Sometimes dinner just needs to be easy. Because most parents (including myself) find it tough to make dinner every single night. That’s why I love having a stable of dinners with 5 ingredients or less on hand. Not counting salt and pepper, these are a dozen delicious dinners with five ingredients or less, that all four of my kids love. 

12 Dinners with 5 ingredients or less

Grilled Salmon with Pesto

Easily the best way to eat salmon. This takes 15 minutes to cook and there’s never a bite left.

Easy Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough

Every week I ask each kid “What’s one dinner you’d like to have this week?” Homemade pizza is ALWAYS on the list.

Fried Cabbage with Crumbled Bacon

If you don’t think you like cabbage, I’m talking to you right now. It’s not what you think. Abandon all thoughts of weird smells and replace it with buttery, rich and creamy bites that melt in your mouth. With bacon. 

Pork & Pineapple Skewers

If you’ve ever tried Hawaiian Pizza, you’ll LOVE the sweet and zesty flavors of these skewers. Plus, meat on a stick = magic for getting kids excited about dinner.

Straccetti: Arugula Salad with Sizzling Steak and Parmesan Cheese

This is one of the simplest — and BEST — things I learned to cook while we lived in Rome, Italy. Super fast, delightfully filling on a hot summer night.

One-Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

So easy, and so good, this is a 2-3 bowler at our house. Bonus: Our 8YO can make this himself.

Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken with Roasted Veggies

Bright and sweet, lemon flavor is sprinkled throughout the whole dinner.

For a dinner with 5 ingredients or less, you really cannot do better.

 

Cheese Ravioli with Spinach and Bacon

Start with store-bought ravioli and add a handful of kitchen staples that come together like superheroes. 

Simple Sliders with Sausage & Bell Peppers 

Sliders are a once-a-week menu item for us. They’re the perfect size for feeding a crowd.

Baked Eggs with Ham

Creamy and surprisingly satisfying, these little ramekins pack a total flavor punch your whole family will love. 

Melty Apple-Jack Sandwiches

Along with sliders, I serve a hot and toasted sandwich at least once a week, especially when I’m making dinner with 5 ingredients or less. This combo of smokey ham and sweet apple butter is my kids’ favorite.

Honey-Mustard Chicken

Of all the recipes, and I do mean all of them, this is my family’s favorite. It’s called The Chicken and I can’t make it often enough. #crowdpleaser

Making dinner with 5 ingredients or less is easier than you think. This collection of simple recipes is the best of allll the dinners I’ve made for my family of six over, and over.