We all have those days when we need a meal ready NOW. When we’re tempted to microwave a bag of popcorn and call it dinner. But startcooking has plenty of more exciting options. Here are our top 5 fastest recipes to help you out in a pinch.

1. Grilled Chicken — Indoors! — Kathy’s video demonstrates how easy it is to pull off delicious, grilled chicken without going anywhere near a barbecue. If you’ve got a grill pan and about 10 minutes, you’re on your way. Once you’ve made the chicken there are all kinds of ways to enjoy it: with rice and vegetables, on top of a caesar salad or in a warm sandwich.
2. English Muffin Pizzas — Put down that takeout pizza menu and watch this video! These fun little pizzas come together in less than 15 minutes, making a meal that’s great for grownups and kids. In fact, why not let the kids make their own pizzas? Although Kathy’s recipe calls for browned ground beef, you can skip that step and either use cooked ham or no meat at all. Another way to experiment is to use crumpets instead of English muffins, or blue cheese instead of mozzarella — it’s your call.
3. Scrambled Eggs — This is THE solution when you not only have no time, but als have no food in the house. Eggs and a bit of milk are pretty much all it takes to get this meal going. Kathy’s step-by-step instructions walk kitchen novices through the process of scrambling eggs. Pair them with toast, top them with ham or cheese, and dinner is served!
4. Caesar Salad — This is a restaurant favourite, but you don’t need to be a chef to whip it up at home. The main ingredients are romaine lettuce, ready-made dressing, Parmesan cheese and croutons. Toss them together and it’s good to go. To flesh caesar salad out into a meal, add any kind of cooked meat or shrimps.
5. Taco Salad — Browned ground beef mixed with tangy Catalina dressing turns this salad into a hearty meal. The warm beef sits on a bed of greens, cucumbers and tomatoes while grated cheese melts on top. You can’t go wrong!

With startcooking on your side, you can put a fresh meal on the table without too much fuss. Couldn’t we all use some fast (but great!) food once in a while?

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