Four dinners for busy weeknights that make use of store-bought shortcuts

Four recipes that use supermarket shortcuts but are full of flavourPosted Mon 28 Sep 2026 at 3:01pmMon 28 Sep 2026 at 3:01pmBasil, pre-made pork sausages, buffalo mozzarella, tinned tomato and pasta are some of the ingredients needed for pasta al forno. (ABC News: Annika Kafcaloudis)Cooking can often be quite time consuming, but it doesn't have to be. We've rounded up four recipes that take supermarket shortcuts but still pack plenty of flavour. Super quick and easy, they can be whipped up during your lunch break or after a long day.Instant ramen noodle fry-up with vegetables and eggA bowl of instant ramen noodles with broccoli, corn, zucchini, coriander and egg is a fast vegetarian meal. (ABC News: Hetty Lui McKinnon)Using instant ramen noodles and frozen vegetables, this fry-up only takes 15 minutes to cook. It will give you a hearty meal that you can easily make for lunch in your lunch break or for dinner after a long day.Supermarket chicken rice paper rollsThese rice paper rolls are filled with barbecue chicken, mango, chickpeas, fresh herbs, and salad. (ABC News: Lina Jebeile)Now that the weather's warming up, give these no-cook rice paper rolls a try. Using pre-cooked chicken saves you from having to use the oven or stove. If you can't find fresh mangoes, use tinned or frozen or leave them out.Pasta al forno: Baked pasta with sausage meatballsA serving of pasta al forno on a plate topped with basil leaves, from a dish of baked pasta with sausage meatballs. (ABC News: Annika Kafcaloudis)Making meatballs out of sausages instead of minced meat is the time-saver in this pasta dish, which delivers maximum flavour for minimum effort.Greek salad with gnocchiA quick, vegetarian dinner with salad and pre-made gnocchi. (ABC News: Hetty Lui McKinnon)Adding store-bought gnocchi to this salad elevates it from a side to a main meal. With only three steps, it's easy to whip up this dish in less than 30 minutes.