We’ve covered 5 ingredient meals, 4 ingredient meals, and now we’re down to 3 ingredient meals…Here are a few to add to your rotation! They will help you get a meal on the table without many ingredients or extensive prep time!
Kitchen Staples
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Oregano
- Lemon Pepper
- Italian Seasoning
- Olive Oil
- Non-Stick spray
Cornflake Chicken Bites –
- 1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
- 1/2c BBQ sauce
- 3c cornflakes, crushed into coarse crumbs
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in a bowl of bbq sauce and then in a bowl of the pulverized cornflakes. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through and outer layer is crunchy. Serve with additional BBQ sauce.
French Bread Cheese Pizza –
- 1 loaf of French bread, cut in half lengthwise and in thirds widthwise
- 1 jar pizza sauce
- 1 bag shredded mozzarella
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prep a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Place each piece of French bread on the sheet. Spread with pizza sauce and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place 1/3-1/2c of shredded cheese on each piece of bread. Drizzle with 1t olive oil on each. Bake 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and bread is warm and crunchy.
Steak Quesadilla –
- 1lb. flank steak, cut into strips
- 4 flour burrito-size tortillas
- 1 bag Monterrey Jack or Cheddar Cheese
Heat a skillet to medium heat. Place 2T olive oil to heat. season steak with salt, pepper, oregano and garlic powder. Cook in skillet to desired doneness. Let drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Wipe pan out and add non-stick spray. Place tortilla in skillet and add 1/4-1/3c cheese across tortilla. Add 1/4 of the steak and fold over until first side is golden. Flip and cook until cheese is melted and other side is golden. Cut into triangles and repeat with remaining tortillas.
Pasta with Shrimp and Peas –
- 1lb pasta, any shape
- 1lb shrimp, shelled
- 1.5c frozen peas
Boil water for pasta. In a skillet, heat 1/4c olive oil. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and add to skillet, cooking 2 minutes per side. If shrimp absorb the olive oil, add 1/4c more oil to create the sauce. In boiling water, cook pasta per box directions and add the peas during final 3 minutes of cooking. Drain pasta and peas and mix with shrimp and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper if needed and serve.
Chicken Soup with Vegetables –
- 1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips or, 2c rotisserie chicken
- 1 carton chicken broth or stock
- 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
Heat a stockpot to medium/high heat and pour in 1T olive oil. Season chicken with salt, oregano, garlic powder and pepper (skip this step if you have rotisserie chicken) and cook in stockpot for 5-6 minutes until seared on all sides, stirring often. Pour in chicken broth/stock and bring to a boil. Add vegetables (I recommend half the bag) and simmer until heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve or freeze for future use.
Though it’s always fun to try new recipes and create multi-course meals. We don’t need that everyday. Some days, our best meals will have just a couple of staple items. Let me know how these work out on your family’s dinner table!
Need more ideas or help with creative but quick meals? Comment below!
Alexis