Michael Symon's 5 in 5

Introduction

When I was first asked to join ABC’s The Chew, what excited me most was the thought of being able to inspire people at home to cook simple, affordable, and delicious food. 

Up to that point in my career, most of the cooking I had been doing—both at my restaurants and on television—was high-end restaurant-style food. I absolutely love competing on Iron Chef America, but let’s face it: Not a lot of viewers are going to have the time, ingredients, or skill to make those dishes at home for dinner. 

So while we were devising different segments for the show, I thought it would be great to do something that was practical and encouraging. My goal was to show people that cooking doesn’t have to be intimidating or time-consuming or expensive to be delicious. If I motivated even a few viewers to cook more often at home, then I would consider my mission a success.

I didn’t have to look too far for inspiration. The truth of the matter is that Liz and I don’t go out to dinner very often. And after a long day in the studio or my restaurants, I don’t always feel like whipping up an elaborate feast, either. More often than not, I look in the fridge, look in the pantry, and come up with a quick meal based on what we already have on hand. Not only does this cooking style eliminate the need to run to the store, it is also extremely cost-effective, another plus. 

Knowing that home cooks, like me, don’t always want to spend hours in the kitchen making a meal, I decided that the recipes should be quick, too. How quick? Well, what if I could trim that time to as little as 5 minutes. I thought, Who wouldn’t cook more if they knew they could prepare a great meal in less than the time it takes to listen to “Stairway to Heaven”? 

Thus, 5 in 5 was born. Using no more than 5 fresh ingredients and some pantry staples, which all cook in 5 minutes, you can make dinner for a family of four every night and—bonus—that meal will cost less than $5 a serving. To make it fun on the show, we decided to do a beat-the-clock-style bit, not unlike what I’ve been doing for years on Iron Chef America. It’s become one of the most popular segments on The Chew.

Now keep in mind that I’ve been cooking professionally for decades and can work pretty quickly. But on the show, even I sometimes go over the buzzer—and it’s always a riot! The key is to relax, have fun, and cook more. If it takes you 6, 7, or even—gasp!—8 minutes, so be it. In the end, you will still end up with a delicious, made-from-scratch meal that costs less than fast food, tastes a million times better, and is healthier for you and your family.