On busy weeknights, when there is hardly any time to chop veggies, prep other ingredients, clean up, and cook an elaborate dinner, one-pot meals can be life savers. Here, one can just combine all the ingredients in a single pot and whip up a hearty meal in no time. If looking for such meal ideas, one can choose from various one-pot recipes, from chicken parmesan to skillet enchiladas, to keep dinners interesting.
1. Shortcut baked rigatoni with spicy sausage
This simple one-pot dinner recipe is great for busy weeknights. One can also make it in bulk to make the leftovers last for a couple more meals.
This recipe calls for a lot of tomato sauce, which the pasta will absorb while it bakes, developing an al dente consistency without being cooked in water first. Apart from the rigatoni, one will need hot Italian sausages (with the casing removed), sprigs of fresh basil, canned tomatoes (crushed), unsalted butter, coarsely grated low-moisture mozzarella, garlic cloves, kosher salt, sugar, and crushed red pepper.
First, combine all the ingredients, except the pasta, in a baking dish. Then, let this bake uncovered for around 45 minutes before adding the pasta and water. Then, cover the dish and let it bake for around 25 minutes. Once done, top the pasta with cheese and broil until the cheese starts to melt and brown. This one-pot meal is a fast weeknight dinner that the whole family can enjoy.
2. Dump-and-bake chicken parmesan
As this recipe calls for hardly any prep, this can be a quick one-pot meal idea for busy families. This dish requires no frying or slicing. One can put everything together in a single baking dish, and the oven will do the rest.
To make this, first place chicken in a large-rimmed baking dish and rub it with olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Then, bake the chicken until it is cooked well. Once done, top the chicken with store-bought marinara sauce, mozzarella, and grated parmesan and broil it until the cheese melts and browns.
3. One-pan tomato-braised salmon
When it comes to easy one-pot meals for beginners, one cannot go wrong with tomato-braised salmon. Everything here comes together in less than half an hour.
To get started, season the salmon with salt and pepper and then sear it in hot oil on a cast iron or nonstick skillet. Once crisp on both sides, remove the fish from the pan, add the tomatoes, and sear them until mushy. Then, add shallots and garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and lemon zest to the skillet, mix everything well, and place the salmon back. Finally, heat the pan for about five to six minutes until everything seems to be cooked.
4. Slow-cooked turkey chili
A warm bowl of slow-cooked turkey chili is a comforting one-pot meal worth trying.
To make this, in a slow cooker, add poblano pepper, frozen corn, white beans, smoked turkey leg, white onion, garlic, ancho chili powder, chipotle chili powder, cumin, coriander, chicken stock, apple cider vinegar, and salt. This mixture should be cooked either on low for six hours or high for four hours. Then, take two cups of chili, let it cool at room temperature, blend it until smooth, and pour it back into the pot before serving. The chili can be topped with anything, including cilantro, sour cream, and lime wedges.
While the cooking process here takes a while, it can be a quick one-pot meal if prepared while meal prepping for the week.
5. One-pan vegetarian skillet enchiladas
This one-pot meal can be whipped in under 30 minutes, making it the perfect comfort food for busy evenings. Start by preheating the oven to around 400 degrees. Then, in a cast-iron or oven-proof skillet, heat some oil and add onion, garlic, bell peppers, beans, corn, enchilada sauce, chili powder, and cumin. Using canned beans and corn can speed up the prep. Cook the mixture, stir it, add tortilla strips to it, and then top it with cheese. Then, place the pan in the oven and bake it uncovered until the cheese melts and the sauce gets bubbly. One can also add a side of salad to the enchiladas.
6. Summer orzo salad
Another quick one-pot meal to consider while meal prepping is an orzo salad. To make this, first cook the orzo according to the package instructions, drain it, and rinse it until the pasta cools down. Then, combine pesto, lemon zest, oil, and lemon juice in a large bowl. To this, add the cooked pasta, tomatoes, beans, and spinach, and top the salad with feta cheese and roasted pistachios before serving.
7. Shrimp risotto
For busy professionals looking for one-pot dinner ideas, shrimp risotto is a recipe that can be prepared in under 40 minutes.
First, pour some stock of choice into a saucepan and cook it on medium-high until it is close to boiling. Then, remove it from heat and let it rest. Following this, saute shrimp with paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and set the shrimp aside. Then, in the same pan, cook the risotto in butter and combine it with onion, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Then, add the warm stock to the risotto and bring it to a low simmer, cooking it until the rice absorbs the stock and gets tender. Finally, remove the pan and add the shrimp, parmesan cheese, basil, parsley, and some salt and pepper before serving.
These simple one-pot recipes can also be prepared in bulk. This helps one save a lot of time and energy, as the leftovers can come in handy on another busy weeknight.
