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Home » How to Start » Meal Planning

10 Dinner Recipes with 10 Ingredients or Less (+ substitution ideas!)

Many of us are trying to work with the limited ingredients that we have on hand because of empty store shelves or to avoid venturing out for just one or two things. So, today I thought I'd share a list of dinners that you can make with very few ingredients (10 or less)!

10 Dinner ideas and substitutes on 100 Days of Real Food

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I've included all sorts of ingredient substitutes so you can make these recipes work no matter what. Of course, some of the swaps may alter the end result, but not in a bad way—so you'll still end up with a delicious dinner!

Table of Contents
  1. Ten Dinner Recipes with 10 Ingredients or Less
  2. 1) Grilled Sausage and Bell Pepper Kabobs
  3. 2) The Easiest Spinach Lasagna
  4. 3) Green Cury Fish Packets
  5. 4) Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Pork and Veggies
  6. 5) Wild Mushroom and Brussels Sprouts Quesadillas
  7. 6) Easy Slow Cooker Steak Chili
  8. 7) Kale and Tomato Alfredo Pasta
  9. 8) Easy Kale, Sausage, and White Bean Soup
  10. 9) Pesto Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner
  11. 10) Creamy Mushroom Vegetable Soup (with barley)

Ten Dinner Recipes with 10 Ingredients or Less

I know meat is hard to come by for some so I was sure to include vegetarian, seafood, and alternative meat dishes (other than chicken) in this list. There's plenty of variety here so you can hopefully find what you need in your area to make these recipes. One thing is for sure, the people stuck at home right now are a HUNGRY bunch! :)


Sausage and Bell Pepper Kabobs on the grill.

1) Grilled Sausage and Bell Pepper Kabobs

My Grilled Sausage and Bell Pepper Kabobs recipe has only seven ingredients (not counting salt and pepper). Possible substitutions:

  • Zucchini or squash instead of bell peppers
  • Chicken or steak (actually marinaded in the olive oil mixture) instead of sausage
  • Shallot or yellow onion instead of red onion
  • Balsamic vinegar instead of red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano instead of fresh

Piece of spinach lasagna on a white plate with a red and white checkered napkin.

2) The Easiest Spinach Lasagna

My Spinach Lasagna recipe has only seven ingredients (not counting salt and pepper). Possible substitutions:

  • Cottage cheese instead of ricotta
  • Leave out egg instead of using one
  • Any boiled noodles instead of lasagna noodles (casserole will end up more of a mix instead of layered)
  • 1 pound fresh spinach cooked down in skillet instead of frozen

Green Curry Fish ingredients on parchment paper and tin foil ready to be cooked.

3) Green Cury Fish Packets

My Green Cury Fish Packets recipe has only five ingredients (not counting salt and pepper). Possible substitutions:

  • Chicken (thinly sliced) instead of fish
  • Snow peas or edamame instead of sugar snap peas
  • Steamed potatoes instead of brown rice

Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Pork and Veggies on a pan ready to be cooked.

4) Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Pork and Veggies

My Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Pork and Veggies recipe has only four ingredients (not including salt and pepper). Possible substitutions:

  • Maple syrup instead of honey
  • Regular mustard instead of Dijon
  • Chicken breasts or thighs (boneless) instead of pork tenderloin
  • Asparagus instead of green beans

Wild Mushroom and Brussel Sprouts Quesadillas  on a white plate with a side of sour cream, lime wedges and cilantro.

5) Wild Mushroom and Brussels Sprouts Quesadillas

My Wild Mushroom and Brussels Sprouts Quesadillas recipe has only nine ingredients (not including salt and pepper). Possible substitutions:

  • Olive oil instead of butter
  • Onion (any variety) instead of shallots
  • Chopped cabbage instead of Brussels sprouts
  • Canned lentils instead of mushrooms
  • Munster, Havarti, or queso fresco instead of Monterey Jack (for the best flavor), or any mild cheese if that's all you've got
  • Leave out feta instead of using (add extra of the other type of cheese)

Two bowls of hot steak chili topped with cheese.

6) Easy Slow Cooker Steak Chili

My Easy Slow Cooker Steak Chili recipe has only seven ingredients (plus optional toppings and not including salt and pepper). Possible substitutions:

  • Other beef cuts (chuck, steak, etc) instead of stew beef
  • Dried beans instead of canned or pinto beans instead of kidney beans
  • Canned crushed tomatoes or fresh tomatoes (boiled/peeled, if desired, and diced) instead of canned diced tomatoes
  • Check out these Steak Recipes and these Ground Beef Recipes

Kale and Tomato Alfredo on a white serving bowl with gold serving fork and spoon.

7) Kale and Tomato Alfredo Pasta

My Kale and Tomato Alfredo Pasta recipe has only nine ingredients (not counting salt and pepper). Possible substitutions:

  • Zucchini noodles (zoodles) instead of whole-wheat noodles
  • Olive oil instead of butter
  • Spinach instead of kale
  • Any type of tomato chopped instead of cherry tomatoes
  • Omit fresh parsley instead of using fresh

A big bowl of hot Kale, Sausage and White Bean Soup on a table.

8) Easy Kale, Sausage, and White Bean Soup

My Easy Kale, Sausage, and White Bean Soup recipe has only seven ingredients (not counting salt and pepper). Possible substitutions:

  • Veggie or beef broth instead of chicken broth
  • Broccoli instead of kale
  • Dried beans instead of canned
  • Bratwurst instead of Italian sausage

Pesto Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner with zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes on a sheet pan.

9) Pesto Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner

My Pesto Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner recipe has only 10 ingredients (not including salt and pepper). Possible substitutions:

  • Mild white fish (snapper, flounder, mahi-mahi, cod, etc) instead of salmon
  • Kale or extra basil instead of spinach
  • Walnuts instead of pine nuts
  • White beans instead of cherry tomatoes
  • Broccoli instead of zucchini and squash

Creamy Mushroom Vegetable Soup  with barley in a white bowl.

10) Creamy Mushroom Vegetable Soup (with barley)

My Creamy Mushroom Vegetable Soup recipe has only nine ingredients (not including salt and pepper). Possible substitutions:

  • Olive oil instead of butter
  • Onion (any variety) instead of shallots
  • Extra carrots for celery (or extra celery for carrots)
  • Veggie or beef broth instead of chicken broth
  • Omit heavy cream instead of using any

I hope these dinner ideas help. Check out these Easy Dinner Ideas too. I'd love to hear the simple recipes you've been making lately in the comments below!

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Comments

  1. micheal fred says

    May 06, 2020 at 7:36 am

    Wow!! Those look yummny. I will start with Kale and Tomato Alfredo Pasta tommorrow. Thanks for sharring.

    Reply
  2. Betty Thelma says

    April 10, 2020 at 4:52 am

    Wow!! Those look yummny. I will start with Kale and Tomato Alfredo Pasta tommorrow. Thanks for sharring.

    Reply
  3. Linda Sutter says

    April 07, 2020 at 3:00 pm

    Our entire extended family has always loved the Steak Chili, but we always use half the meat! And we have used different cuts-round steak, stew beef, etc.!

    Reply
    • 100 Days Admin says

      April 08, 2020 at 10:01 am

      That's great to hear! - Nicole

      Reply
  4. Heidi says

    April 07, 2020 at 1:58 pm

    Thank you for sharing your menus and ideas! I'm definitely going to add the kabobs, sheet pan pork and salmon to our meal plan. I've been trying to make more easy meals, like marinating a flank steak and grilling it, baking fish with rice and making chili in the crockpot.

    Reply

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