Our Food Editors' Favorite One-Pot Recipes Are Dishes You'll Make Again and Again (2024)

These are the recipes our team turns to at home, one-dish dinners for busy weeknights and more.

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Our Food Editors' Favorite One-Pot Recipes Are Dishes You'll Make Again and Again (1)

By now you know how much we love a one-pot recipe—especially a one-dish dinner recipe—and we're willing to guess that you're a fan, too. Not clear on why these one-pot recipes have become such a trend over the course of the past few years? Let us remind you of all the ways they win: Recipes like the Cheesy Butter-Bean Shakshuka that you see right here are complete meals all made in just one-pan—in this case, that's a straight-sided skillet. The result is a meal with a streamlined cooking and clean-up process that doesn't sacrifice taste.

Let's indulge in a short history of the category: To be clear, one-pot recipes are no new thing. Cooks have been making stews, soups, and all manner of other dishes in one pot of hundreds, likely thousands, of years. How did such recipes—as well as their modern descendants—gain the spotlight? We might be biased, but in our opinion, it all comes back to our founder, Martha Stewart! Back in 2011, Nora Singley, who then served as one of our food stylists and recipe developers, traveled in Italy with another Martha Stewart food editor. At a small restaurant in Puglia the two were wowed by a simple yet genius pasta recipe the owner's son showed them how to make, where the noodles cooked in the same pan as the rest of the ingredients, at the same time. Back in New York, Singley worked on her version of the recipe, pitching it to be part of Martha Stewart's Cooking School, which she was working on at the time. Though the recipe didn't make it to Martha's TV show, Singley pitched it to the Martha Stewart Living food team she worked with at the time, and our former executive director of food and entertaining, Lucinda Scala Quinn, loved it. The recipe appeared in the magazine and the rest is, web sensation and internet history.

In the years since, our test kitchen team has developed a multitude of other one-pot recipes, not just stovetop dishes but also ones for the multicooker and sheet-pan dinners that roast in the oven. So, who better than our team to share their favorite one-pot recipes? Ahead, you'll find all of their absolute favorites from years past.

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Creamy Lemon Chicken with Spinach and Artichokes

Our Food Editors' Favorite One-Pot Recipes Are Dishes You'll Make Again and Again (2)

"This recipe was developed as a playful nod to spinach and artichoke dip reimagined as an uncomplicated but totally delicious, complete meal," deputy food editor Greg Lofts explains. "It's been a real sleeper hit." Why? If you ask Greg, it all comes down to this one-pan recipe's ingredient list. "The ingredients are simple: baby spinach, frozen artichoke hearts, quick cooking chicken breast cutlets, and the MVP in this dish, cream cheese, for an almost instant pan sauce that's brightened up with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice."

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Martha's Greenhouse-Vegetable Soup

Our Food Editors' Favorite One-Pot Recipes Are Dishes You'll Make Again and Again (3)

"I've been making this soup all winter and will continue to as we move into spring," says senior food editor Lauryn Tyrell. "It's dead simple and so nourishing and you can customize the vegetables depending on what you have—no spinach? Use kale or broccoli raab, add chickpeas or cannellini beans, sub potatoes for turnips, or just enjoy it just as written and enjoy minimalism at its best."

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Brothy Orzo and Pork Meatballs

Our Food Editors' Favorite One-Pot Recipes Are Dishes You'll Make Again and Again (4)

"Does it count if you use a bowl to mix the meatball mixture? I think so," says Riley Wofford, associate food editor. (And of course, she's right!) "These meatballs are really simply flavored with some fennel seeds, onion, and Parmigiano, so it's a very quick and easy dish to throw together."

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One-Pan Pasta

Our Food Editors' Favorite One-Pot Recipes Are Dishes You'll Make Again and Again (5)

"No list would be complete without the OG one-pan pasta," says Greg. "This is the one and only for deliciousness and ease, and it comes together in 20 minutes flat." It's a super simple and delicious recipe, which is why choosing the very best ingredients is key, Greg adds. "Above all for recipes as simple as this always cook with high-quality ingredients. Start with good dried spaghetti, fresh and fruity extra-virgin olive oil, and fragrant tomatoes and basil. One skillet, a little water, and a brief boil will take care of the rest."

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Cannellini-Bean and Greens Stew

Our Food Editors' Favorite One-Pot Recipes Are Dishes You'll Make Again and Again (6)

Riley laughs that she makes this healthy one-pot meal "almost exclusively for the garlic bread component, but it's also very hearty and nourishing!" She adds, "I've even gotten my mother to make it for herself for dinner, and she refuses to cook anything with more than five ingredients."

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Fish Stew with Herbed Toasts

Our Food Editors' Favorite One-Pot Recipes Are Dishes You'll Make Again and Again (7)

This has been one of my go-to recipes for when I want to make something that's easy but also feels special. It takes but 20 minutes, and with the exception of the fish (you can use whatever white fish you can get that's fresh), it relies on ingredients that you probably already have on hand, such as canned tomatoes. Serve with crusty bread and sit back for compliments.

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Sausage-and-Pepper Ragu Over Polenta

Our Food Editors' Favorite One-Pot Recipes Are Dishes You'll Make Again and Again (8)

"I buy Italian sausages from my farmers' market and freeze them so I can always make this super fast, low effort dinner on a whim," says Lauryn. "While the original recipe isn't technically one pot, you can skip the polenta and just serve this with a nice loaf of crusty bread or with a heaping pile of greens stirred in at the end to keep it to a single skillet."

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Bucatini with Cauliflower, Capers, and Lemon

Our Food Editors' Favorite One-Pot Recipes Are Dishes You'll Make Again and Again (9)

If you love cauliflower, especially roasted cauliflower, and you love a one-pot recipe that streamlines dinner prep, then this is a recipe for you. Inspired by our original one-pot pasta, this dish also features long, skinny noodles that cook in the skillet along with the other ingredients, but where it differs is that the finely chopped cauliflower is finished under the broiler to get a crispy kind of roasted flavor and texture.

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Classic Beef Stew

Our Food Editors' Favorite One-Pot Recipes Are Dishes You'll Make Again and Again (10)

"This has all the classic flavors of beef stew, utilizing inexpensive, widely available ingredients like beef chuck, carrots, potatoes, and frozen peas and pearl onions," says Greg. "Pantry staples like tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce add richness and depth. And if you want to feed a big crowd, just double the recipe and grab a bigger pot!"

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Skillet Chicken with Leeks and Carrots

Our Food Editors' Favorite One-Pot Recipes Are Dishes You'll Make Again and Again (11)

You really should make this simple and delicious crowd-pleasing dinner, says Lauryn. "The croutons soak up all the flavorful chicken fat and the mint and lemon add brightness and a really fresh finish to this totally doable weeknight dinner."

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Smoky Clams and Fregola

Our Food Editors' Favorite One-Pot Recipes Are Dishes You'll Make Again and Again (12)

Another clever one-pot pasta recipe, this one is a favorite of Riley, who says, "This is a great summery dinner that really hits all the notes–sweet, smoky, spicy. I've made it outside of corn season by adding a load of cherry tomatoes instead."

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Skillet Pancake for Two

Our Food Editors' Favorite One-Pot Recipes Are Dishes You'll Make Again and Again (13)

Lauryn's last pick is a less-conventional one-pot recipe—after all, not all one-pot dishes have to be dinner. (Though pancakes for dinner sounds pretty good!) "One bowl for the batter, plus one skillet (without multiple batches to flip for the stove makes this a fan favorite in my house. It's honestly easy enough to whip up for breakfast before school, but also special enough to save for weekends." It's a flexible recipe, too. "I love the blueberries, but raspberries, bananas or chocolate chips would also make great stir ins."

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Our Food Editors' Favorite One-Pot Recipes Are Dishes You'll Make Again and Again (2024)

FAQs

What are 3 benefits pros to preparing one dish meals like this one? ›

One-pot meals:
  1. Increase the opportunity to incorporate vegetables into sauces or within a dish.
  2. Increase nutrition by fortifying the less nutrient-dense ingredients.
  3. Increase exposure to potentially non-preferred foods, which is associated with decreased picky eating and healthier eating habits in the future.
Aug 24, 2020

How much do you need to change a recipe to make it your own? ›

The general rule [...] is that three major [emphasis added] changes are required to make a recipe "yours." However, even if you make such changes, it is a professional courtesy to acknowledge the source of or inspiration for the recipe.

What is the meaning of one pan? ›

Before we jump right into all the 'pots-a-bilities' (wink), it's important to clarify the definition. When speaking about one pot or one pan meals, I am referring to doing all the cooking in one single baking cookware.

When was the first recipe written? ›

The earliest known written recipes date to 1730 BC and were recorded on cuneiform tablets found in Mesopotamia. Other early written recipes date from approximately 1600 BC and come from an Akkadian tablet from southern Babylonia. There are also works in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs depicting the preparation of food.

Does meal prepping lose nutrients? ›

Prepped meals do lose nutrients one way or another. However, there are various methods to minimise nutrients loss.

Is meal prepping good for weight loss? ›

Meal Prepping Is Linked to Weight Loss and Obesity Prevention. Takeout meals are almost always higher in calories, total fat, saturated fat, and sodium than those prepared at home, says Syn. That explains why meal prepping has been linked to weight loss and obesity prevention.

Is it cheaper to buy or make your own food? ›

Is It Cheaper to Cook or Eat Out? For those who want a quick and easy answer: It's generally cheaper to cook food at home than eat out.

Is it legal to post a recipe from a cookbook? ›

If it's still under copyright, you must transcribe it from the book. Change a few words. If the book is in the public domain you may post a photo or copy directly from the book. The recipe itself cannot be copyrighted or patented.

Can you legally own a recipe? ›

The first thing to understand is that recipes are not copyrightable. Copyright law protects original works of authorship, and while a recipe may be original, it is not an "original work of authorship." This means that anyone can freely copy and use a recipe without fear of infringement.

What does it mean to knock someone? ›

transitive verb. To knock someone into a particular position or condition means to hit them very hard so that they fall over or become unconscious. The third wave was so strong it knocked me backwards. 4. transitive verb [no cont]

What does pan pan mean in English? ›

Glossary of Aviation Terms | PAN-PAN

It is commonly misused as the "mayday" call from an aircraft in distress and is widely accepted as the three-letter acronym, "Possible Assistance Needed." It has been and still is used on aeronautical radios to serve as a means of stating a possible emergency in the future.

What does Peter Pan mean in English? ›

: an adult who does not want to grow up : one who hangs on to adolescent interests and attitudes.

What is the oldest food dish in the world? ›

Nettle Pudding

Originating in 6000 BCE, England; it is the oldest dish of the world that's rich in nutrients. Nettle pudding is made with stinging nettles (wild leafy plant), breadcrumbs, suet, onions, and other herbs and spices.

What is the oldest food known to man? ›

Here is the answer for you! Bread is considered to be first prepared probably some 30000+ years back and is one of the very first foods made by mankind. The earliest proof of making bread loaf occurred with the Natufian hunter-gatherers that lived in the Levant.

What is the oldest cookbook still in print? ›

The first recorded cookbook that is still in print today is Of Culinary Matters (originally, De Re Coquinaria), written by Apicius, in fourth century AD Rome. It contains more than 500 recipes, including many with Indian spices.

What are the benefits of one dish meals? ›

Combining many nutritional elements in a single dish saves prep and cooking time, is easier to store and clean up after, and is often every bit as tasty as something more complex and fancy. Many cultures practice one-dish cooking as a matter of course.

What are the benefits of a one dish meal? ›

One-pot meals are dishes that are easy to make and easy to clean up, while still providing the same nutritional value as a normal dinner that would take much longer to cook and clean up. Preparing everything in one dish makes it easier to ensure that several food groups are included on everyone's plate.

What are three benefits to meal prepping meal planning? ›

Some benefits of meal prep:
  • Can help save money.
  • Can ultimately save time.
  • Can help with weight control, as you decide the ingredients and portions served.
  • Can contribute to an overall more nutritionally balanced diet.
  • Can reduce stress as you avoid last minute decisions about what to eat, or rushed preparation.

What are 3 benefits of eating meals with other people? ›

By eating with others more often, you can: make mealtime more sociable. spend more time eating and enjoying a meal. increase the amount of food you eat, which can help you get more of the important nutrients you need for health.

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