Meal Prep

20 Delicious 5-Ingredient (or Less!) Recipes That Will Make Your Life Easier

written by ALEX PIZARRO
Source: Erin Clarke of Well Plated

Cooking at home may not always be ideal for some (including me, at times) – especially when you need to buy loads of ingredients that you end up having to throw out. We can all admit we’ve brought home ingredients, used them for one specific recipe, and then forgot they existed.  Instead of buying ingredients to sit unused in my refrigerator until they go bad, I’m leaning on 5-ingredient recipes (or less!) to help eliminate waste.

Despite the ever-present urge to pick up my phone and order take-out, I’m committed to preparing delicious, home-cooked meals as often as I can. However, coming up with new meals to cook every day is a challenge (I can’t always just lean on my favorite air fryer recipes), but the options below make it so much easier to stick to my goal. Bonus: because they require so few ingredients they’re quick and painless to put together on days when I really just don’t feel like cooking. Check them out:

 

1. Chicken Feta Pasta

 

2. Coconut Curry

Source: Pinch of Yum

 

3. Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

 

4. Vegan Vodka Pasta 

Source: Pinch of Yum

 

5. Roasted Garlic Butter Salmon 

 

6. One Pot Pasta with Chicken Sausage

 

7. Garlic Parmesan Zoodles

 

8. Sourdough Havarti Grilled Cheese

 

9. Tomato Soup 

 

10. Mac and Cheese

 

11. Crispy Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos

 

12. Garlic Butter Shrimp 

Source: 40 Aprons

 

13. Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings 

 

14. Roasted Red Pepper Pasta 

Source: From My Bowl

 

15. Easy Chili 

 

16. Flank Steak 

 

17. Baked Spinach and Mozzarella Ravioli 

 

18. Chipotle Lime Shrimp Lettuce Cups

 

19. Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

 

20. Creamy Sausage and Tortellini Soup