55 Great 5-Ingredient Meals (and Simple Desserts Too)
No matter howeasya recipe is to make, a long ingredient list can slow things down. But these 5-ingredient meals make it possible to get a no-fuss dinner (anddessert桌上!)没有冲供应。You’ll find simple soups and pastas, flavorful chicken dinners and vegetable sides—plus special-occasion-worthy sweets that are actually possible on a weeknight. So stop hunting for yourgrocery bagsand head right into the kitchen. All of the recipes below require just five ingredients or less, not counting salt and pepper.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson1/55Marcella Hazan's Butter, Tomato, and Onion Sauce
We're not sure there are 5-ingredient meals more famous than this simple pasta sauce recipe from Marcella Hazan. Pretty much everything you need is in the name:canned whole tomatoes(or ripe, fresh tomatoes in summer), onion, butter, and a little salt.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone5/553-Ingredient Garlic-Herb Grilled Chicken Wings
Nothing against a classic Buffalo treatment, but if you're looking for flavorful grilledwings, your best move is this herby, garlicky marinade.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson6/55Simplest Kale Salad
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Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kendra Smoot8/55Roasted Red Pepper Frittata
Make this frittata forbrunch—or serve it for dinner alongside a simple leafy green salad and a loaf of bread.
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Photo and Styling by Joseph De Leo9/55Plátanos Horneados con Crema y Queso
Baking or grilling ripe plantains transforms them intosomething akin to banana crème brulée, and the deeply flavored dessert essentially cooks itself while you eat dinner.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews10/55Chocolate Mousse
Here's our formula for a special-occasion dinner that won't leave you flustered: Start with one of these30-minute meals, then cap the evening with a 5-ingredient dessert, like this luscious chocolate mousse. All you need is cream, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and bittersweet chocolate, and you can prep the whole thing a day in advance.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks12/55Roasted Carrots With Pistachio Pesto
If you're only starting with a few ingredients, you might as well use them to their fullest. Often unused carrot tops shine here in a nutty pesto that's delicious with sweet roasted carrots. Serve with aroasted chickenor some simplepork chops.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson15/553-Ingredient Charred Green Beans With Ricotta and Lemon
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou.17/55Quick Roast Chicken
For an extra-fastweeknight dinner, start with the smallest chicken you can find and roast it in a cast-iron skillet on the floor of your oven.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Molly Baz18/553-Ingredient Orecchiette With Sausage and Fennel
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Molly Baz19/553-Ingredient Pesto Fried Chicken
Crispy chicken cutlet + store-bought pesto = an easy, flavorful dinner. Serve withbroccoli rabeor acrunchy salad.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova20/55Big-Batch Roasted Kale
This big batch of tender roasted kale can be kept in the fridge and added to meals throughout the week. Toss it into salads and stir-fries, stir it into soups, or use it in a grain bowl. When all else fails, there's alwayskale slop.
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Photo and Food Styling by Anna Stockwell26/55Big-Batch Parmesan Polenta
Start by serving this big pot of polenta as a soft, creamy bed for any braised meat or roasted vegetable, then divide the rest into baking dishes to use later in the week aspolenta croutonsandpolenta crust.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Molly Baz27/55Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
Whole wheat pasta works best with this luscious sauce, which is made from cannedpumpkin purée, cream, and the pasta cooking liquid.
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Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Lillian Chou28/55Scallion-Oil Noodles
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Molly Baz29/553-Ingredient Seared Dates with Vanilla Ice Cream and Mint
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Jennifer Ophir30/553-Ingredient Sweet and Smoky Brussels Sprouts
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Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott31/55Best-Ever Grilled Cheese
When you needcomfort food, it's hard to do better than a cheesy toasted sandwich. Spreading mayo on the bread guarantees a crispy exterior.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Hampton32/55Lemony Green Beans With Frizzled Leeks
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson34/553-Ingredient Pesto-Grilled Chicken with Peaches
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Photo by JP Bevins, Food Styling by Molly Baz35/55The Simplest Frozen Mud Pie
Grab astore-bought pie crustand some coffee ice cream, and you're well on your way to this sliceable dessert.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Hampton38/553-Ingredient Sweet Potato Casserole With Maple Pecans
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Molly Baz41/553-Ingredient Peach Crisp With Granola Topping
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton43/55Sheet-Pan Grilled Cheese
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton46/55Microwave Coconut Sticky Rice With Mango
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi47/553-Minute Caramel Sauce
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson48/553-Ingredient Grilled Watermelon, Feta, and Tomato Salad
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson49/553-Ingredient Ginger-Peach Ice Cream Floats
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Hampton51/55Cranberry-Nut Stuffing
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Photo by Andy Sewell55/55Garibaldi
Looking for aneasy cocktailto pair with all of those 5-ingredient meals? This simple two-ingredient drink has a delicate bitterness and delightful froth.
