Archive for the ‘5 Ingredients or Less’ Category
Steamed Lobster Tails
December 17, 2024 Lee
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Steamed Lobster Tails

Simple Seafood Recipes
This recipe originally stated using lobster tails weighing from 6 to 8 ounces (170 to 226 g) each, and I can only source 4 ounce (113 g) lobster tails, but the steaming time will be similar, the most important check is the internal temp regardless of the size of the tail you are using, which is 60° C (140° F).
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 16 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 2 lobster tails per serving

Equipment

  • Rice Cooker with Steamer Tray or a large saucepan with a steamer tray
  • Kitchen scissors
  • Instant Read Thermometer

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lobster tails, 4, 6, or 8 oz (113, 170, or 226 g) each
  • salt and pepper, as desired
  • Old Bay seasoning, as desired
  • melted butter, for serving

Instructions
 

  • Add about 2 inches of water to your rice cooker and place the steamer tray on top then cover with the lid, set to cook to bring the water to a boil. (Feel free to use a large saucepan with a steamer tray if that is what you have, then place on high heat to bring the water to a boil.)
  • While the water is heating, prepare the lobster tails. Butterfly the tails by cutting along the top of the shell with a pair of kitchen scissors to just before the tail fin.
  • Turn the tail over and press down in the center to crack the ribs.
  • Turn the tail back over and gently open the shell and gently lift the tail meat out, leaving it attached to the tail fin, and rest it on top of the shell.
  • Run a knife down along the back, just deep enough to remove the dark vein.
  • Season with salt, pepper, and Old Bay seasoning as desired.
  • When the water is boiling, remove the lid and place the tails on the steamer tray, shell side down, and cover with the lid.
  • Steam for 6 to 8 minutes, the tell tale signs of the lobster is done is when the shells turn bright red and the meat turns solid white and is firm when pressed, and most importantly, use a meat thermometer and check the thickest part of the tail, the ideal temperature is 60° C (140° F).
  • Move the lobster tails to a serving plate and let rest, and if preparing more, add them to the steamer when the first batch comes out.
  • Serve with melted butter and sides of your choice.

Notes

High cost per serving as lobster tails in Makro are imported from Canada.
* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,SEAFOOD - ALL,Seafood - Lobster
Chili Bean Chili
October 7, 2024 Lee
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Chili Bean Chili

Lee
I came up with this on a whim. I like chili beans and I like chili with ground beef, so I made this, and it is very good and easy, and only 5 ingredients.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cans chili beans, (439 g / 16 oz each)
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, (565 g / 20 oz)
  • salt and pepper, as desired

Instructions
 

  • Heat a non stick pan on medium heat, add the onion and ground beef, season with black pepper as desired. Cook, breaking up the beef and mixing with the onion.
  • While the beef is cooking, open the chili beans and diced tomatoes, and pour into a pot.
  • Cook the beef until no pink remains, drain out most of the fat.
  • Add the beef to the pot with the tomatoes and beans.
  • Stir together and place on low heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring often.
  • Serve and enjoy.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Frito Casserole
September 17, 2024 Lee
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Frito Casserole

Princess Pinky Girl
I found this recipe while looking for dishes to make with canned chili, and this is perfect! This is also known as Frito Pie and Frito Pie Casserole. Three ingredients and about 20 minutes of your time and you can have a great dish.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

  • Casserole (2 quart)
  • Oven

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cans chili with beans, (15oz / 425g)
  • 4 cups Fritos chips, divided
  • 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • sour cream, for topping, optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F), lightly butter a 2 quart casserole dish.
  • Add 2 cups of the Frito chips to the bottom of the casserole.
  • Pour the chili over the chips and spread out evenly.
  • Sprinkle the rest of the chips over the chili.
  • Sprinkle with the cheese.
  • Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the chili is bubbly on the sides of the casserole. Remove from the oven and let the casserole rest for about 5 minutes.
  • Serve, and optionally top servings with a big dollop of sour cream, enjoy.

Notes

The most expensive item in this casserole is the Frito chips, so this is a high cost meal but an excellent one in a while meal.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,CASSEROLES
“Canned” Ham & Bean Soup
August 24, 2024 Lee
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"Canned" Ham & Bean Soup

Lee
I call this "Canned" in the title as I use canned beans and canned condensed soup. This is easy to put together, and the flavor is excellent! I made this on a whim to use up some frozen ham steaks I had lingering in the freezer. I made this on 23 Aug 2024, updated this on 10 Oct 2024.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cans white beans, undrained, (400 g / 14 oz each)
  • 2 cans condensed mushroom soup, (10½ oz / 298 g each)
  • 500 grams cooked ham, diced, (1 lb)
  • black pepper, as desired

Instructions
 

  • Add the beans (undrained) and the soup to a saucepan. (I used creamy mushroom chicken soup this time.)
  • Mix together to get the soup blended into the beans.
  • Dice the ham and add to the saucepan. Season with black pepper as desired.
  • Mix together. Place on low to medium heat and simmer to heat through, stirring often.
  • Ladle into bowls, serve and enjoy.

Notes

Fair cost per serving.
Variants: 1. Use canned pinto beans in place of white beans, or combination of white and pinto beans. 2. Use condensed creamy mushroom chicken soup in place of mushroom soup.
Updated on 10 October 2024.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI
Slow Cooker Whole Cauliflower
April 13, 2023 Lee
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Slow Cooker Whole Cauliflower

The Lazy Slow Cooker, Susan, United States.
This recipe is from a social media friend who specializes in slow cooker dishes. I made this on 12 Apr 2023, excellent flavor, and very well liked by the family.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker (4+ quart)

Ingredients
  

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions
 

  • Trim the stem of the cauliflower so the head will sit flat, remove any leaves, and give it a quick rinse and shake off the excess water. Place in the slow cooker. No need to remove the stem, it is just as good as the rest of the cauliflower.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the oil, mustard, cheese, and garlic to make the sauce.
  • Spoon the sauce on top of the cauliflower, right in the center. Let gravity pull the sauce down on the sides, and just even it out with the back of the spoon, until the head is covered evenly with the sauce.
  • Cover and set to Low, let cook for 6 to 8 hours, checking for doneness at 6 hours. If a fork can be easily inserted from the top to the bottom of the stem, it is done. I took the photo after I had cut the cauliflower into 6 wedges and started to serve.
  • Serve as a side dish, and enjoy.
#1 Go-To Recipes,5 Ingredients or Less,SIDES,Sides - Slow Cooker
Sausage Balls
March 12, 2023 Lee
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Sausage Balls

Favorite Recipes page 8, Sande Seale, St. Clair Shores, MI.
This recipe is from an extensive cookbook titled Favorite Recipes, compiled by the active and retired employees of Michigan Bell in 1981. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Equipment

  • Baking Sheet
  • Foil
  • Oven

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams pork sausage, (1 lb), Shortcut
  • 500 grams Cheddar cheese, shredded, (1 lb)
  • 3½ cups Bisquick Mix, Shortcut
  • pinch fresh parsley, chopped fine

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F), get out a baking, line with foil with the edges turned up, to make cleanup easier.
  • Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl, mix together.
  • Form into even sized balls. Arrange on baking sheet.
  • Bake for 20-30 minutes or until cooked through.
  • Serve as appetizers with dipping sauces of your choice. Enjoy.

Notes

Shortcuts: Pork Sausage, Bisquick Mix.
5 Ingredients or Less,APPETIZERS / SNACKS,Pork - Sausage
Chicken Nugget Casserole II
September 22, 2022 Lee
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Chicken Nugget Casserole II

Adapted from an internet recipe.
I made this on 28 Sep 2022, and it is incredibly good! Family absolutely loved this. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Notes section.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

  • Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
  • Foil
  • Oven

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kilo frozen chicken nuggets, you will not use them all, (2 lb)
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 4 cups spaghetti sauce, Shortcut
  • 2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • Italian seasoning, as desired, Shortcut

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F), grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
  • Place frozen chicken nuggets in the prepared dish in a single layer.
  • Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
  • Pour the spaghetti sauce over all the nuggets.
  • Sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese, then top that with Italian seasoning.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until the nuggets are heated through and the cheese melted. Remove the foil and bake another 5-10 minutes to just lightly start to brown the cheese on top. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
  • Serve and enjoy with sides of your choice.
    Excellent side dish ideas are pasta (classic), mashed potatoes (another classic), fresh salad, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or Saffron rice.

Notes

Fair cost per per serving based on the cheese used.
Shortcuts: Spaghetti/Pasta Sauce, Italian Seasoning.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,CHICKEN & TURKEY,Chicken - Nuggets
Chicken Nugget Spaghetti Bake
July 4, 2022 Lee
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Chicken Nugget Spaghetti Bake

Adapted from an internet recipe.
This is an excellent way to serve chicken nuggets. I made this on 21 Nov 2022, and adjusted the ingredients based on the family comments, and the updated ingredients are are updated.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

  • Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
  • Oven

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams dry spaghetti, (1 lb)
  • 4-5 cups pasta sauce, Shortcut
  • 500 grams frozen chicken nuggets, thawed, (1 lb)
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 cups Mozzarella cheese, or as desired

Instructions
 

  • Heat a pot of salted water to boiling. Add the spaghetti and cook until just tender, drain well.
  • Just before the spaghetti is done, preheat your oven to 180° (350° F), get out a 9x13 baking pan.
  • After the spaghetti is drained, add to the baking dish.
  • Add 2-3 cups of pasta sauce and mix together. Spread out evenly.
  • Top the spaghetti with the chicken nuggets in an even layer.
  • Drizzle another 1-2 cups of sauce over the nuggets, then sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
  • Top with Mozzarella cheese, be generous.
  • Bake for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is starting to brown.
  • Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Fair cost per serving based on the cheese used.
Shortcut: Pasta Sauce.
Updated on 21 November 2022.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,Chicken - Nuggets,PASTA
Bologna, Ham, or Chicken Salad
January 7, 2022 Lee
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Bologna, Ham, or Chicken Salad

Just A Pinch Recipe Club, Beverly Dunlap, United States.
This comes from the Just A Pinch Recipe Club, and is delicious! This recipe assumes you have hard boiled eggs on hand but if not, a link is provided for my favorite way to make them. This recipe requires a meat grinder or food processor, however, I can vouch for using a sharp knife and dicing sliced bologna or sliced ham. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 2 hours
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

  • Meat Grinder or Food Processor

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams bologna, ham, or cooked chicken, (1 lb), see Step 1
  • 4-6 dill pickles
  • 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled, Shortcut
  • 1 medium onion, quartered
  • 1 cup mayo

Instructions
 

  • For the Bologna and Ham, feel free to use bulk unsliced, or sliced. For sliced, you can use a sharp knife and quickly dice this, then finely dice the other ingredients, saving you the cleaning of a grinder or food processor. For grinding or processing, cut the bologna or ham into chunks.
    For the Chicken, cook it your preferred way, boiling, baking, leftovers, rotisserie, you get the idea. For this a grinder or processor would be the best way to go. Cut the chicken in to chunks.

Grinder / Food Processor Method

  • Run the bologna, ham, or chicken, pickles, eggs, and onion through your meat grinder or pulse with an S blade in your food processor until finely chopped.
  • Mix the ground / chopped ingredients together.
  • Add the mayo and mix together. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or even overnight.
  • Serve on bread, toast (buttered), or on crackers, enjoy.

Knife Method

  • For sliced bologna or ham place a stack of slices on a cutting board, cut thin slices all the way across, turn the board 90° and slice again, result is finely diced bologna or ham, add to a mixing bowl.
  • Now finely dice the pickles, eggs, and onion, adding each to the same mixing bowl.
  • Mix together.
  • Add the mayo and mix that in. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or even overnight. (I used Japanese Kewpie mayo, and already smoothed it out, ready to be covered and placed in the fridge.)
  • After several hours of chilling, I made sandwiches using my fresh baked multigrain bread, toasted and buttered. Delicious!

Notes

I will say Low cost for now as this does make a lot.
Shortcut: Perfect Hard Boiled Chicken Eggs. 
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,BURGERS & SANDWICHES,CHICKEN & TURKEY,PORK
Chu-Hi
November 1, 2021 Lee
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Chu-Hi

Adapted from an internet recipe.
I have drank many of these while stationed in Japan, four ingredients, and they are good! These are Japanese in origin but the alcohol is Korean, sochu.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 2 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 1 serving

Equipment

  • Tall Glass

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup sochu, Jinro is my preferred brand. from Korea
  • ¼ cup fruit juice, orange, grapefruit, pineapple, grape, work well
  • ¾ cup club soda
  • ice cubes, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Add the first three ingredients to a tall glass, add ice to fill, stir, and enjoy.
5 Ingredients or Less,DRINKS