Any of these quick and easy one-dish dinners can be good enough for company. Round out the meal with salad, bread, and dessert and serve the feast with speed and pride.

Mexican Pizza: Layer refried beans, salsa, and grated jack or cheddar cheese on pizza shells. Bake in moderate oven until heated through.

Speedy Salad: Add canned tuna or salmon to a bed of fresh greens, sliced sweet onion, carrots, blanched and chilled frozen green beans, toasted pine nuts (and anything else that sounds good to you). Toss the whole thing with bottled dressing or a vinaigrette.

Darmody Chicken: Put boneless chicken breasts in a shallow baking pan and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon; add several bagged baby carrots and sprinkle them with dill; next put in a few quartered potatoes and onions; place a few cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced, on and near potatoes and chicken. Sprinkle thyme, salt, and pepper over everything and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until chicken is done and potatoes, carrots, and onions are tender (about 40 minutes).

Pasta and Sauce: Toss cooked penne, angel hair, or any other favorite pasta with bottled pasta sauce that you’ve heated in the microwave. Add garbanzo beans to make a complete protein and add peas too if you like them. Grate fresh parmesan over top.

Couscous and sausage: Use your favorite flavored couscous; before you boil the water, put in a dash of cayenne pepper and a couple tablespoons of raisins. Toast pine nuts or pecans while the couscous is steaming. Toss the cooked grains with garbanzo beans and nuts. Serve this with sautéed or microwaved chicken sausages.

Stocking a Linen Closet

Whether you view sheets and towels as essential elements of household décor or think of them in strictly utilitarian terms, stocking your linen closet with attractive, good-quality sheets and towels is both practical and satisfying. Here’s what you should have on hand.