It’s been gray and rainy out, you just got home after a long day and you’re ready to eat some comfort food. The trouble is you’re hungry now, but haven’t even started dinner. That’s where five-ingredient meals can be a lifesaver, or at the very least your best defense against being hangry.
Luckily the Co-op Stronger Together website has TONS of these recipes on standby so you can do a quick ingredient search, see what you have on hand (or what you can swing by the Co-op and grab quickly) and get to cooking right away. Some recipes even let you work ahead by setting your slow cooker in the morning, so you can come home to a delicious, hot meal. Here are a few of my favorite five-ingredient meals that sound especially good in the midst of our recent gloomy weather.
Total Time: 1 hour; 30 minutes active. Servings: 4-6
This comforting and easy version of lasagna features potatoes, making it a great dish for gluten-free diners, and kids love it, too! It comes together fast, but you can save even more time by cooking extra potatoes and keeping them in the fridge to slice and dice into other meals.
Ingredients
The High Five
3 medium potatoes, scrubbed clean
1 pound part skim ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
1 stalk broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 cups thick spaghetti sauce
Pantry and Kitchen Items
1 tablespoon olive oil
Preparation
Heat the oven to 400⁰F. Drizzle olive oil in a 2-quart baking dish and tilt dish until the bottom has been evenly coated. Set aside.
Place potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water, then place on the stove over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, then check the tenderness of the potatoes by piercing with a paring knife. When they are tender but not falling apart, remove from heat and drain. When cool enough to handle, slice potatoes into 1/3-inch thick rounds.
Line a fine mesh strainer with two layers of paper towels, place over a bowl, and dollop the ricotta on the paper towels. Gently pat the cheese and let stand to drain as much liquid off as possible, at least 20 minutes. Scrape the cheese into a medium bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of the Parmesan.
Assemble the casserole: Place a layer of sliced potatoes on the bottom of the prepared pan. Dollop the ricotta mixture over the potatoes and spread to make an even layer. Sprinkle the broccoli over the ricotta and press gently to make a level surface. Cover the broccoli and ricotta with the remaining potato slices, then top with spaghetti sauce and spread evenly. Cover the sauce with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
Bake lasagna, uncovered, for 30 minutes. The sauce will be bubbling vigorously around the edges and the cheese will be golden brown. Let stand 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Serving Suggestion
Serve this lasagna with a crisp green salad and garlic bread for a traditional Italian-style dinner. Increase the protein by serving alongside a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
Nutritional Information 510 calories, 26 g. fat, 75 mg. cholesterol, 780 mg. sodium, 37 g. carbohydrate, 5 g. fiber, 33 g. protein
Smoky White Bean and Ham Soup
By: Co+op, Stronger Together Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes; 10 minutes active. Servings: 4-6.
White beans are creamy and mild tasting, and they take on the smoky flavor of an inexpensive ham hock or turkey leg. It’s a great way to make a little bit of meat flavor a whole pot of beans, providing all the protein you need.
Ingredients
The High Five
1 cup dried navy beans
1 ham hock or smoked turkey leg
1 large carrot, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bunch collard greens, chopped
Pantry and Kitchen Items
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Combine the beans, water, ham hock or turkey leg, carrot and onion in a slow cooker. Cover and set on low heat for 6 hours.
At 6 hours, add the collard greens and salt and cover again for 30 minutes longer. The beans will be very tender and the greens meltingly soft. Serve warm or let cool before transferring to containers to refrigerate or freeze.
Serving Suggestion
Serve with a spinach salad and a slice of crusty whole wheat bread, for lunch or dinner.
Nutritional Information530 calories, 25 g. fat, 75 mg. cholesterol, 410 mg. sodium, 44 g. carbohydrate, 17 g. fiber, 33 g. protein
Thai Tofu Stir-fry with Peanut Sauce
By: Co+op, Stronger Together Total Time: 40 minutes. Servings: 4.
This quick and easy Thai stir-fry takes advantage of the nearly universal appeal of savory peanut sauce and tastes much more complex than it is! Use extra-firm tofu and prepared sauce to get this healthy dinner on the table in minutes.
Ingredients
The High Five
1 cup short-grain brown rice, uncooked
10 ounces extra-firm tofu, rinsed and patted dry
2 cups chopped cabbage
1 cup snap peas
1/4 cup prepared Thai peanut sauce
Pantry and Kitchen Items
1 tablespoon canola oil
Preparation
Cook the brown rice: Put 2 cups water in a small pot and place over high heat. When the water boils, add the brown rice and return to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender.
While the rice cooks, slice the tofu into small cubes. Heat a large sauté pan or wok over high heat until hot, about 1 minute. Pour in the canola oil and swirl the pan to coat. Add the tofu and stir to coat with oil. Stir-fry the tofu until it is golden brown, about 4 minutes.
Add the cabbage and peas to the pan and keep stirring, tossing and moving the vegetables until the cabbage is softened and the peas are crisp-tender. Add the peanut sauce and stir to coat.
Serve stir-fry on top of a scoop of cooked brown rice.
Serving Suggestion
This easy stir-fry is flexible. Try adding carrots, mushrooms, green beans or peas in place of the snap peas or in addition to them. Substitute chicken for the tofu. If you like a spicier sauce, add a pinch of red chili flakes when sautéing the vegetables or serve with a Sriracha-style hot sauce at the table.
Nutritional Information 390 calories, 13 g. fat, 0 mg. cholesterol, 550 mg. sodium, 54 g. carbohydrate, 4 g. fiber, 18 g. protein
Pomegranate Glazed Salmon
By: Co+op, Stronger Together Total Time: 25 minutes. Servings: 4.
Pink salmon with a deep ruby red glaze is as beautiful as it is delicious. Plus, salmon is always versatile, and great to have on hand for a variety of five-ingredient meals.
Ingredients
The High Five
4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin on*
2 cups unsweetened pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/2 teaspoon arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
Pantry and Kitchen Items
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Preparation
Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and allow them to come to room temperature while you make the glaze.
In a small saucepan, combine the pomegranate juice, brown sugar and shallots, and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until reduced to about 3/4 cup. Pour into a metal or glass measuring cup and let cool. When slightly cooled, whisk in the arrowroot to thicken.
In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the salmon. Place the fillets in the hot oil, skin side up, and sear for about a minute and a half, until the salmon releases from the pan when a thin spatula is inserted underneath. Carefully turn the salmon pieces. Take the pan off the heat and carefully pour the pomegranate mixture in the pan (since the pan is hot, pour it in on one side and tilt to cover the bottom of the pan). Return the pan to the stove; cook for about 2 minutes longer, depending on the thickness of the fillets, using your spatula to scoop the glaze over the filets. Serve hot over cooked brown rice or rice pilaf.
*Remember that wild-caught fish cooks more quickly; a farm-raised fillet might need a few more minutes on the stove.
Serving Suggestion
Serve the salmon with rice or bread to soak up the delicious pomegranate glaze, it’s too good to waste.
Nutritional Information
440 calories, 16 g. fat, 95 mg. cholesterol, 320 mg. sodium, 26 g. carbohydrate, 0 g. fiber, 47 g. protein
Crockpot Red Beans and Rice
By: Co+op, Stronger Together Total Time: 7 hours,15 minutes; 15 minutes active. Servings: 4-6.
The appeal of this New Orleans classic only grows when it is made in the slow cooker, because it is so incredibly easy to prepare, especially with the five-ingredient meals recipe. It’s colorful and makes a complete meal, all on its own.
Ingredients
The High Five
1 cup dried kidney beans
1/2 cup long grain brown rice
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 bunch collard greens, chopped
Pantry and Kitchen Items
5 cups water
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Heat a pot of water to boiling, add kidney beans and boil beans for ten minutes. Drain beans.
Combine 5 cups water, drained kidney beans, brown rice, bell pepper, carrot and Cajun seasoning in a slow cooker. Cover and set on low, and cook for 6 hours.
Open the cooker, add the salt and collard greens, and stir. Cover and cook for another hour.
When the beans are tender, serve or transfer to containers to refrigerate or freeze.
Serving Suggestion
Serve as a side dish to roasted chicken, or feature it as an entrée with a slice of cornbread.
Nutritional Information
260 calories, 1.5 g. fat, 0 mg. cholesterol, 730 mg. sodium, 50 g. carbohydrate, 17 g. fiber, 15 g. protein
Are none of these five-ingredient meals striking your fancy? Check out the pages upon pages of five-ingredient meals recipes on StrongerTogether.coop.
