Fewer than 5 ingredient (or just really simple) recipes

Hi. I'm looking for ideas. I have a list of simple foods I make to save money.  I do these things without thinking about it much and Permies is the perfect place to see if there are obvious ones I've missed? I'm always looking for more. As I age (70+ now) more simple recipes to save money is where I'm going.

Most of these are brain-dead simple and to a serious permie will be "Doh!" But I'm a not a serious permie or haven't been.  I was raised by a technologist in Los Angeles, not in the country. The only food we raised were artichokes, lemons, peaches, and mint.

Many are seasonings, as they're just insane to buy and not as good of course!

Currently do:
cinnamon/sugar
Italian seasoning
garlic salt, onion salt, celery salt, cilantro lime salt
salted basil, jalapenos, cilantro
biscuits
single rise white bread (uses yogurt)
brown sugar
ranch dressing mix
curry powder

Not currently doing, but have:
yogurt
pesto
granola

Would likely make if needed:
powdered sugar

Tried/failed:
french fries
hash browns (Don't like either of my HM potato products, so I keep buying frozen.)
sourdough (Multiple times, over years, it always goes bad.)

I do regular cooking.

Dear hubby really likes the dried hash brown products which we use everyday.  I don't eat them so I don't know.

I try to save money and cook quick and easy meals.  Neurologist says I have Parkinson thus the need really quick and easy.

Here is a Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe:

ingredients

2 lemons, juice of
1 teaspoon catsup
2 tablespoons white sugar
6 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons cornstarch

directions

Add sugar, the juice of 2 lemons, and catsup.
Mix cornstarch with the water and slowly drizzle into mixture.
Simmer over medium, stirring constantly heat until sauce thickens. It should only take 2-3 minutes for the sauce to thicken.

Recipe called for lemon zest though I left that out to make 5 ingredients:

https://www.food.com/recipe/lemon-sweet-sour-sauce-293680

Add that sauce to cooked chicken over rice.

I forgot:

Baked oatmeal (apples, water, oats). corn chowder (creamed corn, cheese, onion, a little milk), summer corn soup (onion, cut corn, water or milk or stock).

We tried "bag" ice cream last night (half and half, vanilla, sugar). Worked, will do it again and tweak the recipe, although this is probably anathema for permies as it's made in plastic bags... If we like it well enough, we may just use the Donvier we've had for years, but the idea was to make just enough for dessert for one night or two, and not store either a carton or the Donvier liner in the freezer, as freezer space is a premium resource. First we had to see if it worked for us at all; it did. So now we figure out if it 1) is cheaper 2) is worth the "inconvenience" of making it as needed and 3)we can tweak the recipe into something we both really like.

I try to keep cooking simple and in one pot or pan since it's usually just for me and I hate cleaning up after cooking.  I usually buy chicken quarters for my dogs, but occasionally cook one up for myself in this one pot style.  You could use any part of the chicken, or boneless chunks.  Quarters are often cheapest.  I'm not including the cooking fat and spices as ingredients, so I guess it's a little bit of a cheat on the five ingredients.  
Chicken, Onions, Garlic, Rice, Carrots

Brown chicken quarter in fat of your choice (oil/butter/chicken fat/lard/bacon grease/tallow) in 10" cast iron pan with lid, or any wide pot if you don't prefer cast iron.   You may want to take chicken out and set aside, or leave it and let it continue browning depending on space in your pan/pot and how much onion you want to use, a lot or a little can work just fine.   Sauté onion in pan (add more fat if needed), when it's almost brown (or sweated translucent- however you want your onion), add the garlic and sauté onion and garlic one or two more minutes on low.   Put the chicken back if you removed it, and add enough water for the rice (I have made it with one or two cups rice), add the rice and chopped carrot.  Cover, and cook till the rice is done.  I've done it with both white and brown rice (if instant rice than panfry the chicken on low till it's cooked through).  When rice is done, the chicken and carrots should be as well.  If you eat it right out of the pot, it really keeps the cleanup to a minimum.


There are endless variations depending on what ingredients you have handy.  You can use different vegetables instead of carrot, I just almost always have carrots on hand since they last forever and are inexpensive.  
You can use more than one vegetable, and I often add frozen peas to it as well.  
You can substitute some or all of the water for coconut milk and add Thai curry paste.  I like to add sliced red bell pepper if I do it as a curry.  I like to grow peppers and sometimes I get jarred roasted red peppers from the discount grocery store that work well.
You can replace half the water with milk/half&half/cream if you want a creamier dish.  You can replace it with broth if you happen to have that, but it's not necessary.
You can replace some of the water with a can of tomatoes.  

You can spice it with just salt and pepper or get more creative.  Tarragon or Thyme is good.  Lemon zest to get every bit of use out of your lemons.  Oregano is good if you add tomatoes.  If you do coconut milk then you can add fresh ginger and turmeric, and then a squeeze of lime at the end or lime zest added to the cooking- and you don't need coconut milk to enjoy those additions either.    You can use just onions or garlic, sometimes I like to let just one these ingredients shine or I only have one on hand.  You can also chop the carrot up small and sauté it with the onion instead of adding it with the rice to just boil, and you can add celery to this creating a mirepoix for it if you're feeling French.  
I'd suggest leaving out the garlic and doing the mirepoix for tarragon and lemon zest; or mirepoix and thyme and use butter and it will taste reminiscent of stuffing.