16 3-Ingredient Dinners for a Simple, Healthy Night
You only need a few ingredients (not counting basics like oil, salt and pepper) to whip up one of these deliciously simple three-ingredient meals. From cheesy pasta and fresh salads to savory hash and crunchy tostadas, these dinners are perfect for enjoying at the end of a busy day. Recipes like our 3-Ingredient Sweet Potato & Brussels Sprout Hash with Chicken Sausage and 3-Ingredient Goat Cheese Pasta with Broccoli prove that an easy recipe can still be unbelievably tasty.
Naturally, three-ingredient dishes like these shouldn't break the bank, as you'll be tucking them into a shopping basket instead of loading up a cart. Better yet, some ingredients were chosen to considerably shave down the prep time—sometimes down to five minutes using bagged salad and slaw blends. While there are meals in this selection that serve four, many serve two—ideal for those not keen on leftovers. But any of these recipes can easily be doubled or tripled if you're feeding family or friends.
3-Ingredient Cheese Tortellini with Tomatoes & Basil
This Italian-inspired dish is made with just three ingredients—roasted tomatoes, tortellini and fresh basil—to create a delicious, easy dinner. Roasting the cherry tomatoes coaxes out their natural sweetness. It's worth the time. Trust us!
3-Ingredient Sweet Potato & Brussels Sprout Hash with Chicken Sausage
Apple-flavored chicken sausage adds flavor and protein in this quick dinner hash that uses a bag of shaved Brussels sprouts as its hearty, high-fiber base. Steaming the cubed sweet potatoes in the microwave cuts way down on total cook time.
3-Ingredient Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Chickpeas
Boxed blended soups are the perfect canvas for simple stir-ins to make them more substantial and satisfying. Here, roasted red pepper soup is jazzed up with canned chickpeas and fresh baby spinach for a fast, comforting meal.
3-Ingredient Goat Cheese Pasta with Broccoli
Swap out regular pasta for pasta made with chickpeas, and you'll more than triple the fiber and double the protein in this simple, satisfying dish. Be sure to save some of the pasta water to make a sauce. Feel free to use frozen broccoli in a pinch (you can quick-cook the broccoli in the same water you use to cook the pasta).
3-Ingredient Creamy Rotisserie Chicken Salad
We put a flavor twist on the classic chicken salad by using a lemon-herb mayonnaise. Try other mayo varieties, like roasted garlic or chipotle lime, in this fast, no-cook lunch recipe. Serve this rotisserie chicken salad recipe with whole-grain crackers.
3-Ingredient One-Pot Lemon Pasta with Rotisserie Chicken
This satisfying one-pot pasta cooks with just the right amount of water, so you're left with perfectly cooked noodles and enough starchy liquid to act as a sauce. Stir in lemon juice and zest at the end for a bright finish.
3-Ingredient Chickpeas with Kale & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes pull double duty in this recipe. Use the oil from the jar to cook the kale, then stir in the sun-dried tomatoes to add flavor and texture to the dish.
3-Ingredient Farro Bowl with Rotisserie Chicken
To make this hearty grain bowl, grab a salad kit from the grocery store. Then, top the kit with farro and chicken for a high-protein lunch or dinner that's ready in minutes.
3-Ingredient Chicken Salad Tostadas
For this three-ingredient dinner, a premade salad kit is the perfect shortcut because it has everything you need in one bag, including the dressing. Swap in canned black beans for the chicken to make this vegetarian.
3-Ingredient Chicken Tabbouleh Bowls
This almost-instant grain bowl makes the most of the prepared-foods section at your grocery store. Toss together a ready-made salad with proteins for a healthy, quick dinner.
3-Ingredient Teriyaki Edamame Sauté
Whip up this high-fiber, plant-based stir-fry for a quick and convenient dinner. Look for bottled teriyaki sauce labeled less sodium or reduced sodium to cut back on the salt without sacrificing flavor.
3-Ingredient Tortellini with Sausage & Kale
Precooked chicken sausage is a handy shortcut ingredient because it heats up quickly and adds lots of flavor without a lot of fuss. A roasted garlic variety pairs perfectly with cheese tortellini and sautéed leafy greens.
3-Ingredient White Bean & Pesto Risotto
Amp up the protein and flavor of a box of risotto by adding some roasted white beans and prepared pesto. You'll be amazed how delicious it is when you combine these three easy ingredients!
3-Ingredient Refried Bean & Pico de Gallo Tostadas
Making your own tostadas is easy. Use store-bought corn tortillas, brush them with olive oil and bake to crunchy perfection! Here we topped the tostada with refried beans and fresh pico de gallo for an easy three-ingredient meal.
3-Ingredient Chicken Caesar Flatbread
A frozen cauliflower-based pizza crust becomes the crispy base for this no-fuss flatbread. Pick up a Caesar-style salad kit to save yourself the hassle of needing to buy lots of other ingredients (everything's included in the kit!). Use rotisserie chicken breast to simplify prep even more.
3-Ingredient Green Goddess White Bean Salad
Bagged salad and slaw blends are great shortcut ingredients for adding variety without needing to wash and chop lots of different vegetables. Toss a kale-and-broccoli slaw mix with canned white beans and yogurt-based green goddess dressing for a crunchy main-dish salad in minutes.
Read the original article on Eating Well.