Dinner sorted: Five crowd-pleasing meals, ready in a flash

We’ve all had the experience of putting time and energy into cooking a new dish and setting it on the table only to be met with a round of “I don’t like that”.

It’s a tricky balance. You don’t want to eat the same old things night after night, but you also don’t want to cook something nobody eats.

This week I bring you a collection of recipe that, while they definitely aren’t bog-standard, are packed with the flavours and ingredients the family already enjoys, whether it’s the Asian-influenced crumb on your chicken breast, the sausages in the white bean soup, or sauce served inside, rather than on top of, your pasta.

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READ MORE:
* Dinner Sorted: Five warming meals to stave off the chilly nights
* Dinner sorted: Deceptively simple weeknight meals
* Dinner Sorted: Easy dishes from around the world
* Dinner Sorted: Five easy peasy meals that don’t sacrifice flavour

Nadia Lim’s coconut-crusted chicken

Get the recipe here

Bright flavours lighten up the humble chicken breast.

Cannelloni with spinach and ricotta

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Good ricotta is fairly accessible these days – but if you can’t find it, use cottage cheese instead.

Sausage, fennel & white bean soup

Get the recipe here

This soup is the perfect “clear out the pantry and freezer” recipe, packed full of flavour.

Roast winter vegetable pasta with herb & lemon dressing & sourdough crumb

Get the recipe here

This medley of great flavours, colours and textures can be enjoyed as either a vegetarian main course or a side dish.

Lamb, grain and bean stew with char-grilled kumara steaks

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This dish uses only a small amount of lamb, to bring flavour, with most protein coming from pulses and grains.