With everything that is going on lately, we feel hard pressed at times to come up with easy dinner ideas. We found a tasty article by Karla Walsh of Better Homes & Gardens for 5 ingredient weeknight dinners. Our personal faves are the Make it Mine Sheet Dinner, Cauliflower Chorizo Tacos, Pierogies & Meat Sauce and Buffalo Chicken Pizza. We love the minimal ingredients, maximum flavour and less mess to clean up. It’s perfect for these trying times.
Photo: Blaine Moats
Honey-Sriracha Grilled Chicken Thighs
Number of Ingredients: Five
Who needs when you can whip up a homemade 5-ingredient meal full of flavor? We will enthusiastically dig into these quick-marinated chicken thighs basted with a sweet-hot glaze. Round out this quick dinner with any veggies you have on hand; we’re green bean fans here.
Photo: Jacob Fox
Salmon with Roasted Tomatoes and Shallots
Number of Ingredients: Five
Cooking perfectly flaky seafood at home need not be stressful. Proof: This 5-ingredient dinner recipe that is as easy as seasoning the salmon and veggies, roast, and serve. The shallots, garlic, and oregano amp up the complexity for better-than-restaurant results.
Photo: Andy Lyons
Sprouts and Cherry Toasties
Number of Ingredients: Five
A few strips of bacon make these hearty open-face sandwiches a meal. Each toast scores you several food groups (dairy, vegetable, starch) in one tasty 5-ingredient meal. Add a fresh fruit salad and you have a well-rounded dinner.
Photo: Jason Donnelly
Quick Skillet Lasagna
Number of Ingredients: Five
For a 5-ingredient meal that’s easy, cheesy, and full of comfort food appeal, turn to this semihomemade lasagna recipe. This traditional Italian favorite can be prepared and cooked in 30 minutes in one skillet. Seek out mini lasagna noodles (aka mafalda) to skip the fussy layering step.
Photo: Andy Lyons
Cauliflower Chorizo Tacos
Number of Ingredients: Four, plus desired toppings
Skillet-browned cauliflower florets (one of the trendiest veggies around) absorb chorizo flavor like little sponges. These flavor-packed tacos stand on their own, but the optional toppings make a big impact. Round out the meal with 5 ingredients or less by crowning each taco with your choice of jalapeños, queso fresco, and/or green onions.
Photo: Andy Lyons
Spicy Spring Picnic Pork
Number of Ingredients: Five
No smoker is required to prepare the meat for these pork sandwiches. (Although if you needed one, did you know you can DIY on a standard grill?) Braise the shoulder roast low and slow in spicy barbecue sauce and sweet Dr. Pepper—trust us!—in your slow cooker, and the results will have you asking, “Why didn’t I try this 5-ingredient dinner recipe before?!”
Photo: Andy Lyons
Tea-Marinated Salmon
Number of Ingredients: Five
Extend tea time from midafternoon to the dinner hour. Lightly floral, herbal jasmine tea supplies the base of an unexpected marinade that pairs beautifully with grilled salmon. To balance the heat of the chipotle in adobo sauce, drizzle some honey on this easy recipe with few ingredients for dinner.
Photo: Blaine Moats
Smoky Slider Skewers
Number of Ingredients: Five
Here’s one 5-ingredient dinner that’s good to grill (or sear on a grill pan indoors come cold weather). Rather than sandwiching slider patties inside mini hamburger buns, try loading them into corn tortillas. Top the pint-size burger recipe with salsa or queso to match the Mexican flavors in the spice blend.
Photo: Scott Little
In-Your-Sleep Chili
Number of Ingredients: Five
This is one of the most chill chili recipes our Test Kitchen has ever developed. Easy-prep ingredients, such as canned diced tomatoes, chili beans, and vegetable juice, mean you can have this 5-ingredient meal stewing in the slow cooker in 15 minutes flat. For a lower-calorie entrée, trade ground chicken or turkey breast for the beef.
Photo: Andy Lyons
Pierogies with Meat Sauce
Number of Ingredients: Five
Stock potato-and-onion pierogies in the freezer and you’re never more than 25 minutes from a family-friendly meal. This 5-ingredient dinner recipe is a great last-minute supper solution for hectic weeknights. Once you boil the dumplings to tender perfection, all that’s left to do is dress up the Polish favorite with cherry tomatoes, watercress, and chorizo.
Photo: Jason Donnelly
Butternut Squash Soup
Number of Ingredients: Three
You’ll be hard-pressed to find 3-ingredient recipes for dinner that taste like comfort food. But this fall-flavor soup fits the bill. Once the butternut squash cubes are roasted, this creamy blender soup recipe is ready in minutes. Sprinkle with chives, if you please, and serve with a side salad or a whole wheat baguette to complete the meal.
Photo: Andy Lyons
Buffalo Chicken Pizzas
Number of Ingredients: Four, plus desired toppings
Try this mash-up recipe the next time you can’t decide between heading to the pizza parlor or the local tavern for wings. Stay home and cook this speedy meal with 5 ingredients instead so you can savor both in one supper. Pita-crust pizzas put a less-mess twist on the classic chicken wing flavor combo.
Photo: Adam Albright