ThePrep: Easy 3-Ingredient Dinners for Spring

Three ingredients are all you need to get these easy spring dinners on the table.

3 ingredient pasta broccoli dinner
Photo: Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

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I love spending time in the kitchen cooking meals from scratch, especially on the weekends. But I don't always have the energy during the busy workweek. That's where these three-ingredient dinners come in handy (three ingredients not including basics we all have in our kitchen, like oil, salt and pepper). They use healthy convenience items—think pesto, rotisserie chicken and tortellini—in creative ways to create really delicious, easy dinners. They're just what I need at the end of a long day.

Your Meal Plan

kale white bean salad with green goddess dressing
Photo by: Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Pick up a rotisserie chicken when you do your shopping on Sunday and dinner is only two more ingredients away! The Chicken Caesar Flatbread is part salad, part pizza, and it hits the spot every time, especially for Caesar lovers like me. And with all the different salad kits available in the store, you can switch up the flavor of this dinner a million different ways. Next up is Tuesday's Goat Cheese Pasta with Broccoli—it's absolutely delicious and makes me wonder why I never thought to add creamy goat cheese to my pasta before. I've played around with adding extra veggies to this pasta and have even mixed in a jar of Trader Joe's Bruschetta and it always turns out tasty.

In Wednesday's Green Goddess White Bean Salad, salad kits come back into play. They're such a great way to get a variety of veggies and flavors from a single item. And Thursday's Cheese Tortellini with Tomatoes & Basil is one you don't want to miss. In this dinner, cherry tomatoes are roasted until they're sweet and super flavorful, then get added to cheesy tortellini and topped with fresh basil. You really can't go wrong with this combo!

These three-ingredient dinners are delicious as is, but feel free to make them your own by adding other tasty items, like additional vegetables or fresh herbs.

Sunday: Chicken Caesar Flatbread

Monday: White Bean & Pesto Risotto

Tuesday: Goat Cheese Pasta with Broccoli

Wednesday: Green Goddess White Bean Salad

Thursday: Cheese Tortellini with Tomatoes & Basil

Friday: Refried Bean & Pico de Gallo Tostadas

You can also view all of the recipes here.

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Big-Batch Snack

Peanut Butter & Blueberry Energy Balls
Jamie Vespa

These healthy energy balls are the tastiest! And the good thing is that I already have most of the ingredients on hand to make them (think oats, peanut butter and honey). In this recipe we mix in chocolate chips and dehydrated blueberries, but you can really add whatever you'd like, like nuts or shredded coconut.

Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter Blueberry Energy Balls

Treat Yourself

fresh mint mojito

Mint is the first thing I'm seeing pop up in my garden this spring. While it's still a ways away from being ready to use here in Vermont, it has me excited for the warm weather and in the mood for a refreshing cocktail. Enter this super-easy Fresh Mint Mojito. I love the bright mint flavor and fresh lime in this tasty cocktail.

Get the Recipe: Fresh Mint Mojito

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