This book has changed my life!

A simply stunning collection of recipes, so easy to make but so delicious! The book is layed out perfectly with really easy to follow step by step instructions, an absolute must have for any busy cook. I am a working Mum so this book has rapidly become my bible and I cant wait to learn more and more of the recipes to enhance my repertoire.

Thanks you so much to NetGalley and the Author for an ADR copy of the book in exchange for my honest review - I cant recommend this book more highly 10/10 from me!

This book was great! As someone who is seemingly always wondering what to make for dinner (moms, I know you relate!), this book had a ton of ideas for simple and fast ways to make dinner prep less stressful and time consuming. The dishes all sounded yummy and I appreciated the way she broke it down into sections like ‘Bare-Minimum Cleanup’, ‘Bare-Minimum Ingredients’, etc. I found so many recipes that I’d love to try, can’t wait to buy this book!

Even though I liked the concept of bare minimum dinners and the sections of this book divided into time, ingredients single pot/pan and such, I found it a bit too basic for my taste and the recipes were too uninspiring.




Bare minimum dinners - sections = time, ingredients, single pot/pan - korean sloppy joes

Bare Minimum Dinners is a good basic uncomplicated cookbook suitable for beginners or those who don't want to spend lots of time in the kitchen. There are lots of lovely pictures for inspiration and the step by step instructions are very easy to follow. Overall, there is a good selection of recipes, and they make a good starting point for anyone wanting to experiment.. Probably not the best book for seasoned cooks and foodies but great for those short of time or on a budget.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this cookbook in exchange for honest feedback. I will be cross-posting this review to Goodreads, as well.

Cover: The cover is appealing. I like the modern font choices and the dishes displayed. They look easy but also tasty, which I would think is indicative of the contents of the cookbook. The back cover blurb boasts easy recipes with fewer ingredients, less clean up and utilization of modern tools like the Instant Pot. So, I am interested in seeing how this cookbook combines these elements and translates them into recipe ideas.

Design/Layout: The book is thematically divided into these sections -- Bare Minimum Time (recipes ready in 30 minutes or less), Bare Minimum Ingredients (seven or less ingredients), Bare Minimum Clean Up (Single pot or pan), Bare Minimum Hands-On Time (instant pot or slow cooker), Bare Minimum Sides (easy add-ons). There are designators for vegetarian dishes, MVPs (which indicate they fit into multiple Bare Minimum categories).

The cookbook begins with telling you about the book, the equipment you'll need to do the recipes, pantry items, meal planning, reducing food waste, and some of the author's philosophies on food / cooking.

The recipes are a decent range with most of them being somewhat familiar to anyone who likes to cook. That is why I would suggest this cookbook to two audiences. First, I would suggest this book to newbie cooks. This is because 1) you get a good range of dishes that have a diverse skill set. I would suggest it also to 2) cooks of any skill set with certain aims in their kitchen, specifically: lowering food cost, lowering food waste, or lowering the time they spend in the kitchen.

As for the value for the money, I think that it comes with the thematic groupings and range of dishes. You can group them all together and save time looking for ideas and compiling them, printing them, whatever. When you're looking to do the bare minimum, I suppose saving time in that regard will help.

A great cookbook filled with ideas for when you want to just do the "bare minimum". I would highly recommend this and will be returning to it when I next do not want to make a complicated dinner

Beautiful photos and easy to read instructions. I tried a few recipes and they were a hit with my family once we spiced them up a wee bit. Most of the ingredients are normally on hand in any kitchen, so this cookbook is a must have for the person who ponders what to make for dinner every day.

Fabulous cookbook. The pictures are beautiful and the instructions are well written. Crock pot, few ingredients, quick meals. I loved all the options available. All sorts of cuisines and special diet options available.

Thank you to #NetGalley and to the publisher, #HoughtonMifflinHarcourt for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 Stars

Overall, this was a decent cookbook with a good selection of recipes. I would recommend it for beginners who like to experiment, are on a budget and have a minimum amount of time to spend meal-prepping. If you're a seasoned expert in the kitchen, you might find this book a tad boring and basic.

Not a huge selection of recipes, but a decent start to look at. Some are vegan based. Separated by time, ingredients or meal (not a lot, only a few)

I have been so excited to read and review Jenna Helwig's latest cookbook. I bought and loved her Baby-Led Feeding book when my one-year-old started eating solids and used it almost daily. Our whole family benefitted from the creative and wholesome recipes she supplied, so it's no wonder we would love her latest book just as well.

Every recipe we have tried from Bare Minimum Dinners has been delicious and loved by every member of the family--babies, big kids, and adults. Each recipe was easy to follow and the ingredients were always easily found in our standard grocery store. They really do only require the bare minimum in time and effort, which is so helpful and appreciated on busy weeknights. It's proof that you don't have to settle for takeout or toast for dinner on those nights when you want to do less. 

Recipe favorites include the baked rigatoni, which will be on permanent rotation in our house, and the turkey enchilada bowls, which are easy to customize to everyone's liking. We couldn't be happier to have found some easy solutions to our busy nights. 

Special thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Netgalley for this advanced reader copy I received in exchange for my honest review.

Review Date: March 8, 2021
Pub Date: 9/7/2021

Bare Minimum Dinners by Jenna Hetwig is an amazing example of good food being easy and simplistic. There is a meal for everyone in this cookbook and ingredients that wouldn't scare off someone who is new to the kitchen.

The way the sections are broken up is flawless. Unlike the norm in cookbooks and sectioning off recipes by ingredients (meat, carbs, appetizers etc.), Bare Minimum Dinners sections based on cooking method. I loved that there was an instant pot section, as I use mine frequently.

Jenna Hetwig was also extremely supportive and welcoming in her intro. She reminds us that "everything will be okay" in the kitchen. The cookbook would be perfect for those who want incredible food but also want to spend less time in the kitchen.

This book had beautiful pictures and was very nicely set out so made reading it very easy.

Some of the recipes id question whether that was cooking but it did make a nice change to see the author encouraging frozen food usage and easier simpler dishes. This is very much a book for those with a family as the portions were usually for 4 or more people.

Overall I enjoyed this book and there were quite a few recipes id be keen to try. It was easy to follow and I liked the layout.

Thank you for the arc.

This is a great book for beginner cooks, college students, and budget conscious people. The title doesn't suggest that, so I after breezing through, couldn't find one recipe that I would add to my collection. Title suggests that it's simple recipes, but was hoping for some inspiration.

Yes! Just the thing for those of us starting out in the kitchen or those of us burnt out in the kitchen. I love the smart divisions: Ready in 30 minutes or less; Seven Ingredients or Less ((Should be FEWER, not less); Single Pot or Pan; Instant Pot or Slow Cooker; and Easy Side Dishes. I know sometimes certain aspects matter more to me: I don't have a lot of time or I don't want a lot of fuss, so this kind of delineation is helpful.

My iPad crashed so unfortunately I had to read this on my phone.. I didn't catch any typos or mistakes, but then again that is what this process is for. I wish I had the ability to read it on my computer instead of on a mobile device because then I could examine it more in depth.

That said, for the wide variety of recipes and the super smart organization, I feel comfortable giving it 5 stars.

The perfect cookbook! Dinners that are fast with minimal clean up time for a busy family. I love that there are separate sections for meals that take 30 minutes, 7 ingredients or less, single pan, Instapot as well as sides. The pictures look delicious and there are lots of meals that I want to try!

This book de-mystifies cooking, breaking it down into a simple set of instructions that lead to fail-proof deliciousness.

The author had the inspired idea to divide recipes into groups of:
- those with few ingredients
- those with a quick prep and cooking time
- those that can be made in one pan
- those for the slow cooker.
Because sometimes you care about simplicity, and sometimes you care about speed, and sometimes you just want to throw a bunch of things into a cauldron and make magic happen.

I also valued kitchen advice thrown in-between the recipes (e.g., this is how to pre-wash your salad leaves), and the way some recipes can be converted from vegetarian into meant dishes (e.g., the lasagne) and vice versa. If you take nothing else from the book, the cooking mantra: "It's going to be fine" is one I'm planning to adopt for making food as well as for tackling life.

My favourite recipe was the Za'atar Roast Chicken (I fully intend to cook it again with another spice mix for variety, too).

Thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Bare Minimum Dinners is a cookbook with quick and simple recipes as the star of the show. Short on time? Need a dinner without a long list of ingredients? Prefer a one-pan/one-pot meal? This book has you covered. I loved the emphasis in the beginning of the book that the recipes are substitution friendly, so don't stress if you are missing or need to change an ingredient or two. I am often in need of very simple recipes for my family, so this is the kind of cookbook I will be happy to keep on hand.

Bare Minimum Dinners by Jenna Helwig is a good-looking cookbook. The pictures are beautiful and inviting. The recipes seem easy but flavorful. I really like the addition of the section of side dishes. I cannot wait to dive in.

BBQ Pork Burger and Sweet Potato Fries, pg. 90, is marked vegetarian but is not. One-Pan Pierogi Supper, pg. 141, could probably marked vegetarian but is not. There are quite a few errors of this sort so I am not sure I would recommend this cookbook for ten to twenty dollars unless this is fixed.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

Ok- I am 100% all for easy meal prep and especially easy weeknight dinners. This cookbook gives you both of these things in a fun, bright and organized format. Some of these recipes are simple and straight forward and some are unique. Definitely a good balance. I also love that there is an IP/Slow cooked section. I am a huge slow cooker fan and use it 1-2 times a week! Overall- great cookbook with good options for quick yet exciting meals!