Healthy Recipes Healthy Cooking Methods & Styles Healthy One-Pot Meals Healthy One Skillet Recipes 30 Cozy Cast-Iron Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less By Danielle DeAngelis Danielle DeAngelis Instagram Twitter Website Danielle DeAngelis is a rising journalist and current Fellow for EatingWell.com. Through her previous experiences as a news writer, she has focused on covering sustainability and human interest stories. Her passions of reading, writing and eating local all guide her in her position at EatingWell. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on September 25, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Make the most of your cast-iron skillet with these cozy and tasty dinners. These easy one-pan meals take just 30 minutes or less to make, so you can get dinner on the table in record time. Recipes like our Quick King Ranch Chicken Casserole and Tofu & Vegetable Curry with Zucchini Noodles are delicious dinners with a quick cleanup. 01 of 30 Quick King Ranch Chicken Casserole View Recipe Usually made by layering creamy chicken and tortillas (lasagna-style), this classic Mexican-inspired chicken casserole gets speedier for an easy weeknight dinner when we mix everything together in a skillet, then pop the whole pan under the broiler to make the cheese topping gooey. Serve this healthy chicken casserole recipe with a side salad for a filling meal. 02 of 30 Tofu & Vegetable Curry with Zucchini Noodles View Recipe For this quick Thai-inspired curry recipe, we've combined tofu and plenty of veggies with a flavorful sauce made with red curry paste, lime juice and coconut milk. Serve the curry over lightly warmed zucchini noodles to get even more veggies in your weeknight dinner. Bonus: Everything is cooked in one skillet, so there's only one pan to wash after dinner. 03 of 30 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. 04 of 30 One-Skillet Cheesy Ground Chicken Pasta View Recipe Victor Protasio Make this cheesy ground chicken pasta recipe for a busy weeknight dinner. Serve with a simple side salad and a glass of red wine. 05 of 30 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. 06 of 30 Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Sauce View Recipe These seared pork chops are topped with a rich and creamy mushroom sauce that gets flavored with fresh herbs. 07 of 30 20-Minute Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Pesto Sauce View Recipe Serve these creamy pesto chicken cutlets over your favorite pasta or zucchini noodles. This easy dinner recipe is sure to become a new family favorite. 08 of 30 Brown Butter Seared Scallops View Recipe Get perfectly cooked scallops every time with this easy method. Sea scallops (the large ones) are sautéed in butter that turns deliciously nutty as it cooks, to make a super-fast, special dinner. A splash of lemon juice and fresh herbs finish the dish. Round out the menu with sautéed spinach and brown rice or orzo. 09 of 30 Skillet Steak with Mushroom Sauce View Recipe This steak, broccolini and pea dinner is a one-skillet meal that will be on your table in just 25 minutes! The pan drippings combine with mushrooms, broth and grainy mustard to make a thick and delicious sauce. 10 of 30 Tofu & Snow Pea Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce View Recipe A fast dinner recipe perfect for busy weeknights, this easy stir-fry recipe will quickly become a favorite. To save time, use precooked rice or cook rice a day ahead. 11 of 30 Spinach-Artichoke-Sausage Cauliflower Gnocchi View Recipe Hearty and piquant, this quick cauliflower gnocchi dinner incorporates several healthy convenience ingredients, including turkey sausage and tender artichoke hearts, so dinner is on your table fast. 12 of 30 Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Kale View Recipe You can make these three-ingredient tomato-simmered eggs with things you probably already have on hand in your freezer and pantry. To make these baked eggs more like eggs in purgatory, look for a spicy tomato sauce and don't forget some whole-wheat bread for dipping. 13 of 30 Pork Chops with Balsamic Sweet Onions View Recipe Balsamic onions and raisins add a burst of sweet and savory flavor to pan-seared pork chops. Round out this healthy dinner recipe with sweet potatoes and green beans. 14 of 30 Chipotle-Orange Broccoli & Tofu View Recipe Chipotle peppers add kick to this tofu and broccoli stir-fry recipe. If you're shy about spice, cut back on the amount or leave them out completely. Serve over brown basmati rice. 15 of 30 Beef & Bean Sloppy Joes View Recipe This healthy copycat recipe of the comfort food classic trades beans for some of the meat to bump up fiber by 7 grams. We also cut back on the sugar and ketchup in this Sloppy Joe recipe makeover to save you 12 grams of added sugar. 16 of 30 Easy Cauliflower Fried Rice View Recipe This vegetarian faux fried rice uses riced cauliflower in place of white or brown rice to pack in extra veggies and cut down on carbs. Chile-garlic sauce pumps up the heat, and fresh ginger adds a bright, warm bite. If you don't like the heat of the chile-garlic sauce, leave it out and add a bit more tamari or soy sauce for a rich, fermented tang. 17 of 30 Creamy Parmesan Garlic Mushroom Chicken View Recipe A rich and creamy sauce coats chicken breasts in this quick and comforting dinner. If you don't have chicken cutlets (thin-sliced boneless chicken breast) on hand, you can make your own by slicing two 8-ounce chicken breasts in half horizontally. 18 of 30 Spicy Chicken and Snow Pea Skillet View Recipe Chock-full of nutrients, snow peas shine in this 20-minute, harissa-sauced, one-pot meal that feeds the whole family. Harissa is a North African hot chile paste--use just a teaspoon if you prefer a mild flavor. 19 of 30 One-Pot Spinach, Chicken Sausage & Feta Pasta View Recipe A little bit of Sunday meal prep goes a long way in this one-dish Greek-inspired pasta recipe. The pasta is cooked ahead of time and stored in the fridge to use for meals all week, but any leftover cooked pasta you have on hand will do. Chicken sausage with feta is especially good in this recipe. 20 of 30 Jackfruit Sloppy Joes View Recipe Meaty jackfruit makes these vegan sloppy Joes rich and filling. Jackfruit, a starchy tropical fruit, is mildly nutty and sweet, a blank canvas for a warm and spicy sauce like the one for this quick meat-free sandwich. 21 of 30 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. 22 of 30 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. 23 of 30 3-Ingredient Sweet Potato & Brussels Sprout Hash with Chicken Sausage View Recipe Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D. Apple-flavored chicken sausage adds flavor and protein in this quick dinner hash that uses a bag of shaved Brussels sprouts as its hearty, high-fiber base. Steaming the cubed sweet potatoes in the microwave cuts way down on total cook time. 24 of 30 Chickpea & Potato Hash View Recipe The eggs cook right on top of this chickpea and potato hash--cook them a few extra minutes if you prefer hard-set eggs. Serve with warm pita bread and a cucumber salad with mint and yogurt. 25 of 30 Easy Tuna Cakes with Greens & Lemon Dressing View Recipe Antonis Achilleos Dried herbs, white beans and canned tuna come together in these easy tuna cakes served over greens. A lemony dressing ties this quick dinner together. 26 of 30 Cheesy Ground Beef & Cauliflower Casserole View Recipe Jason Donnelly Ground beef and cauliflower combine to create a hearty weeknight casserole that both kids and adults will love. Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream. 27 of 30 Chicken Florentine View Recipe Classic chicken Florentine--creamy spinach served atop sautéed chicken cutlets--is a fast and easy meal. To keep calories lower, this recipe uses cornstarch to thicken the cream instead of cheese. This chicken recipe is simple enough for weekdays but also elegant enough for a dinner party. 28 of 30 Mushroom & Tofu Stir-Fry View Recipe This tofu veggie stir-fry is quick and easy, making it a great go-to weeknight meal. Baked tofu has a firm, toothsome texture that crisps well in a hot pan. You can find it in flavors like teriyaki and sesame, both of which are delicious here. Or opt for a smoked version, which has the same texture with a more robust flavor. Serve over brown rice. 29 of 30 Mexican Skillet Lasagna This easy Mexican-inspired lasagna recipe replaces the noodles with tortilla strips that become like tender ribbons in the cayenne- and cumin-spiked tomato sauce. Topped with Cheddar and cream cheese, the lasagna is just as soulful as its Italian cousin and can be made on a busy weeknight in about 30 minutes using a single skillet. Excerpted from The Dinner Plan by Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion, published by ABRAMS © 2017. 30 of 30 Skillet Eggs with Tomatillos & Spinach View Recipe This healthy skillet recipe features eggs cooked in a mixture of spinach, herbs and tomatillos. Garnish with a touch of harissa—a fiery chile paste—and dip some toasted whole-grain country bread into the jammy yolks. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit