Healthy Eating 101 Budget Cooking Guide Thrifty I'm a Dietitian & These Are My Favorite One-Pot Dinners By EatingWell Editors EatingWell Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter Articles by "EatingWell Editors" are a collaborative effort from our in-house team. Sometimes, articles are updated by a number of writers and editors over time to keep the information as up-to-date and comprehensive as possible. The EatingWell team includes industry-leading food and nutrition editors, registered dietitians, expert Test Kitchen staffers and designers who produce award-winning journalism, delicious recipes and engaging content. Our work has earned more than 50 national and international awards for writing, editing, art direction, creative marketing and publishing excellence EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on August 21, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos For several years after graduate school, I did not have a dishwasher. As a person who loves to cook, this posed some obvious problems. Some nights, it felt like I spent as much time cleaning up from dinner as I did making it (over time, I learned the benefits of doing dishes in the downtime of a recipe). While I do not wish a dishwasher-less kitchen on anyone, that period of my life helped me become hyper-aware of the number of dishes required in a recipe. And it grew my appreciation for any recipe that cut out unnecessary dishes and appliances. Even now, I lean on these delicious and irresistibly simple one-pot recipes when I just can't be bothered with a long cleanup. Dinners like Skillet Lemon Chicken & Potatoes with Kale and Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry make me wonder, why don't I make this every night (or every week, at the very least?). To me, they are living proof that you don't have to dirty your entire kitchen to have a nutritious meal packed with produce, lean proteins, whole grains, legumes and fragrant aromatics. Plus, they taste incredible, too. For more budget- and beginner-friendly cooking tips, accessible nutrition info and recipes, check out Thrifty. 01 of 16 Skillet Lemon Chicken & Potatoes with Kale View Recipe This easy one-pan skillet-roasted lemon chicken is perfect for weeknight dinners. Juicy chicken thighs are cooked in the same pan as baby potatoes and kale for a satisfying meal with the added bonus of minimal cleanup. 02 of 16 One-Pan Chicken Parmesan Pasta View Recipe This chicken Parmesan pasta uses the one-pot pasta method to cook your noodles, chicken and sauce all in one skillet for a fast and easy dinner with minimal cleanup. Finish the dish under the broiler to achieve a delicious melted cheese crust. 03 of 16 One-Skillet Salmon with Fennel & Sun-Dried Tomato Couscous View Recipe Sun-dried tomato pesto and lemon do double duty to season both the salmon and the couscous in this healthy one-pan dinner recipe. Serve the salmon with extra lemon wedges and a dollop of plain yogurt, if desired. 04 of 16 Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas & Spinach View Recipe Simmer eggs in a rich tomatoey cream sauce studded with chickpeas and silky spinach for a super-fast vegetarian dinner. Serve with a piece of crusty bread to soak up the sauce. Be sure to use heavy cream; a lower-fat option might curdle when mixed with acidic tomatoes. 05 of 16 Creamy Chicken & Mushrooms View Recipe Whether you scored wild mushrooms at the farmers' market, found cultivated maitake or shiitake at the supermarket or just have some baby bellas on hand, this healthy creamy chicken recipe is delicious with any of them. Serve over whole-wheat egg noodles or mashed potatoes. 06 of 16 One-Pot Lentil & Vegetable Soup with Parmesan View Recipe Antonis Achilleos This lentil-vegetable soup is packed with kale and tomatoes for a filling, flavorful main dish. If you have it, the Parmesan cheese rind adds nuttiness and gives the broth some body. 07 of 16 Adobo Chicken & Kale Enchiladas View Recipe Put out your favorite toppings for these quick and healthy layered enchiladas. We like cilantro, sour cream, guacamole and jalapeños. 08 of 16 One-Pot Pasta with Tuna View Recipe Joy Howard Use the one-pot pasta cooking method to make this tuna pasta recipe that calls for just 5 ingredients and is ready in just over half an hour. For extra crunch and a tuna noodle casserole feel, sprinkle this speedy pasta dish with toasted whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs. 09 of 16 Summer Skillet Vegetable & Egg Scramble View Recipe Don't toss out those almost-past-their-prime vegetables and fresh herbs. Toss them into this skillet egg scramble for a quick vegetarian meal. Nearly any vegetable will work in this easy skillet recipe, so choose your favorites or use what you have on hand. 10 of 16 Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry View Recipe To make this 20-minute vegan curry even faster, buy precut veggies from the salad bar at the grocery store. To make it a full, satisfying dinner, serve over cooked brown rice. When shopping for simmer sauce, look for one with 400 mg of sodium or less and check the ingredient list for cream or fish sauce if you want to keep this vegan. If you like a spicy kick, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce at the end. 11 of 16 Hearty Minestrone View Recipe This version of the Italian classic soup Minestrone is packed with leeks, potatoes, beans, zucchini, spinach and orzo, making it perfect for a hearty lunch or supper on a cold winter's night. To make a vegetarian version use vegetable rather than chicken broth. Top each bowl with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for a zesty burst of flavor. 12 of 16 Black Bean Fajita Skillet View Recipe You can often find presliced and ready-to-cook fresh vegetables in your grocer's produce section. Use these to your advantage to cut down on dinnertime prep. Here, presliced fajita vegetables are sautéed with canned black beans and Southwest seasoning for a quick and easy Tex Mex-inspired meal. Plus, this recipe requires just three ingredients, not including basics like salt, pepper and oil. You can easily take your bowl up a notch by adding some cheese, sour cream or another tasty topping. 13 of 16 Hearty Chickpea & Spinach Stew View Recipe This satisfying stew comes together in a snap. Mashed chickpeas add body to the broth, and tomato paste adds a savory note without piling on the sodium. To simplify the prep, look for chopped fresh onion and shredded carrot or a soup starter mix in the produce section. 14 of 16 One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Spinach View Recipe Shrimp, spinach and garlic brown and cook quickly for a simple one-pot weeknight dinner. A fast pan sauce gets life from zesty lemon juice, warm crushed red pepper and herby parsley. Serve with a slice of whole-wheat baguette to swipe up every last drop of sauce. 15 of 16 Easy Vegetarian Chili View Recipe Canned beans and tomatoes make this quick vegetarian chili recipe ready to go in just 30 minutes. Serve over rice or couscous, or with tortilla chips for added crunch, and add extra toppings as you see fit--sliced scallions, chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado and sliced jalapeños are all tasty choices. 16 of 16 Zucchini Frittata View Recipe A frittata, as a flat omelet is known in Italy, can be filled with a variety of vegetables and cheeses and makes a great impromptu brunch dish or supper. In this version, fresh mint and basil brighten the mild taste of zucchini. If you prefer, use feta or ricotta salata in place of the goat cheese. Updated by Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Instagram Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, has been with EatingWell for three years and works as the associate nutrition editor for the brand. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit