King - Eat at home tonight: 101 deliciously simple dinner recipes for even the busiest family schedule

GRATITUDE

Every morning as part of my routine, I write down at least three things Im thankful for. The names here were part of my morning lists multiple times while I was writing this book.

Thank you to my family: To Jim, my husband, who has always encouraged me and cheered me on. To Meredith, Stephen, Peter, Kate, Isaac, and Mia, who have done so much taste-testing! I love the dinner traditions weve shared together.

Thank you to those who helped with the book writing: To Maria Ribas, my literary agent, who worked with me to develop this from an idea into a full book. To Susan Tjaden, my editor, who has been a dream to work with. Thanks also to Meredith Garrison and Mary Beth Brannon for your help in cleaning up the first draft of the manuscript, and to Beth Moore, my assistant, who helped me organize and thank everyone who tested recipes. To Kate Sabella, for her help with the grocery lists in the book.

To the many people who have read my blog over the years: Your feedback and support have meant the world to me.

I ONLY HAVE
15 MINUTES
TONIGHT

I started creating recipes that could be finished in fifteen minutes when my oldest kids were teens. Life had suddenly gotten very busy, and I more often found myself in the car taxiing kids to practice than in the kitchen making dinner. All those hours of shuttling to and fro dont leave much time for dinner-making, or anything else.

I found we were often ravenous when we finally got home, and if I hadnt filled the slow cooker earlier in the day, it meant dinner would be a scramble. It didnt take me long to put creative juices to work figuring out shortcuts to quick meals.

A quarter of an hour isnt much time, but I promise you that with a little strategy and some quick work, you can get dinner on the table for your family faster than the time it would take to run through a drive-through. It will be a lot less expensive, too!

Dont miss the section on cooking chicken for the freezer on . Having meat already cooked and in the freezer is key for fifteen-minute meals. I have included some recipes for meals that dont require cooked chicken, but your options increase if youve got some stashed and waiting for you.

I also recommend a sharp knife. This is essential for any kitchen, but it becomes really important when youre working in a time crunch. You need a tool that will work well for you, not one that will fight you with every cut.

The next time you find yourself rushing into the house with no time for dinner-making, try one of these recipes. Theyll keep you and your family happy and keep you out of the fast-food places, too.

TIME SAVING TIP My favorite way to speed up meal prep is to keep frozen cooked chicken handy. See for tips on how to cook chicken for the freezer.

Creamy Chicken Florentine Quesadillas

Serves 6 to 8

Quesadillas are a quintessential back-pocket recipe you can pull out when a dinner emergency strikes. But as much as we all love Tex-Mex, its nice to have a change of pace sometimes. One run-of-the-mill day, I came up with these Florentine-inspired quesadillas. Theyre stuffed with whatever chicken you have on hand (from the local rotisserie or from your freezer stash) and made healthier with plenty of spinach and artichoke hearts. Cream cheese and Parmesan create a melty inside to contrast with the crisped outside. You can tailor them to even the pickiest eaters (trust me, I have a few). If you have persnickety little ones, too, just pull out the artichoke hearts. And yes, you can keep those extra artichokes all to yourself!

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature (see note below)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

6 to 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas

Olive oil

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 (15-ounce) jar artichoke hearts, quartered

1 cup cherry tomatoes, or 1 large tomato, sliced

1 cup spinach

cup shredded Parmesan cheese

In a small bowl, stir together the cream cheese and garlic powder. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the tortillas.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Place a tortilla in the skillet and divide the chicken, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, spinach, and Parmesan among the tortillas, arranging the filling over one half of each tortilla. Fold the half without fillings over to make a half-moon shape. Cook until the tortilla is browned and crisp, then gently flip and cook until the second side is browned and crisp. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Enjoy them while theyre hot!

ALL-IS-NOT-LOST WORKAROUND Forgot to let your cream cheese come to room temperature beforehand? No worries! Unwrap the block of cream cheese and place it on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave for 15 seconds. It should be soft enough that your finger leaves a slight print when you lightly press the top. Add 10 seconds, if needed.

White Garlic Chicken Flatbread

Serves 6

White Garlic Chicken Flatbread may not sound very exciting, but I promise this recipe will not leave you missing the tomato sauce, pepperoni, or sausage that typically come with pizzas and flatbreads. This recipe grabs your attention with garlic and pepper (dont worryits not too spicy!) and then mellows out the taste with creamy mozzarella cheese. And the best part? Only fifteen minutes, start to finish!

1 tablespoon olive oil

cup diced onion

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons distilled white or cider vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

teaspoon cayenne pepper

teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

6 mini naan, or 4 pita breads

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 450F.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir the vinegar, soy sauce, cayenne, black pepper, cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon water together in a small bowl. Turn the heat off under the skillet and pour the vinegar mixture in with the onion and garlic, stirring to combine. Add the chicken to the skillet, tossing to combine it with the sauce.

Arrange the naan in a single layer on a baking sheet. Divide the chicken among the naan and top each with the cheese, dividing it evenly. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until the cheese melts and begins to brown. Serve hot.

Chicken Enchilada Melt Subs

Serves 6

When I first got married, I didnt know how to cook at all. Jim and I would get together with another married couple on the weekends, and wed cook together. My friend taught me how to make easy chicken enchiladas during one of those cooking sessions. Its a recipe I use to this day because it uses basic pantry ingredients, so I almost always have what I need on hand. That recipe is quick, but it requires time to bake the enchiladas. Enter this sandwich version, which has all the cheesy goodness of a chicken enchilada but fits in a fifteen-minute time crunch.

3 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles, drained

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and black pepper

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

6 sub rolls

Preheat the broiler.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, stir together the chicken, chiles, tomato sauce, and garlic powder and season with salt and pepper. Microwave the mixture for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the cheese and stir to combine.

Split the sub rolls horizontally and set them cut-side up on a baking sheet. Toast the buns under the broiler, watching closely so they dont burn. Set the top halves aside and divide the chicken enchilada filling evenly among the bottom bun halves. Top with the remaining 1 cup cheese.

Broil until the cheese has melted and the tops look toasty. Remove from the oven and place the top of the bun on each sandwich.