5 Celebrity Chefs Share Their Favorite Meals To Prepare In Under 30 Minutes

If your schedule is slammed and you don't have the bandwidth to put together a time-consuming meal, resist the urge to employ your microwave or spend unnecessary funds on takeout or delivery. In under 30 minutes, you have the power to put together a sumptuous breakfast or perfect pasta dish – but don't just take our word for it.

Some of the best chefs in the world assembled in November to prepare their most mouthwatering eats at the Bellagio Fountain Club, the pop-up bacchanal perched above the track for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Heineken Grand Prix. We figured it was only fitting to ask them to channel their inner Max Verstappen and share their favorite speedy meals.

Whether you need to whip something up before the kids head out for school or are in desperate need of a simple-to-prepare dinner after a long day of work, consider these quick and tasty home cooked suggestions.

Brooke Williamson is well-versed in cooking under a time crunch, having participated in her fair share of Quickfire Challenges as a two-time "Top Chef" contestant (she took home the title her second time around). While Williamson proved she can craft a standout black pepper & poppy seed biscuit with smoked salmon salad & avocado mousse in a matter of minutes, cooking for the fam, she takes a simpler approach when the clock is ticking.

"I love a quick pasta," the Playa Provisions chef confessed. "I usually have some sort of prosciutto in the fridge and frozen peas and some black pepper and some Parmesan. Those are kind of the staples that I always have around."

While Williamson's spin on the classic Italian pasta alla papalina is perfect in a pinch, she also recommends preparing ahead for a stress-free weeknight meal. "my son loves my bolognese," she said, "so I make big batches and put individual portions in the freezer for when I need a speedy go-to dish."

David Chang is on a kimbap kick. Beyond serving his craveable spicy tuna version at the Belaggio Fountain Club, the man behind Momofuku is putting the Korean staple front and center at Super Peach which he recently opened in Los Angeles.

But when cooking at home, Chang gravitates towards another rice-anchored snack. "I've been making so much Spam musubi for my kids," said Chang who noted that the prep is "super simple." Crack open a can of Spam, slice up your spiced meat, and add those slivers to a skillet over medium-high heat, flipping until caramelized. If you have some extra minutes to spare, consider a glaze for your Spam musubi recipe, but it's not necessary –- Chang insists his children "just want it classic."

Pro tip: Use the Spam can to shape the rice. Top with Spam, wrap with nori, and you've got the perfect bite.

Few names are bigger in the food biz than Mario Carbone, whose eponymous Italian-American mini-chain (which includes the brand new Vegas seafood spinoff Carbone Riviera) has become a global sensation. Along with partner in cooking Rich Torrisi, Carbone is also behind Sadelle's, the casual daytime cafe with 10 locations around the world. So it's not a shock that his quick meal pick is geared towards earlier risers.

"I'll do a lot of eggs because they're really fast and it's a good way of using up any leftovers you have," said Carbone. "You can incorporate anything into eggs, so I like to do a clean out the fridge omelette."

The best part about Carbone's approach is the combinations are endless. If you prepared a meat lovers pizza the night before, consider a meat lover's omelette the next morning. Wipe out those half empty Chinese food cartons or take advantage of some of those plentiful Thanksgiving leftovers (though we'd skip the cranberry sauce).

"Basic" isn't a word you would ever associate with "Top Chef" season 6 winner and Voltaggio Brothers Steak House co-founder Michael Voltaggio. Case in point: The sloppy Joe recipe he devised with his brother Bryan includes xantham gum, fish sauce, and emulsified wagyu fat. So when asked about his favorite quick meal to prepare, the standard fish-on-grate grilling just won't do. Instead, Voltaggio recommends cooking salmon on a cedar plank to amp up the sweet flavor and aroma of the fish and help prevent it from overcooking.

And of course, he's going beyond a salt and pepper sprinkle. "We've been blackening a lot of fish lately," said Voltaggio. "Just having this ability to put that dark, crusty, flavorful [seasoning], it's almost like you're adding a new skin to the fish with flavor." If you want to turn down the heat, Voltaggio offers an alternative: "Bryan and I are from Maryland, so we could always use some Old Bay."

Few chefs have a cooking competition resume as impressive as Bryan Voltaggio's. He's shown off his culinary skills on a variety of shows such as "Bobby's Triple Threat," "Top Chef," and "Battle of the Brothers" which brought him head-to-head with little bro Michael. Though Voltaggio knows how to add an extra flourish (or two or three) to his dishes, he keeps things classic for his go-to under 30-minute meal. 

"Cacio e pepe is big in my house," he said, and it's hard to dispute sticking with the pasta icon. The beauty of a cacio e pepe recipe is in it's simplicity: the creaminess of the butter, salty and umami notes of the cheese, and the touch heat from the black pepper, preferably freshly cracked. While a trip to Rome is in order to experience the dish at it's peak, even a novice can prepare a crowd-pleasing rendition with relative ease.