One pot dinners are the perfect solution for an easy meal that will still feel like you spent a lot of time making it. Plus, you’ll only have dirty dishes from cooking it.
To help make the meal taste great, there are some tricks you can do like layer the flavor or let the starches soak up the sauce. Here are some ideas for these types of dinners. You’ll need a Dutch oven or deep skillet, as well as a piece of parchment paper.
1) Lemon Garlic Chicken Rice
Sear bone-in or boneless chicken until golden, then sauté garlic and stir in rice so it gets lightly toasted. Add the chicken broth and lemon zest, tuck the chicken back, and let it all simmer together covered until the rice is done. A final squeeze of lemon brightens up the whole pot so it doesn’t feel the least bit heavy. If you’d like to add vegetables, stir in some peas or spinach right at the end.
2) Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Brown chicken cutlets, then build the sauce in the same pot with garlic, broth, and a splash of cream. Sun-dried tomatoes bring an element of sweetness.
Spinach wilts down almost instantly providing an effortless green addition. Allow to simmer again just enough to thicken and coat the chicken. You can serve it as it is, or if you have enough space in the pot, serve it over pasta which has been cooked in the same pot.
3) Sausage And Peppers
Start by browning the sausage slices to render a little fat, then brown the sweet peppers and the sweet onions until they are also soft and sweet. Then add the diced and seasoned potatoes and add a little bit of broth (not too much) to help them steam-tender.
Then cover the pot until the potatoes are fork tender, and after that, you can uncover the pot so the potatoes can brown a little. This dish is great with a side of mustard!
4) Beef And Broccoli Noodles
Sear the thin beef strips quickly so that they remain tender. Remove the strips, and make a quick soy-garlic sauce. Add the noodles along with the broth (or water) directly into the pot, and do some stirring to prevent clumping. Toss in the broccoli in for the last few minutes so it remains vibrant, and crisp-tender. At the end, return the beef to the pot to warm it up without overcooking.
5) Chicken Tortilla Soup
To start, sauté the onions and garlic, and then add the seasoning. After that, add the tomatoes, broth, and some pre-cooked shredded chicken.
Let the soup simmer and blend the flavors until the soup starts smelling toasty from the spices. Add some crushed tortilla chips or strips to the top of the bowls, and if you have it, some avocado too. A little lime on the table gives it a fresh taste even on day two.
6) Shrimp Orzo
To start, sear garlic in some olive oil. Toss in the orzo and let it soak up the broth with diced tomatoes until the pasta turns silky. Add in shrimp just before it is finished cooking so they don’t overcook, and remain plump and juicy and turn opaque.
Once it is done, remove it from the heat and break up the feta cheese so that it softens but doesn’t fully melt. Finish it off with some dill or parsley for a nice briny touch.
7) Baked Ziti Skillet
This gives you the cozy vibe of baked ziti without firing up the oven. Brown some sausage or ground beef, then add marinara sauce and some water. Let the sauce simmer while you cook some pasta in it. Stir in some ricotta, or a bit of cream, for that richness like you get in baked pasta. Add some mozzarella to the top, cover until it melts, and serve directly from the pot.
8) Coconut Chickpea Curry
Sauté onion, garlic, and ginger, then toast curry powder or garam masala until fragrant. Add the chickpeas, coconut milk, and a little bit of broth and stir until it thickens. If you want to add spinach or kale, just do it right before serving as a side, and it will wilt seamlessly into the dish. Accompany it with rice or warm flatbread for soaking the sauce.
9) French Onion Pasta
Deepen the flavor with a slow brown of the onions until they are dark. Deglaze the pan with broth, then add your pasta to further infuse it with onion flavor. Stir in some gruyere or a Swiss-style cheese so it melts to a smooth coating. Finally, don’t forget to add some black pepper to turn it into a soup that serves for dinner.
10) Chicken And Dumplings
Create a basic stew by adding the broth base with onion, celery, and carrots. Then, throw in some pre-cooked chicken, or let some raw chicken thighs simmer until tender. Drop spoonfuls of dumpling dough on top and keep the lid on so they steam up light and pillowy. As everything cooks together, the pot will naturally thicken. It also tastes particularly good with some dried thyme.
11) Jambalaya Rice
Sauté brown sausage and chicken. Then, in the same pot, cook the “holy trinity” (onions + celery + bell peppers). Add rice, broth, and spices (paprika + cayenne) and let it simmer covered. Don’t fuss over the dish too much; a steady simmer browns the rice nicely. A little table hot sauce will also be good.
12) Pesto Chicken Pasta
First, cook the chicken until it’s brown all over, then remove it from the pot and set it aside. Next, get your pasta and boil it in the chicken broth/water in the same pot.
Once it’s done cooking, stir in the pesto (remove from heat, otherwise it will lose its color) and put the chicken back in to warm it up. To prevent the sauce from becoming oily, just a little bit of the water you cooked the pasta in will help it stick to the chicken. If you like, you can add some halved cherry tomatoes for a juicy addition.
13) Red Lentil Dal
Because they turn creamy while cooking, red lentils are great for one-pot meals. For this recipe, start by sautéing onions and spices, then add in the broth and lentils and simmer until the lentils break down into a thick, creamy stew. At the end, stir in some spinach. Season with salt and lemon to taste. This goes great with rice or warm naan-style bread.
14) Meatballs In Marinara
To get started, brown the meatballs in a pot. Then add the marinara and let them finish cooking in the sauce. Once the meatballs are done, stir in the quick-cooking polenta and broth. If you want, you can cook the polenta before and keep it warm while the meatball sauce simmers. This way you will only have one pot to wash and you will have a dinner that feels special. To finish it off, all you need is a handful of basil on top.
15) Chicken Shawarma Rice
Season chicken with cumin, paprika, turmeric, garlic, and a little cinnamon, then brown it for those toasty edges. To incorporate rice and broth, make sure to scrape up all the browned bits, and allow to simmer covered until the rice is fluffy. Brighten up the spices by adding a finish with lemon juice. To help balance heat, a dollop of plain yogurt on top does the trick.
16) Cheeseburger Mac
Start by browning the ground beef with chopped onions in a skillet. Add the ground beef and onions to a large pot. Stir in cooked pasta, beef broth, and a couple spoonfuls of tomato paste and mix until combined. Let it simmer until the pasta is tender.
Add shredded cheddar off the heat to melt smoothly. Don’t over complicate the recipe with a lot of seasoning. Simple is best with just salt, pepper, and a dash of smoked paprika. Adding pickles on the side is a surprisingly great addition.
17) Salmon And Potatoes
Bring broth and garlic to a boil and add small potatoes to cook until they are nearly tender. Place pieces of salmon on top of the potatoes and cover the pot. The salmon will steam and cook through while still being moist. No other pans are needed! When the potatoes are done, add some butter or olive oil to the pot with some dill to finish. If you want to do some chopping, serve it with lemon and a quick cucumber salad.
18) Vegetable Minestrone
For this recipe, we will start with onion, carrot, and celery, and then add canned vegetables such as tomatoes, beans, and broth. Any quick-cooking vegetables may be added as well. You can stir in small pasta towards the end of the cooking process so that it doesn’t overcook and absorb all of the broth.
If you have a parmesan rind, simmer it in the pot as it will add depth to the flavor. It is worth noting that leftovers taste even better after a night in the fridge.
19) Cajun Shrimp And Rice
First, sauté the peppers and onions in a pan. Then, add the rice and broth. Once that boils, cover the pot and let it simmer until the rice is almost done. When the rice is almost fully cooked, add the shrimp. This will ensure that they cook quickly, and remain tender. Toss them in Cajun style seasoning, and taste it along the way so the dish doesn’t get too salty. To balance the seasoning, a squeeze of lemon will do the trick.
20) Pasta E Fagioli
This comforting classic dish is part soup and part stew. In one pot sauté your garlic and onion, then add in the tomatoes and beans.
Next, you will want to add the broth and bring it to a simmer. Once simmered, you will add in the pasta and cook it straight in the pot. The broth will become silky and satisfying due to the starch released from the pasta. To finish your dish, drizzle some olive oil and top with grated parmesan.
21) Korean Beef Rice Bowl
To cook the beef, first add ground beef or sliced beef to a pan with garlic and ginger and cook until done. Then add a sauce made from soy sauce and a little brown sugar.
After that, put in the rice with water or broth, and cover it to cook until it is fluffy and smells good. Lastly, you can add spinach at the end if you want greens. To finish it off, you can add sesame seeds and sliced scallions.
22) Mushroom Risotto
Cook the mushrooms until they release their moisture and become brown. Then add arborio rice to toast it for a short time. Pour in the warm broth, cover the pot, and let it simmer to a boil gently. Instead of stirring nonstop, do it a few times. Finish the dish by adding parmesan and a bit of butter to make it glossy like what you would find in a restaurant. To enhance the flavors of the mushrooms, add a squeeze of lemon.
23) Chicken Pho Noodle Soup
Toast star anise and cinnamon in the pot, add the broth and let it simmer. Make sure to let the broth simmer long enough so the spices infuse and your kitchen smells amazing.
Then poach chicken in the broth. Remove the chicken and slice it. Noodles go in the same broth and liquid to cook. Add the chicken, then finish with herbs, lime, and sliced chili if you like it spicy. This is a weeknight pho recipe that doesn’t try to be the exact thing.
24) Tortellini Soup
To start, simmer some broth, crushed tomatoes, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Once those ingredients start to simmer, add in some tortellini to allow them to cook in the soup. After that, throw in some spinach and season with salt and pepper to your liking. For added richness, top it off with a spoonful of ricotta. This is particularly useful for refrigerated tortellini.
25) BBQ Chicken Rice
You can sauté onions. Then, you can stir in the rice and the broth. After that, add shredded cooked chicken and black beans as the rice cooks. Add a swirl of barbecue sauce at the end so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom of the pot. It would be good to taste before adding extra salt because BBQ sauce can be salty. Top with cilantro and serve with a simple slaw if you want crunch.
26) Butter Chicken Skillet
First, place the chicken in a pan and season it with garam masala and paprika. Next, add tomato sauce, plus a bit of cream to tone it down a bit. Allow to cook until the chicken is done. The sauce should be velvety. You can cook the rice in the same pot and then set it aside. Or, serve it with some store-bought naan. A bit of butter stirred in at the end imparts a smooth, rich character.
27) Taco Pasta
Brown some ground beef with an onion. Then add taco seasoning with a bit of tomato paste for depth. Pour in some broth and then add the pasta so it cooks in the seasoned liquid. Stir in some cheese at the end for a creamy taco flavor. Serve with some diced tomatoes and crushed tortillas chips on top.
28) Garlic Parmesan Chicken
Sear chicken, then cook plenty of garlic in the drippings so it turns sweet, not sharp. Add white beans and broth. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked and the beans soak up the broth. Off of heat, stir in parmesan so that it melts smoothly without clumping. This is wonderful with crusty bread to mop up the pot.
29) Peanut Noodles
To start with your quick peanut sauce, combine some peanut butter, soy sauce, honey or sugar, and lime juice. To soften the sauce, add hot water. Cook the noodles in the same pot, drain most of the water, and mix in the sauce so the noodles are evenly coated. For protein, add in some cooked chicken or tofu and stir until glossy. To finish, stir in some chopped peanuts for added crunch.
