ThePrep: These Tasty and Healthy Dinners Only Require 5 Ingredients or Less

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You might think that making cozy and tasty recipes requires a long grocery list. However, with just the right ingredients and pantry staples, it doesn't take much to prep a delicious meal. This week's recipes use delish sauces, precooked proteins and ready-to-use veggies creatively to make cooking a breeze. With little active time and just five ingredients (not counting basics like oil, salt and pepper), you'll have these flavorful meals on the table quickly and easily.

Your Meal Plan

Sunday's Creamy Chicken & Mushrooms starts off this week of easy five-ingredient dinners. This chicken recipe perfectly combines efficiency and coziness. It is made in just two steps and uses quick-cooking chicken cutlets to keep the total cook time to 30 minutes. Plus, creamy sauces are the best way to warm you up during the winter months. The mixed mushrooms not only offer potential health benefits, like supporting your gut health and improving your blood pressure, but also enhance the flavor with their umami richness. For a well-rounded meal, I'll serve the chicken cutlets over a bed of brown-rice noodles.

The Cheese Tortellini with Tomatoes & Basil on Monday night is another weeknight winner! Though I love to make tortellini from scratch when I have time, this recipe calls for refrigerated ones for more streamlined cooking. Tomatoes are definitely one of my favorite veggies of all time. When I was a kid, I would sometimes bite into them as if they were apples. In this recipe, the roasted cherry tomatoes add a sweet and rich flavor, and topping it off with basil adds a beautiful color and fresh touch.

Wednesday's Chicken Curry Stuffed Sweet Potatoes is absolutely delicious, filling and quick to make. Using cooked chicken and ready-to-use curry sauce help to keep this recipe to just 30 minutes total cook time and 5 minutes of active time. In addition to their sweet flavor and beautiful color, sweet potatoes deliver health benefits for your gut, brain, eyes and immune system. And cauliflower is naturally high in fiber and B vitamins, which also promote gut health and support eyesight, proper digestion and more.

Sunday: Creamy Chicken & Mushroomsover a bed of brown-rice noodles
Monday: Cheese Tortellini with Tomatoes & Basil
Tuesday: Chili-Rubbed Tilapia with Asparagus & Lemonwith a side of quinoa
Wednesday: Chicken Curry Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Thursday: One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Spinach with a side of whole-wheat toasted baguette
Friday: Broccoli Mac & Cheese with Rotisserie Chicken

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Something Sweet

To continue with the holiday vibes, I'll be making a batch of these delicious Cinnamon Icebox Cookies. These cookies are perfect for when you're on dessert duty for a holiday party or if you're having an office cookie swap; in my case, it's the former. The beautiful swirled dough and pecan edge make these cookies look like they're store-bought. I'll probably save some for myself, to pair with my morning coffee or afternoon decaf cappuccino.

Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Icebox Cookies

What's Inspiring Me This Week

The holiday season always inspires me to try new things, especially cocktail and dessert recipes. And sometimes, making new cocktail recipes require you to buy glam garnishes and mixers. However, there's no need to break the bank if you're like me and like to be thrifty. Surprisingly or not, our beloved Trader Joe's has amazing cocktail supplies at affordable prices, from high-quality sodas to candied ginger.

Find Out More: 7 Cocktail Supplies You Should Buy at Trader Joe's, According to an Expert

I wish you all a great week, and if you have any questions or requests for future newsletters, please let me know by emailing ThePrep@eatingwell.com! Don't forget to add a recipe review if you try one.