Not all restaurant-quality meals require a mile-long shopping list. With just five grocery items each, you can create pastas, chicken bowls, and even desserts that will turn your table into a casual dining spot. Here are 10 recipes to prove just that!
10. Chocolate Mousse
Let’s start with something sweet, shall we? This dessert is bistro-fancy and only needs dark chocolate, cream, vanilla, sugar, and salt. Melt chocolate gently, whip cream with vanilla and sugar, then fold together and chill. The secret is folding warm chocolate into whipped cream. The result is an airy, light dessert that’s still indulgent.
9. Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bowl
Want a smoothie bowl that feels like a cafe order? Well, this is for you. All you need are frozen strawberries, yogurt, banana, honey, and granola. Blend yogurt, fruit, and honey until thick, then top with granola. It’s important that you use frozen fruit. It makes the blend spoonable and rich like restaurant bowls.
8. Cacio e Pepe-Style Pasta
This bistro-style pasta only needs spaghetti, butter, black pepper, Parmesan, and pasta water. Cook pasta, toast black pepper in butter, then toss everything together with cheese and pasta water. The end result is a glossy, deeply flavorful pasta. For best result, avoid pre-shredded cheese. Freshly grated cheese makes the sauce smooth.
7. Loaded Potato Skins
Pub-style potato skins only need russet potatoes, bacon, cheddar, sour cream, and green onion. After baking potatoes, scoop the centers, then broil with cheese and bacon until bubbly. Mix green onion into sour cream for dipping. Don’t forget: pierce potatoes before baking. This speeds up cooking and avoids kitchen mishaps.
6. Yogurt Fruit Parfait
For this cafe-style treat, you only need yogurt, granola, honey, berries, and vanilla. Stir honey and vanilla into yogurt, then layer with fruit and granola in a glass. A tip? Keep granola dry until serving, so that it’s cafe-crunchy instead of soggy.
5. Creamy Garlic Butter Pasta
Want to recreate the creamy garlic butter pasta in your favorite Italian chain? Here’s what you need: spaghetti, garlic, butter, Parmesan, and milk. Cook pasta until al dente, then sauté garlic in butter before adding warmed milk. Make the sauce silky by adding in Parmesan, then toss pasta right in.
4. Ina Garten’s Summer Garden Pasta
Now, here’s a pasta that won’t require you to cook some sauce. Light and fresh like a bistro summer dish, this recipe only uses cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil, and spaghetti. Chop tomatoes and garlic, mix with oil and basil, then marinate for hours. Toss with hot pasta and you’re done! It creates a bright, layered flavor that chefs rely on.
3. Apple Pancake Fritters
These fritters taste like diner brunch, only they’re made with staples from your pantry: Bisquick, apple, egg, milk, and cinnamon. Mix batter, fold in diced apple, then fry spoonfuls in hot oil until golden. Just make sure to keep oil at medium heat to avoid soggy or burnt fritters.
2. Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
Teriyaki Chicken Bowl is a takeout favorite, and to recreate it, you only need chicken thighs, soy sauce, rice, brown sugar, and broccoli. Whisk soy sauce with brown sugar to make a glaze. Pan-sear chicken until browned, then add sauce and simmer until sticky. Steam broccoli and serve everything over cooked rice. This takes work, but you get better control over salt, sugar, and portion sizes.
1. Lobster Bisque Pasta
This Trader Joe’s hack is the fanciest of all and might just taste like a seafood bistro classic. What you need: lobster bisque, pasta, langostino tails, Parmesan, and garlic. Boil pasta, then sauté garlic and simmer bisque. Add langostino at the end, then toss everything with Parmesan. Don’t overcook the langostino. Heat it through at the last minute to get those tender bites.