Easy 5-Ingredient Dinners to Make the Week of Thanksgiving (Weekly Plan & Shopping List!) Keep your grocery list a little shorter this holiday week with these delicious and simple recipes. By Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is the senior nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on November 21, 2025 Reviewed by Dietitian Maria Laura Haddad-Garcia Reviewed by Dietitian Maria Laura Haddad-Garcia Maria Laura is EatingWell's Editorial Manager for Nutrition & News. As part of the nutrition team, she edits and assigns nutrition-related content and provides nutrition reviews for articles. Maria Laura's education, experience and clinical hours from Mexico are equivalent to that of a U.S. credentialed registered dietitian. She is an almond butter lover, food enthusiast and has over seven years of experience in nutrition counseling. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Close This week’s dinner plan includes recipes with 5 ingredients or fewer. Each meal includes protein, carbs and healthy fats for something nourishing and delicious. From our 5-Ingredient Taco Stuffed Peppers to our Chicken Carbonara, these meals are proof that simple recipes can be interesting and flavorful. I love to cook—it’s how I relax and unwind at the end of the day. And for home cooks in the United States, Thanksgiving is one of the biggest cooking weeks of the year. While I love sharing a special meal with people I love on the holiday, the rest of the meals throughout the week can feel a little overwhelming. That’s why all of the dinners in this week’s plan contain five ingredients or fewer, and come together quickly for an easy meal that helps keep your grocery list a little shorter. And I’ll share some healthy breakfast inspiration for Thanksgiving Day to help you stay fueled and energized for the celebration ahead. Let’s dig in! Your Weekly Plan Sunday: 5-Ingredient Roasted Lemon Chicken & Vegetables Monday: Sheet-Pan Salmon with Bok Choy & Rice Tuesday: 5-Ingredient Taco Stuffed PeppersWednesday: Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing Thursday: Cinnamon-Raisin Baked Oats Friday: Chicken Carbonara Get the Shopping List See More Our column, ThePrep, has everything you’ll need to make dinner planning and grocery shopping as easy as can be. Nutritional needs differ from one individual to another, and we invite you to use these dinner plans as inspiration and adjust them as you see fit. Sign up to get a dinner plan delivered to your inbox every Saturday! 01 of 06 Sunday: 5-Ingredient Roasted Lemon Chicken & Vegetables Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Addelyn Evans, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco This delicious and simple dinner comes together on one sheet pan, helping you save time on cleanup. Contrary to what you might think, chicken thighs are a great healthy protein source. Plus, dark meat poultry—like chicken thighs—is typically lower cost and slightly higher in iron and zinc than its white meat counterparts. Vegetables like carrots, potatoes and turnips add fiber and antioxidants. A squeeze of lemon at the end brightens it up. View Recipe 02 of 06 Monday: Sheet-Pan Salmon with Bok Choy & Rice Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Josh Hoggle. Salmon is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which provide anti-inflammatory properties that support your heart, brain, skin and more. The miso-soy glaze adds umami to the dish. Whole grains like brown rice are high in fiber, which supports your gut, heart and more. View Recipe 03 of 06 Tuesday: 5-Ingredient Taco Stuffed Peppers Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Josh Hoggle. Switch up taco night with these delicious stuffed peppers. They come together in just 15 minutes of active time, so you can keep dinner prep quick and easy. The combination of ground beef and black beans provides more than 40 grams of protein per serving to keep you satisfied. The salsa is mixed into the filling and served on top to add spice and tanginess. View Recipe 04 of 06 Wednesday: Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing Ali Redmond This stuffed sweet potato recipe is one that I come back to again and again. It’s as easy to make as it is nutritious. The sweet potato cooks in the microwave while you sauté the kale and bean stuffing. Drizzle it with hummus as the finishing touch. Sweet potatoes are packed with carotenoids, which not only give them their bright orange flavor but also offer anti-inflammatory benefits. Note that this recipe only makes one serving; we’ve added enough for four to the shopping list. View Recipe 05 of 06 Thursday: Cinnamon-Raisin Baked Oats Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong Thanksgiving is a day full of cooking traditions that are personal to you and your family, so instead I’ll share a breakfast. As a dietitian, I want to remind you that you still need a balanced morning meal even if you have a holiday celebration later in the day. It will help you have more sustained energy levels and make it easier to honor your hunger (instead of overeating) later in the day. This option is perfect for making ahead and serving to a crowd if you have visitors. Enjoy each serving with ½ cup of blueberries for added fiber and antioxidants. View Recipe 06 of 06 Friday: Chicken Carbonara Photographer: Jacob Fox, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Joseph Wanek After a big Thanksgiving celebration, the last thing most of us want to do is cook another elaborate meal. It doesn’t get much easier than this carbonara recipe: only 5 ingredients, ready in 20 minutes and packed with satisfying protein. While this recipe calls for leftover cooked chicken, leftover turkey works just as well. Serve it alongside mixed greens dressed with our Balsamic Vinaigrette. View Recipe I wish you all a great week, and I hope you enjoy this dinner plan. If you try a recipe, remember to add a review. Explore more: Meal Plans ThePrep Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit