# Post your best five ingredients or less recipes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 31, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287 "2012-08-31T18:11:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/21 "2012-09-05T17:41:57Z")
> [@madrabbitwoman](#): > > from here [Boston Baked Beans. - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=664436) > > my recipe for Boston baked beans: > 2 tins normal baked beans > 1 onion diced > teaspoon mustard > 1/2 dozen rashers fake bacon/notdogs pan fried (the notdogs are particularly good) Vegetarian > Golden syrup/treacle to taste (most recipes I’ve seen have treacle but golden syrup works fine) > in a dish in the oven until bubbly. > om nom nom nom We use brown sugar instead of golden syrup/treacle. And I’ve used a variety of different sausages (hot dogs, brats, whatever), sometimes cut the long way, sometimes cut into coins. The sausage/meat does need to be thoroughly cooked before heating. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/22 "2012-09-05T18:04:19Z")
Sausage of your choice in chunks potatoes, cut up onion, chopped olive or other vegetable oil pepper Fry them all until nice and crispy. Eggs Purgatorio: Leftover spaghetti sauce eggs cheese Heat the sauce, dump in a couple of raw eggs and the cheese, poach until the eggs are cooked (with runny yolks) and the cheese is melty. Breakfast Burrito eggs cream cheese bacon chili spices flour tortillas Cut up the bacon, season with chili spices and saute. Scramble the eggs, add cream cheese near the end. Heat torts one at a time in a large frying pan. Stuff. I also like to add cilantro. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/23 "2012-09-05T18:16:47Z")
Here’s a salsa recipe I’ve discovered recently: 2 cups chopped fresh pineapple 1 smoked habanero (or three chipotles) 1 cup onion 1 cup cilantro 1 clove of garlic Put all the ingredients in a blender to mix them all up. Cook it down a bit if you’d like, I’m not sure this step is even necessary. Extremely good. Add more peppers if you can handle it. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/24 "2012-09-05T18:33:18Z")
> [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](#): > > I don’t know what this is called. I read the recipe in a local cookbook when I was a kid. In my experience, for some reason women love it, and men can take it or leave it. I’m sure that’s just the result of a small sample group, though: > > Ingredients: > [ul][li]Graham crackers[/li][li]1 cup butter[/li][li]1 cup brown sugar. Probably light, but I doubt it really matters.[/ul][/li] > Optional Ingredients: > [ul][li]Chopped pecans, or any other nut. But I think pecans would be best.[/ul][/li] > Method: > [ul][li]Preheat the oven to 350.[/li][li]Line a greased (with Pam or somethign) baking pan (or a cookie sheet, if you’re careful and line the bottom of the oven with tinfoil first) with the graham crackers. Set it aside for now.[/li][li]Melt the butter in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.[/li][li]Add the brown sugar and bring it up to a simmer/boil. Leave it there for two minutes, or until it’s all expand-y and a darkish brown.[/li][li]Pour over the graham crackers. Add nuts if you want.[/li][li]Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are medium-ly browned.[/ul][/li] > It’s probably absolutely terrible for you. It sticks something fierce to the pan, and you’ll be scrubbing that sucker for about 20 minutes. I’ve never made it look pretty, because the graham crackers always floated and stuck together. But damn if it doesn’t taste like a little slice of heaven. I can’t stop thinking about this recipe. I’m not hugely fond of graham crackers, BUT… what if you made this with vanilla wafers? You could either line the pan with vanilla wafers (or another plain cookie) and pour the “sauce” over, or, if you’re truly adventuresome and madcap, you could mix broken vanilla wafers into the sauce, then quickly spoon in dollops onto the nonstick foil and bake. Maybe if I recite the multiplication tables, I can stop thinking about this. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/25 "2012-09-05T19:53:13Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Spaghetti > Good olive oil > Lots of parmesan > Flaked chilli > > Cook spaghetti, add the rest. yum! > > You even have an ingredient to spare so go wild with pancetta, smoked salmon or chopped basil (or whatever you fancy) Yup, mine are spaghetti-based too. We do spaghetti with chopped cooked chicken, toasted walnuts, pesto, and parmesan cheese (in fact, we’re eating this tonight!) Or, chop up and cook a package of bacon (don’t drain it), add a couple cans of diced tomatoes, a handful of green onions, spaghetti, and parmesan. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/26 "2012-09-05T19:57:03Z")
Thought of another: [Ham, Cabbage, and Potatoes](http://allrecipes.com/recipe/skillet-ham-cabbage-and-potatoes/). I know, it doesn’t _sound_ like what you wanted for dinner, but you’ll be happy when you’re eating it! ---
**Author:** ![Tara57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@Tara57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tara57)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/27 "2012-09-05T23:34:59Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I can’t stop thinking about this recipe. > > I’m not hugely fond of graham crackers, BUT… what if you made this with vanilla wafers? You could either line the pan with vanilla wafers (or another plain cookie) and pour the “sauce” over, or, if you’re truly adventuresome and madcap, you could mix broken vanilla wafers into the sauce, then quickly spoon in dollops onto the nonstick foil and bake. > > Maybe if I recite the multiplication tables, I can stop thinking about this. You can make this recipe with Saltine crackers as the base. It is addictive – sweet and salty. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/28 "2012-09-06T00:48:23Z")
OMIGOD. And you could serve it with vanilla ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/29 "2012-09-06T04:10:13Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > OMIGOD. > > And you could serve it with vanilla ice cream. I have been known to crumble it and put it on ice cream, though I haven’t made it in ages. I think any carb-type base would work, really–vanilla wafers, saltines. I bet it’d work with shortbread, too. I don’t know if doing it alone would work too well–it doesn’t seem to hold its shape that well, even with nuts chopped in. Maybe it’d be different with the vanilla wafer crumbs, but somehow I doubt it. That way would probably work to make something that’s just a crumble. If I were doing it now, I’d probably just use parchment paper, but I hadn’t heard of it when I was making this. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/30 "2012-09-06T13:05:18Z")
Ham hocks and black-eyed peas. Ham hock(s) Black-eyed peas Water Bay leaf Seasoning ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/31 "2012-09-06T19:08:13Z")
Rib Roast: 1 3-4 rib standing rib roast cracked peppercorns kosher salt olive oil I got the recipe online. I takes over 2 hours to make, but you will not regret it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/32 "2012-09-06T20:11:13Z")
1 large tomato Serves 1. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/33 "2012-09-06T21:21:17Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Ham hocks and black-eyed peas. > > Ham hock(s) > Black-eyed peas > Water > Bay leaf > Seasoning Use chicken broth instead of water. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/34 "2012-09-06T21:26:33Z")
Apples, pineapple, and coconut. I find that delicious. My wife also has a very good recipe for chicken salad which is chicken, mayo, chopped celery (optional), and craisins. They craisins are key and the dish gets better after you let it sit in the fridge for a day. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/35 "2012-09-06T21:34:59Z")
Really easy chicken: 1 boneless chicken breast per person (I usually make this for 2) 1 can chicken broth 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 jar sliced mushrooms Rice (I use the Uncle Ben kind in the individual bags that you boil in the microwave - 1 packet works for 2 people) In a nonstick skillet, dump the chicken broth in. Heat up the stove and the broth. Put in the chicken breasts. Cook for about 7 minutes on each side (check them for doneness by cutting into them) Meanwhile, cook up the rice and heat up the mushroom soup. Put the sliced mushrooms in the mushroom soup and stir to make a sauce Put a chicken breast on a bed of rice and smother with sauce Serve and enjoy! (oh, and the chicken broth just gets tossed–it’s just to give the chicken flavor, and I haven’t found anything else useful to do with it.) It’s simple as heck and essentially college-student food, but I love it anyway. For me, this counts as “cooking”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/36 "2012-09-06T21:49:10Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I can’t stop thinking about this recipe. I can’t stop thinking about it either, but I’m pretty sure it’s for a different reason. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/37 "2012-09-06T22:09:21Z")
Cold tofu with thousand year egg Cubed silken tofu Diced thousand year egg Chopped green onions Soy sauce ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/38 "2012-09-06T22:52:19Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > I can’t stop thinking about it either, but I’m pretty sure it’s for a different reason. You intrigue me, sir. That’s a provocative statement. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/39 "2012-09-06T23:00:21Z")
A cheese dip of sorts. One jar of Queso cheese dip. One can of refried beans. One can of Rotell tomatoes with green chiles. Drain very well (use the lid to squeeze out all of the juice). About half a diced onion. More if your really like onion, less if you don’t. Use a sweet/yellow/purple/red onion, not one of those those more bitter white types. Make a puree out of jalapeno peppers. Remove the stems but don’t bother with removing the insides or the seeds. Use just enough vinegar to make it a thick slurry. Mix all but the jalapeno slurry in a bowl and heat/cook in a microwave. Cook a lot if you want the onions well cooked. Not so much if you don’t. Do about 2 minute increments that include good stirring/ mixing between nuking. Helps to let it sit a few minutes between nukings to let things simmer/cook the onions. Once it is well mixed/melted/cooked add the jalapeno slurry until you can start taste the tang. Play with with how much you need to add to get the flavor/heat level you like. If you wanna break the 5 ingredient rule, add paprika and garlic to taste as well. Paprika till the dip starts to become brownish is a good start. A few heaping spoons of minced garlic is also a good starting point. Grab some chips and enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287/40 "2012-09-06T23:02:10Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > You intrigue me, sir. That’s a provocative statement. What my brain sees when I read the recipe: Take two sticks of butter, roll them around in a cotton candy machine for a half hour or until thickly coated. Serve with Graham Crackers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-your-best-five-ingredients-or-less-recipes/633287.md?page=3)