5-Ingredient Recipes

August 27, 2019
When you're looking for simple, satisfying, quick recipes, the last thing you want is a long ingredient list and complicated cooking methods. These mouthwatering 5-ingredient recipes rely on staples you most likely have on hand, so you can get dinner on the table fast. (We didn't count oil, water, salt or pepper—we know you have those in your pantry.) Watch Video
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Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Kale

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You can make these three-ingredient tomato-simmered eggs with things you probably already have on hand in your freezer and pantry. To make these baked eggs more like eggs in purgatory, look for a spicy tomato sauce and don't forget some whole-wheat bread for dipping.

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Air-Fryer Broccoli & Cheese Baked Potatoes

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This side dish gives you the best of two potato favorites. Tender baked potato halves are topped with a creamy Cheddar cheese and broccoli filling, then they're air-fried to create crispy skins. Air fryers require a lot less oil than deep fryers, which leaves room for an extra sprinkle of cheese.

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Jalapeno Popper-Chicken Panini

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In this delicious grilled cheese recipe, jalapeño popper flavors are stuffed into a toasty chicken sandwich. Serve with a mixed green salad. P.S. Don't toss the jalapeño pickling liquid: use the flavorful brine in place of vinegar in dressings.

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Chicken & Celery Root Tikka Masala

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In this 5-ingredient healthy recipe, celery root replaces traditional potatoes for an easy Indian-inspired chicken dinner with a creamy spiced tomato sauce. Pick your favorite jarred Tikka Masala sauce. Serve over brown basmati rice or with warm naan and steamed green beans.

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Seared Salmon with Green Peppercorn Sauce

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A simple sauce of piquant green peppercorns, lemon juice and butter tops this seared salmon recipe. Green peppercorns come from the same plant as black ones, but are harvested before they mature. Typically packed in vinegar, they have a refreshingly sharp flavor. Look for them near the capers in most supermarkets. Serve with smashed red potatoes and sautéed kale.

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Kale Salad with Beets & Wild Rice

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Beets and kale, speckled with chewy wild rice and crunchy sunflower seeds, make a satisfying, colorful dinner salad. The beets are nicest when they are sliced paper thin. Use a mandoline or vegetable slicer, if you have one.

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Apricot-Glazed Pork Chops

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This quick-and-easy pork chop recipe can be on the table in just 15 minutes. The chops are topped with an apricot-cinnamon glaze, grilled and then finished off with a sprinkling of fresh thyme.

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Insalata Caprese Chicken

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A combination of fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, pungent basil and a hint of balsamic vinegar is perfection, but even more so with some cooked chicken added in. This dish is quick-and-easy and perfect for a quick lunch or light dinner.

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Sweet & Spicy Scallops

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This 20-minute recipe comes together quickly with the help of frozen vegetables and store-bought salsa.

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Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

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You'll never want to eat roasted cauliflower any other way once you try this tasty recipe. Bacon, sour cream and sharp Cheddar cheese coat good-for-you cauliflower in deliciousness for an easy side that will make everyone actually want to eat their vegetables.

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Cucumber-Avocado Cauliflower Rice Sushi

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Use cauliflower rice to turn classic cucumber-avocado sushi into a low-carb snack, lunch or appetizer. This roll is vegetarian-friendly and a no-egg mayo makes it great for vegans too. Make these rolls as you eat them, instead of letting them sit. The cauliflower rice can dry quickly, which makes rolling tricky.

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Shrimp Kebabs with Lemon Marinade

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These lemony shrimp kebabs need just 15 minutes of marinating time and they're ready to cook up quickly on the grill. And since you've already fired up the grill, try some grilled corn on the cob (see associated recipe) to round out the meal.

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Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Halloumi

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Take advantage of healthy convenience foods, such as pureed vegetable soups, to make a healthy meal in minutes. We enhance the flavor of boxed butternut squash soup with curry powder, then top it with irresistible halloumi cheese. Serve with warm whole-grain pita bread.

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Spinach-Artichoke-Sausage Cauliflower Gnocchi

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Hearty and piquant, this quick cauliflower gnocchi dinner incorporates several healthy convenience ingredients, including turkey sausage and tender artichoke hearts, so dinner is on your table fast.

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Salmon & Spring Vegetables with Dill

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This 20-minute salmon, asparagus, and new potato dinner for two is cooked in the microwave to save time.

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Sriracha, Egg & Avocado Overnight Oats

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If you love avocado toast, give this savory overnight oats recipe a try. The oats soak overnight for easy "cooking." In the morning, just top with a fried egg, avocado and Sriracha for a satisfying healthy breakfast.

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Chicken Enchilada-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

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This healthy 5-ingredient spaghetti squash recipe is a satisfying low-carb alternative to taco night. If you have leftover cooked chicken on hand, skip Step 2 and stir 2 1/2 cups into the filling. Look for an enchilada sauce with less than 300 mg of sodium per serving, such as Hatch brand.

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Black Bean Tacos

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Mixing mashed canned beans with whole beans and seasonings makes an incredibly simple taco filling from your pantry. Top these speedy 5-ingredient tacos with lettuce, tomato and salsa or any of your favorite taco toppings.

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Roast Chicken & Sweet Potatoes

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Caramelized sweet potatoes and red onion are the bed for chicken thighs that cook up fast in a very hot oven--perfect for a quick healthy chicken dinner. Serve with a fall salad of mixed greens, sliced apples and blue cheese.

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Grilled Chicken Legs with Fennel & Olive Relish

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A bright and briny relish made from fennel, lemon and olives is the perfect accompaniment in this Italian-inspired grilled chicken recipe. If you prefer, you can substitute 2 bone-in chicken breasts, cut in half (they're typically large enough to serve 2), or a mix of bone-in chicken pieces. Adjust the cooking time as necessary. Serve with a glass of dry Italian wine.

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Spaghetti Genovese

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Traditionally, this Italian pasta recipe combines pasta and pesto with potatoes and green beans. In our recipe for Spaghetti Genovese we give pesto a nutritional boost by adding spinach and toss it all together with fiber-rich whole-wheat pasta for a warm, comforting weeknight meal. Serve with escarole and radicchio salad.

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Couscous & Chickpea Salad

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Cooked couscous and canned chickpeas come together in this quick lunch salad. The basil vinaigrette makes it taste anything but basic! When in season, we recommend adding fresh chopped tomatoes for a spin on tabbouleh.

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Parmesan Baked Fish

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This five-ingredient fish dinner is quick to fix and delicious to eat. A creamy cheese sauce adds a little decadence to the low-calorie meal.

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Basil-Tomato Chicken Skillet

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Quick cooking chicken tenderloins and packaged spinach make this dinner recipe come together in just 25 minutes.

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Fresh Herb Shrimp Linguini

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Have this fresh shrimp and pasta meal on the table in 30 minutes.

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Greek Kale Salad with Quinoa & Chicken

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Toss the cooked chicken into this healthy 5-ingredient salad recipe while it's still warm to lightly wilt the kale, making it softer and easier to eat. Using store-bought salad dressing saves time, but you could also make your own Mediterranean vinaigrette.

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Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing

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Hearty yet simple to prepare, this stuffed sweet potato with black beans, kale and hummus dressing is a fantastic 5-ingredient lunch for one!

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Lemon and Parmesan Fish

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Crispy lemon fish with parmesan cheese in under 30 minutes!

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Chicken Taco Lettuce Cups

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This fun kid-friendly snack is easy to make with leftover chicken, and the protein gives it plenty of staying power.

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Grilled Pizza with Pesto, Tomatoes & Feta

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Dazzle your guests, and keep the kitchen cool, by baking pizza on the backyard grill. For convenience, this recipe uses prepared pizza dough, found in most supermarkets, and pesto from a jar.

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