Growing up, we rarely ate out — my mother cooked everything from scratch, and that’s the kitchen I learned in. When I became a mom myself, I felt the same pull to make homemade meals. For years I did just that. But life as a full time physician with three kids was busy, and sometimes “from scratch” needed a little help.

If I could find a high quality product that tasted like the real thing and saved me time, I was all in. Over the years I’ve collected a handful of tried and true recipes that use five ingredients or fewer but still deliver big, satisfying flavor. These are the dishes that make weeknight cooking feel doable — and delicious.