Archive for the ‘5 Ingredients or Less’ Category
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Easy chocolate frosting with only five ingredients. This, is my go to chocolate frosting!
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 2 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix by hand or with a electric mixer until you have a spreadable frosting, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time to achieve your desired consistency.
- Makes enough frosting for a layer cake, a 9x13 pan, or 24 cup cakes.
Notes
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Ghirardelli Brownie Cake, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Dream Cake, made it, GO-TO recipe.
Peach Dump Cake I
This is a 4 ingredient dessert that is much like a cobbler, and is quick and easy to put together. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 3 cans sliced peaches, in syrup, (14-15 oz / 425 g cans)
- 1 box yellow cake mix, Shortcut
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, Shortcut
- 3/4 cup butter, cut into 24 slices, (1 1/2 sticks)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F). Get out a 9x13 baking dish. Slice the butter.
- Open all 3 cans of peaches, drain 1 can only. Pour the cans of peaches with the syrup into the baking dish and pour the drained peaches into the dish as well.
- Add the boxed cake mix to a mixing bowl, just the contents of the box, no items listed on the box are used. Add the pumpkin spice to the cake mix and whisk that together.
- Sprinkle the cake mix over the peaches, covering all the peaches, smooth out the dry mix evenly.
- Place the butter slices equally over the cake mix. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until nice and golden brown and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
- Serve with whipped topping or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Yellow Cake Mix, Pumpkin Pie Spice.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here. United States.
Cheese Cracker Chicken
This comes from a friend, and just three ingredients needed. I made these on 18 August 2019, using 9 legs and 4 thighs, and I will say, this is tasty chicken. Feel free to use breasts, legs, or legs and thighs.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 1/4 cup butter, melted, (1/2 stick)
- 3 cups Cheez-It crackers, crushed, about 12 oz box
Instructions
- For the stated ingredients, keep in mind you can make this with different chicken pieces and any amount you like, but do not mix breasts with legs or thighs to ensure even cooking on all items at one time. Also if increasing the number of chicken pieces, increase the butter as needed.
- Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F). Get out a baking sheet and line it with foil for easy clean up, making sure the foil has an edge on all sides to prevent any fat from contacting the baking sheet.
- I crushed up one 12 oz box of Cheez-It crackers, whole grain type, and it came out to 3 cups. I left the crumbs with a bit of texture to them. And I melted the butter in the microwave, about 1/2 cup was used as I increased the amount of chicken.
- I used 9 legs and 4 thighs, all skin on. After dipping in butter and coating with the crackers, I sprinkled some of the cracker crumbs on the chicken after all pieces were placed on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 50 minutes then check either with a meat thermometer, target temp is 74 C (165 F) or just cut a large piece in half or through to the bone to check that it is cooked through and juices run clear.
- Transfer chicken to a serving tray, serve, and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Recipe adapted from Just A Pinch Recipe Club, Ellen Bales, and the original recipe is here.
United States.
United States.
Any Flavor Cake
I got this recipe from my Mom, and she has made this for years. This is an easy and delicious cake to make. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 box cake mix recipe, any flavor, Shortcut
- 1 box instant pudding mix, small box, a flavor that compliments the cake flavor
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup cooking oil
- 1 cup warm water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F) and pick out a baking pan, either a bundt pan or 9x13 pan. Grease the pan of your choice lightly with butter or cooking spray.
- For the cake mix and the pudding mix, DO NOT follow the instructions on the boxes, just use the ingredients listed in this recipe. If you are making the homemade cake mixes, prepare per those instructions using the dry ingredients listed.
- In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and mix, beat 2 minutes.
- Pour into the prepared baking dish and spread out evenly.
- Bake the 9x13 cake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. For a bundt cake, adjust the baking time to 50 to 60 minutes. Allow a bundt cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan.
- Frost with your choice of frosting if desired, serve and enjoy.
Suggested Cake & Pudding Combinations
- Devil's Food cake mix and chocolate pudding mix, add 1 cup of chocolate chips to the batter before baking, frost with a chocolate butter cream frosting.
- White cake mix and vanilla pudding mix, use coconut milk in place of the water, egg whites instead of the eggs, frost with butter cream and sprinkle with coconut.
- White cake mix and white chocolate pudding mix, use egg whites instead of eggs. (Very slight taste of white chocolate.)
- Spice cake mix and butterscotch pudding.
Notes
Low cost per cake but keep in mind, adding extras to the cake increases the overall cost per serving.
Shortcuts: Chocolate Cake Mix, Yellow Cake Mix, Spice Cake Mix, White Cake Mix.
Provided by my Mom, Joann Thayer, United States.
Pork & Noodles
This is a basic recipe for using canned pork for a quick and low cost meal, and it is very versatile. Read the Variants. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 500 grams dry macaroni, or any bite size pasta, (1 lb)
- 1 can pork, drained, fat removed, (750 g / 1½ lb)
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, (26 oz / 737 g Family Size can), Shortcut
- 1 packet chicken gravy mix, Shortcut
- 1 can peas, drained, or 2 cups frozen, steamed
- salt and pepper, as desired
Instructions
- Heat a pot of salted water, when boiling, add the pasta and cook until tender, drain.
- While the water is heating for the pasta, prepare the packet of chicken gravy in a small sauce pan.
- While the water is heating for the pasta, add the pork and soup to a pot. Heat the pot on medium low heat, breaking up the pork with your spatula and stirring occasionally.
- When the pasta is tender and drained, add to the pot with the pork. Stir to combine, taste, and season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Add the peas and gravy, mix in. Cook until heated through.
- Serve with a side veggy or salad. Enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Shortcuts: Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, Condensed Cream of Celery Soup. Chicken Gravy Mix.
Variants: 1. Add a can of drained vegetable, such as corn, diced carrots, or even mixed vegetables in place of peas. 2. Add a can of diced tomatoes. 3. Saute a diced onion, diced bell pepper, or even sliced mushrooms, or any combination of these, before adding the pork. 4. Add a jar of sliced green olives with pimentos. 5. Season with fajita seasoning. 6. Add spices to taste such as rosemary, parsley, thyme, oregano, in addition to salt and pepper. 7. Use ground pork, cooked and drained, in place of canned pork.
Updated on 9 June 2021.
Cucumber Radish Salad
This is an excellent use of radishes and is a tasty side dish. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
- 20 red radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
- ½ cup spring onion, or chives, thinly sliced
- ¾ cup sour cream, Shortcut
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Prep the cucumber, radishes, and spring onion and add to a mixing bowl.
- Mix together the veggies, cover, and place in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
- Right before you serve, mix in the sour cream and season with sea salt as desired. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Shortcut: Sour Cream.
Variants: 1. Use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. 2. Use mayo (Kewpie mayo preferred) in place of sour cream.
Cheese Cracker Chicken Tenders I
These sound very good, chicken tenders and cheese crackers, sounds like a win win to me.
Ingredients
- 12 chicken tenders
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup butter, melted
- 3 cups Cheez-It crackers
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190 C (375 F) and get out a baking dish.
- Crush the crackers, leaving them a bit chunky. Crush them with your hands, in a zip lock bag and a rolling pin, food processor, totally up to you. Place cracker crumbs in a shallow dish.
- Dip the tenders in sour cream to evenly coat all sides.
- Roll the tenders in the cracker crumbs to evenly coat all sides.
- Place tenders in the baking dish and drizzle with the butter. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
I will price this when I get chicken tenders/fillets from Tesco again. For now I will say Low cost per serving.
Variant: 1. Mix a packet of Ranch Dressing into the sour cream before coating the chicken.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Butternut Squash Fries
This recipe comes from my Mom from one of the many recipes she has collected over the years, and these not only sound good, they are excellent, a great alternative to rating mashed squash.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, the one I used was 1.5 kilos, about 3 lbs
- coarse salt, as desired
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220 C (425 F). Spray a wire rack with non stick spray and place on baking sheet.
- Peel the squash, cut the ends off, then cut the round part off from the straight part.
- Cut the round part and straight parts in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds from the round parts.
- Use a straight knife or crinkle knife and slice the parts into fries.
- Place the fries on the rack and sprinkle with sea salt as desired.
- Bake for 20 minutes then use tongs to carefully turn the fries over, bake again for about 20 minutes or until they are tender.
- Sprinkle with additional salt as desired, serve and enjoy as a side dish with your favorite dipping sauce such as ketchup, sriracha, mayo, etc.
Notes
Low cost.
Provided by my Mom, Joanne Thayer.
United States.
United States.
Mom's Oven BBQ Ribs
This recipe comes from my Mom, who has been making this since 1959 (60 years) when she first made this in a high school home economics class. This is the ribs recipe, the sauce stated here uses Mom's BBQ Sauce with a link in the Recipe Notes section. And you can also use any BBQ sauce of your choice. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 2 kilos pork ribs, (4 lbs)
- 1 batch Mom's BBQ Sauce, or BBQ sauce of your choice, Shortcut
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160 C (325 F), get out a large baking dish.
- Rinse the ribs and place in the baking dish, cutting the racks as needed to fit in the dish. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours.
- Remove lid and pour on 1/3 of the BBQ sauce and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- Repeat two more times to use all the sauce until the ribs are nicely browned and tender.
Notes
I will price this when I get ribs at Tesco again.
Shortcut: Mom's BBQ Sauce.
Provided by my Mom, Joanne Thayer.
United States.
United States.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Dump Cake
This recipe comes from my mom, and it sounds great, and it is good! Bonus is only 5 ingredients. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 box chocolate cake mix, Shortcut
- 1 package chocolate pudding mix, small package
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup mini Reese cups
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F). Get out a 9x13 baking dish and lightly grease with butter or non stick spray.
- For the cake mix, DO NOT add any items listed on the box, just use what is listed in the Ingredients and Instructions listed on this recipe.
- The milk, chocolate chips, and reeses are measured out, I made my homemade chocolate cake mix, and the pudding mix is the darker powder in the mixing bowl.
- Add the milk to the cake mix, and pudding mix, stir to mix together.
- Add the Reese cups to the mixing bowl and fold those into the batter.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the edges pull away from the pan.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Chocolate Cake Mix.
Provided by my Mom, Joann Thayer, United States.
