Archive for the ‘5 Ingredients or Less’ Category
Haystacks
This is an old time recipe and is easy and tasty, only 4 ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup salted peanuts
- 2 cups chow mein noodles
Instructions
- Setup a double boiler and add the butterscotch chips and peanut butter. Place on medium heat.
- Melt the chips and stir often until all the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Remove from heat.
- Stir in the peanuts until nearly all coated, then stir in the noodles until they are fully coated.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, drop the mixture by teaspoonfuls and let sit until completely cooled, they will firm up once they have cooled.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
"Canned" Mashed Potatoes
Canned potatoes are a common low income / senior citizen commodity, and here is an easy way to make delicious mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
- 1 can canned potatoes, (15 oz / 425 g cans)
- butter, as desired
- milk, as desired
Instructions
- The key to using canned potatoes is to drain and rinse them. Open, drain, then rinse and drain the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a saucepan, add water to cover and place on high heat. I use sliced potatoes.
- When the water just starts to boil, remove from heat, and drain the water.
- Mash with a potato masher for a few seconds, I like mine chunky. Add a tablespoon or so of butter, or as desired, and a splash of milk, mash for a few more seconds to just mix the butter and milk into the potatoes.
- Place in a serving bowl, serve as a side with gravy of your choice, enjoy.
Notes
Low cost.
Variant: 1. Use whipping cream in place of milk.
Adapted from a 'prepper' recipe.Â
Mandarin Orange Cottage Cheese Salad
I made this on a whim and it turned out better than expected. Highly recommended if you like mandarin oranges. The cottage cheese salads I have made always used crushed pineapple, so I decided to change it up. This recipe uses canned mandarin oranges, when I return to Thailand I will use fresh mandarin oranges and report on that. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 can Mandarin oranges, segments in water, (15 oz / 425 g can)
- 1 box orange gelatin, small box, 3 oz if using Jello brand
- 1 tub Cool Whip whipped topping, (8 oz / 250 g)
- 1 containter Cottage cheese, (1 lb / 500 g), Shortcut
Instructions
- Open and drain the oranges, I used a can of Walmart brand packed in water. Drain the oranges well. Place on a cutting board and cut each segment into about 4-5 pieces, then drain them again.
- Place the orange pieces, cottage cheese, and gelatin powder in a mixing bowl. No water is used, trust me on this.
- Stir together until the color is uniform.
- Fold in the whipped topping but do not over mix.
- You can leave the salad in the mixing bowl, or do as I did and spoon into a serving dish, I used a 1 1/2 quart glass serving dish. Cover and place in the fridge to set for at least 1 hour.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Shortcut:Â Cottage Cheese.
My spin on a classic cottage cheese salad, Lee Thayer.
United States.
United States.
Frosted Flake Clusters
Just three ingredients, and they are tasty. Easy to make but you will need to chill them just a bit before serving as they are quite soft.
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 3 cups frosted flakes cereal
Instructions
- Setup a double boiler and add the butterscotch chips and peanut butter.
- Melt, stirring often, until the chips are completely melted and mixed into the peanut butter.
- Remove from heat and stir in the frosted flakes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper, drop the candies onto the paper by teaspoons, allow to cool, then place in the fridge to chill before serving to make sure they are firmed up.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Cottage Cheese Jello Salad II
This is variant I found of a common cottage cheese jello salad. Just 4 ingredients and no water for this version. I state one of the ingredients as gelatin, in the US, you will know this as Jello, in Thailand, you will know this as Imperial or Lobo brand. This is also called "... Stuff" so if you make this with orange jello and oranges, then it would be "Orange Stuff."Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 box any flavor gelatin, small box, 3 oz, if using Jello brand
- 2 cans crushed pineapple, drained well, (8 oz / 250 g cans)
- 1 tub Cool Whip whipped topping, (8 oz / 250 g)
- 1 container Cottage cheese, (1 lb / 500 g), Shortcut
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the cottage cheese, drained pineapple, and the gelatin powder from the box. I used a box of strawberry jello.
- Stir together until the color is uniform. No water is used.
- Fold in the cool whip until combined but do not over mix.
- You can leave the salad in the mixing bowl, or do as I did and spoon into a serving dish, I used a 1 1/2 quart glass serving dish. Cover and place in the fridge to set for at least 1 hour.
- Serve and enjoy.
- Flavors I have tested (and they are great):
Strawberry Jello & Strawberries.
Orange Jello & Mandarin Oranges.
Pineapple Jello & Pineapple Tidbits.
Lime Jello & Fruit Cocktail.
Cherry Jello & Tart Cherries.
Orange Jello & Fruit Cocktail.
Peach Jello & Fruit Cocktail.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Cottage Cheese.
Variant: 1. Mix in 2 cups of mini marshmallows.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Cottage Cheese Jello Salad I
This is a favorite from when I was growing up. Just 4 ingredients. I state one of the ingredients as gelatin, in the US, you will know this as Jello, in Thailand, you will know this as Imperial or Lobo brand. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 2 boxes lime gelatin, small boxes, 3 oz each, if using Jello
- water, as directed on the gelatin boxes
- 1 tub Cool Whip whipped topping, (8 oz)
- 1 container Cottage cheese, (1 lb), Shortcut
Instructions
- Prepare the gelatin as directed on the boxes.
- When the gelatin starts to set up, mix in the cottage cheese.
- Fold in the whipped topping.
- Place in the fridge to set for at least 3 hours.
- Serve as a side dish with any meal. Enjoy.
Notes
Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
Only 3 ingredients and these are tasty. For the chocolate, feel free to use chocolate compound, almond bark, or chocolate chips.
Ingredients
- 285 grams shredded coconut, (10 oz)
- 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 chocolate, melted, type and method of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. The parchment paper is highly recommended, if you are out, foil greased with butter will work but expect a little sticking as well.
- In a mixing bowl, add the coconut and the condensed milk.
- Scoop out 2 tablespoons of coconut mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet, shape into a rounded mound. These do not spread so you can place them fairly close.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
- Remove from the sheet and place on a rack to cool.
- Melt the chocolate of your choice, I used chocolate almond bark melted in a double boiler. When the chocolate is melted. Drop a macaroon onto the chocolate and lift out with a fork to a sheet of foil and allow to cool.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Oreo Pie
This recipe comes from the label on a Oreo pie crust, and uses Oreo Cookies N' Cream pudding mix, and I will be taking a few boxes of that with me when I return to Thailand. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 Oreo pie crust, store bought or homemade, Shortcut
- 2 boxes Oreo Cookies N' Cream pudding, (4 servings per box)
- 2 1/2 cups cold milk
- 1 tub Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed, (8 oz)
- 3-4 Oreo cookies, cut in half, for garnish
Instructions
- Add the pudding mix and milk in a large mixing bowl. Whisk for 2 minutes.
- Stir in half of the whipped topping.
- Pour mixture into the pie crust. Cover and place in the fridge in the fridge for at least 4 hours or until the pie is fully set and firm.
- When ready to serve, top with remaining whipped topping. Top with the cookie halves, evenly spaced. Use 6 pieces for 6 slices or 8 pieces for 8 slices.
- Slice evenly between the cookies, serve, and enjoy.
Notes
Snowman Cookies
This recipe will use the store bought Nutter Butter cookies and the reason for this is the shape. No quantities are given for this guide, this is just a make what you want guide.
Ingredients
- Nutter Butter cookies
- vanilla almond bark
- MM candies
- decorating gel, red or orange
- decorating gel, black
Instructions
- Place the cookies in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before you start, you need them chilled when you start dipping them.
- Setup a double boiler and add the vanilla almond bark and let it melt fully. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Add some MM candies to a small bowl.
- When the bark is melted and smooth, drop a Nutter Butter cookie into the bark, use a fork and roll it over to make sure it is coated, lift it out, shake off the excess, and place on the foil or parchment. Place two MM candies (same color) on one end of the cookie, these will be the buttons. Repeat for as many as you want to make.
- Once the vanilla bark cools and hardens, use the black decorating gel to make eyes and a mouth and the red or orange to make a nose. Let the gel set.
- Serve and enjoy, don't stack these or you may damage the eye, mouth, and nose features.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Adapted from looking at a photo of these.
Chocolate Covered...
I used the Tulip brand of chocolate compound, aka almond bark, in Thailand when I made Rocky Road Candies, and they turned out great. Then after that, I dipped cookies spread with peanut butter in the chocolate, and even cherries. This is just a guide and more or less for me to document what I am coating with the chocolate. Since chocolate compound needs no tempering, just melt and use. No quantities are listed for this guide.
Ingredients
- chocolate compound
Items to Dip (what I have used)
- large marshmallows
- maraschino cherries
- vanilla wafer cookies
- graham crackers
- butter crackers, flavor the chocolate with peppermint extract
- peanut butter cheese crackers
- Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Cookies
- Cream Wafer Cookies
Instructions
- First thing to do is to chill whatever you plan on coating with chocolate. Place items on a tray and place in the fridge to chill for at 30 minutes.
- Setup two pots, one that fits inside the other, with the smaller pot ideally with handles to keep it above the bottom of the larger pot. Add water to the larger pot set the smaller pot inside. The goal is to just heat the smaller pot with steam from the larger pot. Add your chocolate compound. I have 1 kilo (2 lbs) in this pot. Put the pot on medium heat to create steam, no need for a rolling boil with the water.
- Once the chocolate compound is fully melted, you are ready to start. When you get done, just pour the left over chocolate into a small foil dish or heatproof bowl and allow to cool. Once hardened, you can simply use it again at a later date.
Marshmallows
- For large marshmallows, you can spear each one with a wooden skewer or simply toss one in the chocolate, flip it around with a fork, lift it out, shake off excess, and place on parchment paper or foil to cool.
- Serve and enjoy.
Peanut Butter Cheese Crackers
- Here is the glow in the dark crackers I remember from my childhood.
- Simply toss one in the chocolate, flip it over with a fork, lift it out, shake off excess, and place on parchment paper or foil to cool. I sprinkled on some chocolate sprinkles I had on hand.
- Serve and enjoy.
Butter Cracker Thin Mints
- Mix in 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, after it is mixed in, simply toss a cracker in the chocolate, flip it over with a fork, lift it out, shake off excess, and place on parchment paper or foil to cool. I sprinkled on some chocolate sprinkles I had on hand.
- Serve and enjoy.
Marshmallow Peeps
- Dip then add a mini marshmallow for a tail. I also added chocolate sprinkles.
ChipMates
- This is my shout to Kroger. ChipMates are a Kroger brand of cookies that are excellent, and I used the Chunky version of these.
Graham Crackers
- This basically makes S'mores but I dipped the crackers first in the chocolate, let that set up.
- Add some marshmallow cream to a cracker, top with another cracker, cheater type S'more.
Notes
In Thailand, a block of Tulip brand chocolate compound, 1 kilo (2 lbs), costs about 218 Baht ($7.25), in the US, Walmart brand, chocolate almond bark, 1 1/2 lbs (24 oz / 680 g) costs about $2.77. Per serving cost is actually low as you can dip a lot of items. The good part is you can save leftovers of the compound and use at another time or add to a new batch.
Common method for making candies, nothing new here.