I love to cook. It's actually very therapeutic for me and a creative outlet. But I REALLY don't like doing the dishes. I've been cooking at home so much more lately. I'm grateful to have a kitchen to cook in and food to put on the table. But when it comes to the constant flow of dirty dishes...well honestly, I'm over it. My new mission: finding meals that can be made in one pan. In my search I found a ton of great recipes online. See below for some One-Pan Meal ideas from a few of my favorite recipe websites. With any of these recipes, my problem will no longer be with dirty dishes. It will just be choosing which one to make next!
Crunchy Chicken Ramen Stir Fry--This looks super tasty and it's also very budget friendly. You could substitute a variety of proteins and vegetables--whatever you have on hand. The Creamy Salsa Chicken Skillet also looks incredible and I'm betting you have everything you need for this dish in your fridge, freezer and pantry. Click here for more recipes like this on BudgetBytes.com, a great site to find recipe ideas for delicious family size meals on a budget.
Delish.com has an impressive list of 75 Easy Skillet Dinners You Can Make in a Flash. It's hard for me not to just stop typing and head to the kitchen right now to make the Cheesy Taco Skillet. I mean, I'd be back in less than 30 minutes because not only is it all made in one pan, it's a super quick and easy recipe. And if you've happened to stock up on the Ramen, here's a Mongolian Beef Ramen recipe that will leave you feeling full and frugal.
The Frying Pan is not the only pan you can use for "One Pan" meals. A sheet pan works great too. And most of the time you can put a layer of foil down between the pan and the meal while it's cooking and you really make clean up easy! Country Living put together a photo gallery with recipes for 25 Sheet Pan Dinners that is worth scrolling through. Number 10, Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil, is definitely going on my to do list.
FoodNetwork.com is one of my go-to websites if I need a new dinner idea. And any recipe with "Caprese" in the name has my attention! The Italian in me loves the combination of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. The Sheet Pan Caprese Chicken looks amazing and clean up will be even easier if you have a nice crusty loaf of bread to soak up the pan juice! Click here for 50 more sheet pan recipe ideas from Food Network.
My one-pot meal list wouldn't be complete without a meal idea from MarthaStewart.com. This list includes recipes for all the pans including your Dutch Oven, Insta Pot, Slow Cooker, Skillet and Sheet pan. This One Pan Pasta is Martha made and Martha approved. And I bet it would be delicious with any leftover Sheet Pan Caprese Chicken! I've always had great luck with Pork in my Insta Pot so I'm really excited to try the Pressure Cooker Chili Verde made with pork shoulder. And if there's any stew leftover, the pork would make an excellent filling for pork tacos or quesadillas.
Let me know if you make any of these. I'd love to hear your feedback. Cheers to less dirty dishes!
(Photo: Getty Images)