Food Seasonal & Holiday Fast and Fresh Spring Dinners By Midwest Living editors Midwest Living editors Midwest Living's experienced editors create best-in-class travel, lifestyle, food, home and garden content you won't find anywhere else. We're loudly, proudly Midwestern, and we're passionate about helping our audience explore and create through award-winning storytelling. Midwest Living's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 4, 2023 Trending Videos Photo: Brie Passano Our spring recipes highlight the flavors of vegetables, citrus, fresh herbs and more. 01 of 34 Spring Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Crust Carson Downing Frozen puff pastry and a rotisserie chicken speed your way to this delicious pot pie filled with fresh veggies and seasoned with dill and Dijon. View Recipe 02 of 34 Green Veggie Pasta Brie Passano Go green with three superfood veggies—collard greens, asparagus, and peas. It's delicious as a meat-free meal, but if you like, add some ham for extra flavor and protein. View Recipe 03 of 34 Asparagus Ricotta Toasts with Crispy Prosciutto Carson Downing Dinner doesn't get much easier than this. These simple toasts are ready in 15 minutes. View Recipe 04 of 34 Halibut en Papillote with Fennel, Olives and Leeks Carson Downing Baking halibut with lemon, thyme and fennel in a parchment parcel yields effortlessly perfect texture and flavor. And as a fringe benefit, you get to open dinner like a present. Fish Recipes for Dinner Tonight View Recipe 05 of 34 Asparagus, Morel and Walleye Soup with Rye Croutons This light and bright spring soup reflects Jeremy Umansky's loves of seasonal ingredients, East Asian fermentation and Jewish tradition. Key takeaway: Don't underestimate the salty, savory power of rye bread croutons coated in butter and miso. Carson Downing This recipe—adapted from one served at Larder, a Jewish deli in Cleveland—shows how Midwest kitchens are expanding the traditional ideas of Jewish cuisine. The recipe can easily be vegetarian—just skip the fish for a light spring meal. Morel Mushroom Recipes View Recipe 06 of 34 French Herb Omelettes with New Potatoes Carson Downing An herb-filled omelet and buttery steamed potatoes make a winning combo in this breakfast-for-dinner meal. Fabulous Fresh Egg Recipes View Recipe 07 of 34 Roasted Asparagus and Gnocchi Brie Passano Keep it simple. Roast your entire dinner in one pan, then clear a little space in the corner of the pan to mix up a simple dressing. View Recipe 08 of 34 Risotto with Asparagus and Shiitakes Carson Downing Brothy rice with mushrooms, tender asparagus, chives and Parmesan make this risotto truly luxurious. Be sure to sop up leftover sauce with a chunk of crusty bread. Asparagus Recipes to Brighten Your Meals View Recipe 09 of 34 Carrot Soup with Tarragon and Cream Thickened with a little potato and flavored with leeks, shallot, white wine and the faintly anise-y herb tarragon, this sleeper hit of a soup is subtle, springy and unexpectedly special. View Recipe 10 of 34 Spring Veggie Wedges Brie Passano Made with a tube of crescent roll dough, herby cream cheese and fresh vegetables, this is a fancied-up version of a classic Midwest party app. Cut it into slim wedges for a crowd, or try it as an easy dinner that won't weigh you down. View Recipe 11 of 34 Fig and Pig Quiche Carson Downing Satisfy sweet and salty lovers alike with this kicky bacon-topped quiche. It's one of the signature recipes at Maya-Camille Broussard's Chicago bakery, Justice of the Pies. Quiche Recipes For Any Meal View Recipe 12 of 34 Herb-Roasted Chicken with Bread Salad Carson Downing In addition to slathering the bird in butter, herbs, shallots and lemon zest, you'll stuff a lemon and a bunch of thyme in the cavity. The result? Bronzed skin and huge flavor. Favorite Chicken Recipes View Recipe 13 of 34 Salmon Grain Bowl with Carrot-Miso Dressing Sit down on a weeknight to a bowl of hearty whole-grain farro, seared salmon, and fresh spinach, cucumber and radish. The carrot-flecked dressing riffs off one that's a standby at Japanese restaurants. 20 Great Salmon Recipes View Recipe 14 of 34 Zucchini and Feta Frittata Carson Downing This simple, fresh frittata recipe is ideal for a make-ahead brunch, though it can also be served as a healthy lunch or dinner. Serve it at room temperature so the salad on top won't wilt (and the cooking is complete before the guests come knocking). Easy Frittata Recipes View Recipe 15 of 34 Mango Toast with Proscuitto Brie Passano Cream cheese, mango, prosciutto and honey star in this easy toast recipe. Whip it up for a quick work-from-home lunch or light dinner. View Recipe 16 of 34 Chicken Katsu with Mango Sauce Brie Passano Trade flavorful boneless thighs for breasts in this twist on a beloved Japanese comfort food, and you'll have super crispy, juicy chicken to serve over a bed of rice with sweet-and-savory mango sauce. Fresh Recipe Ideas for Chicken View Recipe 17 of 34 Chorizo-Potato Tacos with Collards Brie Passano Classic chorizo-potato tacos get a nutrition boost from hearty chopped collard greens in this weeknight-easy recipe. Easy Taco Recipes View Recipe 18 of 34 Roasted Tomato Chilaquiles Cameron Sadeghpour Our shortcut chilaquiles use corn chips to avoid frying tortillas. The sauce is a quick puree of canned fire-roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic and chipotle peppers. Serve with fried eggs, quick-pickled radishes, and an appetite for adventure. Sizzling Mexican and Tex-Mex Recipes View Recipe 19 of 34 Vietnamese-Style Noodle Soup Carson Downing This comforting, spiced soup will warm you up on those chilly spring evenings. Our recipe echoes pho (pronounced "fuh") but has a shorter simmer time thanks to boxed broth and flank steak. View Recipe 20 of 34 Cauliflower Parmesan Brie Passano Wisconsin blogger Erin Clarke gives cauliflower "steaks" the chicken Parm treatment in her book, The Well Plated Cookbook. Creative Cauliflower Recipes View Recipe 21 of 34 Carrot Tart with Goat Cheese, Lemon and Mint Since no one wants the soggy middle piece of a square tart, we cut a sheet of puff pastry in half to make two small ones: crisp edges for everyone! Eat as a meal with a salad or slice into petite wedges for a grab-and-go party app. Carrot Fritters with Tahini-Lemon Yogurt View Recipe 22 of 34 Meat-and-Veg Hand Pies with Cheddar Pastry Cameron Sadeghpour Inspired by Nebraska's Runzas and Michigan's pasties, these pocket pies hold beef, sausage, onion, and shredded greens. The crust is like a buttery, flaky Cheez-It, but pastry-phobes can use purchased pie crust and add cheddar to the filling. View Recipe 23 of 34 Thai Chicken Wraps Brie Passano Collard greens take the place of rice paper wraps for heartier and more nutritious spring rolls. 17 Delicious Sandwich Wrap Recipes for Super-Easy Meals View Recipe 24 of 34 Flank Steak with Carrot Top Salsa Verde Italian salsa verde—no relation to the Mexican one—is a classic herb sauce made with parsley, garlic and capers. Our version includes carrot tops, too. The bold, tangy flavor is a perfect match for steak (or any protein or roasted vegetable). Good-For-You Carrot Recipes View Recipe 25 of 34 Spring Potato Salad This lightly sweet potato salad is a great way to use up leftover Easter ham. View Recipe 26 of 34 Kimchi Fried Rice Wisconsin blogger Alice Choi (Hip Foodie Mom) says this weeknight-easy recipe is the perfect gateway into cooking Korean at home. All the ingredients can be found at a large urban supermarket, or at Asian grocery stores. View Recipe 27 of 34 Spring Scampi with Chives Spring Scampi with Chives . These garlicky, lemony shrimp come together in just 15 minutes for a speedy weeknight dinner. Serve with crusty bread for mopping up the luscious butter sauce. Easy Shrimp Recipes View Recipe 28 of 34 Pork Chops with Curried Plum Glaze and Grilled Plums This fruity spin on barbecued pork chops is special enough for company but ready in less than 45 minutes. For a complete meal, pair the recipe with a rice salad or simple steamed green beans or broccoli. Our Best Pork Recipes 29 of 34 Spring Pasta with Morels, Ramps and Peas Toss linguini with a rich sauce of morels, ramps (or leeks), peas, ham and cream. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese, if you like. Can't find morels? Substitute the same amount of stemmed shiitake, cremini and/or button mushrooms in the recipe. Or check online for dried morels. View Recipe 30 of 34 Herb-Crusted Lamp Chops Brushed with mustard and coated with garlicky breadcrumbs, these petite chops are a quick alternative to a classic leg of lamb. The recipe comes from Michigan chef Andy Schudlich. View Recipe 31 of 34 Spaghetti Carbonara This recipe for a classic pasta carbonara comes from the cookbook Michael Symon's 5 in 5 ($19.99), a fantastic source for weeknight dinner ideas. Plan to prep the ingredients (grate cheese, chop parsley) before you begin. Pasta Recipes with Pizzazz View Recipe 32 of 34 Spring Revival Couscous Salad with Filet Mignon Lean and tender steaks crown a bright, lemony salad made with asparagus, peas and couscous. The recipe comes from chef Michael Ollier of Certified Angus Beef in Wooster, Ohio. He calls for generous 8-ounce steaks; for budget or dietary reasons, you may want to use a more modest 4-ounce steak. Just reduce the grilling time accordingly. Sensational Salad Recipes View Recipe 33 of 34 The Stone Barn's The Modena Marinated chicken, sweet onion, mushrooms, snap peas and feta top an oiled crust in this recipe from the Stone Barn in Nelson, Wisconsin. 20 Recipes for Mushroom Lovers View Recipe 34 of 34 Tender-Crisp Spring Braise Chicken, potatoes and veggies cook together for a nutritious dinner that's missing only one ingredient—a bottle of white wine. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit