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

Source: By Erin Clarke of Well Plated
2. Coconut Curry

Source: Pinch of Yum
3. Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Source: By Erin Clarke of Well Plated
4. Vegan Vodka Pasta

Source: Pinch of Yum
5. Roasted Garlic Butter Salmon

Source: Gimme Delicious
6. One Pot Pasta with Chicken Sausage

Source: Kristine’s Kitchen
7. Garlic Parmesan Zoodles

Source: Gimme Delicious
8. Sourdough Havarti Grilled Cheese

Source: My Sequined Life
9. Tomato Soup

Source: Feel Good Foodie
10. Mac and Cheese

Source: Show Me The Yummy
11. Crispy Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos

Source: She Likes Food
12. Garlic Butter Shrimp

Source: 40 Aprons
13. Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

Source: A Sassy Spoon
14. Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Source: From My Bowl
15. Easy Chili

Source: Gimme Some Oven
16. Flank Steak

Source: Spices in My DNA
17. Baked Spinach and Mozzarella Ravioli

Source: With Salt and Wit
18. Chipotle Lime Shrimp Lettuce Cups

Source: The Defined Dish
19. Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

Source: Hello Spoonful
20. Creamy Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Source: Fox and Briar