the lean meat. Get The Recipe 12 of 26 Mississippi Pork Chops Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Pepperoni peppers and a ranch seasoning packet are the secret to these ultra flavorful pork chops. Serve the chops with our Garlicky Green Beans, a quick and effortless side ready in only 10 minutes. Get The Recipe 13 of 26 Linguine With Clams Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer A staple of Italian restaurants, you can bring the restaurant to you with this easy recipe. If you've never cooked with clams, don't fear. Not only do they cook quickly, but it's easy to tell when they're done—they open right up! Get The Recipe 14 of 26 Pork Tenderloin Schnitzel with Cranberry-Fennel Slaw Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Although the star of this dish is the shatteringly crisp schnitzel, the bright and tangy Cranberry-Fennel Slaw completes each bite, cutting through the richness of the fried meat. Get The Recipe 15 of 26 Smothered Steaks With Mushroom Sauce Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely "I have made this twice, once for the family and the second time for company. This recipe is delicious and easy enough to make on a weeknight. A real treat," says one Southern Living reader about these Smothered Steaks. Get The Recipe 16 of 26 Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin "Filets" Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely These faux fillets feel fancy, but couldn't be simpler (or more inexpensive) to prepare. Bacon helps flavor and fortify a lean cut of meat like pork tenderloin, so it cooks up juicy and flavorful. Get The Recipe 17 of 26 Cajun Shrimp Stir-Fry Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely When serving only two, reduce the amount of shrimp in this recipe to just a 1/2 pound, and you have a speedy stir-fry supper ready in only 20 minutes. To save prep time, purchase peeled, deveined raw shrimp at the store, or ask the folks at the seafood counter to do the cleaning for you. Get The Recipe 18 of 26 Smashburgers Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Impress your other half with homemade burgers that are better than fast food. Thin and crispy smashed patties are basted with our secret sauce as they cook for a beautiful and flavorful crust. Get The Recipe 19 of 26 Easy Chicken Parmesan Stacy Allen; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood This is possibly the best way to make use of that jar of pasta sauce and package of spaghetti in the pantry. Buying cutlets (instead of regular chicken breasts) means you won't have to fuss with pounding out the meat. Get The Recipe 20 of 26 Salmon Patties Jessica Furniss There is no better way to use up leftover salmon. Gently bound by crushed saltines and mayo, these tender patties cook up beautifully golden brown and need nothing more than a simple squeeze of lemon to serve. Get The Recipe 21 of 26 Zucchini Pasta Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Prissy Montiel You've never had zucchini like this. It cooks down until ultra silky and tender, forming a simple but satisfying pasta sauce enriched with Parmesan and cream, and brightened by the sweetness of fresh basil. Get The Recipe 22 of 26 Garlic Butter Shrimp Will Dickey All this shrimp dish is missing is a crusty baguette, a leafy side salad, and a cold glass of white wine. Although simple, this dish still feels special enough to serve for date night, an anniversary, or birthday. Get The Recipe 23 of 26 Chopped Kale Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Consider this our take on a classic Cesar salad. We swap romaine for kale and croutons for breadcrumbs, while also subbing some of the mayo in the dressing for Greek yogurt. It's not traditional, but just add rotisserie chicken and you have a super satisfying dinner for two. Get The Recipe 24 of 26 Skillet-Toasted Gnocchi with Peas Victor Protasio The great thing about this gnocchi dish is that you toss the potato dumplings straight into the pan without boiling them first. That means no large pasta pot to clean, only one skillet. Plus, gnocchi actually benefit from pan-frying, getting crispy on the outside while staying pillowy on the inside. Get The Recipe 25 of 26 Speedy Grain Salad With Sugar Snap Peas Frederick Hardy II, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley We don't put speedy in the name of this recipe for nothing. This is a great quick meal for serving after a long day, or on a hot summer night when the very idea of cooking makes you start to sweat. The unsung hero of this hearty salad is rotisserie chicken. Get The Recipe 26 of 26 Garlic Butter Chicken Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox This dish exemplifies how simple is best. With only seven ingredients (not counting salt and pepper) there's really no excuse for not making these cutlets. It might call for four cloves of garlic, but frankly, you can measure with your heart and add more or less to taste. (Personally, I go for more.) Get The Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit