egg drop soup

Photo: Oxmoor House

A Rich Upgrade for the Chinese-Restaurant Staple
Egg drop soup graduates from a takeout appetizer to homemade star of the show with Chungah Rhee's inventive rendition on the dish, featured in her new book Damn Delicious: 100 Super Easy Super Fast Recipes. What makes it main course-worthy is the addition of ground chicken (or pork), which cooks in just 5 minutes and adds protein and savory flavor to the soup. Rhee also adds corn kernels—and if you want even more veggies, she suggests tossing in snow peas, bean sprouts or mushrooms, too.

Get the recipe: Chicken and Corn Egg Drop Soup
One-Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta

Photo: Oxmoor House

The Streamlined Twist on an Italian Classic
When it comes to basic yet indulgent pasta dishes, it's hard to beat fettucine alfredo, which is essentially mac 'n' cheese that you twirl with a fork. Recipes usually have you boil the pasta in one pot and cook butter, garlic and cream in another; but Rhee, who you may know from her popular blog Damn Delicious, keeps things simple in this smart recipe. She has you saute garlic in olive oil in a large pot; add chicken broth, milk, butter and the noodles; and simmer everything for 15 minutes. Stir in freshly grated Parmesan, and enjoy.

Get the recipe: One-Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta
sheet pan steak and vegetables

Photo: Oxmoor House

A Meat and a Side in One Tidy Container
This is one of those effortless meals where everything—and we mean everything—is cooked on a single baking sheet. Rhee has you par-roast asparagus, baby carrots and cherry tomatoes coated in olive oil, garlic and thyme for 7 minutes to give them a head start. Then, you add inch-thick sirloin steaks to the sheet pan, and broil both the vegetables and the meat for about 4 minutes, until the steak is browned and charred. No need for a serving platter; just bring the pan to the table (we especially love those burnt and crispy bits in the corners).

Get the recipe: Sheet-Pan Steak and Veggies
tortellini soup

Photo: Oxmoor House

An Even Better Way to Eat a Supermarket Shortcut
Cheese tortellini from the refrigerated section of the grocery store are just fine on their own with some tomato sauce or butter. Let them cook in a pot of simmering broth, though, and they turn into something that tastes far more delicious than you'd expect: plump and flavorful, with a gooey inside that melts in your mouth. Rhee combines them with canned diced tomatoes, some dried herbs and baby spinach in this veggie-rich soup that comes together in just 25 minutes.

Get the recipe: One-Pot Spinach and Tomato Tortellini Soup