Another week, another meal plan ready for you to go this weekend! And because we’re trying to keep our budgets in check and not spend hours over the stove cooking dinner, we’ve looked for great recipes that use 5 ingredients or less this week.
They cook up quickly, are affordable…and your kids may even eat them. Too good to be true? We hope not!
So grab a pen, make your shopping list, and stock up on ingredients before the weekend’s over to make your weeknights that much easier.
At top: Sage Butter Faux-Roasted Chicken at Cooking for Keeps; Jamie Oliver’s Pork and Mash Gratin at The Happy Foodie
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Simple one-pot meals are always good for a quick weeknight dinner, and my family usually seems happy with Mexican food. So this vegetarian Mexican Brown Rice at Kim’s Cravings is a great option for #MeatlessMonday, or you could add it to some chicken or beef for #TacoTuesday. Your call.
This is such a simple dinner — chicken and potatoes, how can you go wrong? — but the addition of the sage butter makes this Sage Butter Faux-Roasted Chicken at Cooking for Keeps feel a bit more sophisticated than plain old baked chicken. But not so fancy that my kids will turn their noses up at it. Plus that bone-in cut is more affordable and makes the meat so juicy.
This Pork and Mash Gratin by Jamie Oliver that’s featured at The Happy Foodie is a nice “company” dish, if you’re having neighbors or in-laws over for dinner. It looks fancy but is so simple to make, and really is just 5 ingredients. And because it calls for some fresh sage (like the roasted chicken above), you’re not throwing away any herbs that have gone bad at the end of the week.
Related: 5 delicious $10 family meals
I don’t know if it’s just me, but my kids are way more likely to eat veggies if they’re in a stir fry. Maybe it’s the delicious sauce? Who knows? But I’ll be trying these Asian Beef & Noodles at Taste of Home this week, because yay for easy ramen upgrades that pack in some nutrients too!
I’ve found that tilapia is one of the more kid-friendly fish we’ve cooked at home, and this Parmesan Crusted Tilapia at Taste and Tell goes great with fresh veggies on the side or over some pasta and marinara sauce. It cooks so quickly and you probably already have everything except the fish on hand. Budget, win!
With some of the more Italian-inspired dishes this week, I thought this 5-ingredient Cannoli at Baker by Nature is a perfect dessert to try. It’s not something I’d typically make at home when I can get them at my grocer’s bakery, but this easy 5-ingredient recipe is making me think twice about that. And knowing that my daughter would love to help me make (and eat) these, that’s worth the time right there.
