Here’s a New Year’s Resolution to Embrace: Do Less!
That can mean a lot, but above all it should mean less washing up. And what better way to achieve that goal than cooking more DailyExpertNews Cooking one-pot meals? This is not permission to compromise on taste; in fact, you’ll find that despite their convenience, these carefully developed recipes are brimming with heat, tangy, spicy, and creamy flavors. But when energy is scarce (and when not?), the dishes below will suffice while leaving the sink relatively empty.
Cooking this 30-minute Hetty McKinnon song in a single pot really enhances the flavors of the entire dish: the broth that extinguishes the caramelized mushrooms and leeks is also the liquid the pasta cooks in, trapping all that browned pieces on the bottom of the pot and pour orecchiette with their umami.
Zainab Shah skips the more traditional layering of ingredients in biryani to save time and clean up, but she doesn’t compromise on flavor. The recipe is packed with aromatics — cloves, cardamom pods, green chilies, ginger, and chopped herbs, to name a few — and an aisle full of veggies. A final intoxication of pomegranate seeds and cashews beautifully disguises the fact that this dish is a cinch to prepare.
Recipe: One-pot vegetable Biryani
Don’t pop in the comments yet — this comforting Melissa Clark recipe calls for ground turkey, but you can also use more beans or your favorite plant-based meat substitute. And while the stew itself is everything you’d want from a chili (spicy, rich, filling), we all know why you’re here: the siren of those buttery, spicy biscuits.
Recipe: One-Pot Turkey Chili and Biscuits
In the universe of vessels that can be considered a single pot, you can and should include the big old electric pressure cooker. While Sarah DiGregorio’s vegetarian take on the Hungarian classic is far from what you might find in Budapest, plenty of Yukon Gold potatoes and meaty mushrooms keep it in the comforting spirit of the original.
By swapping the chicken for red lentils in Ali Slagle’s vegetarian version of the Italian classic, the dinner still packs in plenty of protein with minimal fuss. The finished stew is also incredibly versatile: eat it straight from the pot, spoon it over creamy polenta or treat it like pasta sauce by diluting it with a little bit of water.
Recipe: Lentil Cacciatore
This rich crimson vegetarian stew from Lidey Heuck is well-seasoned, but lacks the fiery heat you’d normally associate with hefty peppers. Instead, the flavor profile is warmer and a bit more complex thanks to subtle additions like cinnamon and brown sugar.
Recipe: Chili With Squash Pumpkin And Moroccan Spices
Melissa Clark has written a love letter to canned food, and it’s this creamy curry. Canned chickpeas, coconut milk, and pumpkin puree serve as the base for this stock-friendly (and budget-friendly) recipe. Fresh produce is kept to a minimum – think onion, cilantro, lime – to ensure you don’t have to run for an ingredient at the last minute.
Recipe: Coconut Curry Chickpeas With Pumpkin And Lime
Ali Slagle is here and asks the important questions – like “What if my favorite steakhouse creamed spinach goes with my favorite mac and cheese?” – and give people answers. Here, milk, spinach and aromatics create a sauce that is loose enough to cook small pastas like ditalini, but also thickens as it simmers. A final shower of Parmesan cheese ties it all together perfectly.
Recipe: One-Pot Creamy Pasta and Vegetables
Loophole alert! Since the cheesy toast served alongside this Sarah DiGregorio Italian stew is popped right under the broiler without a pot or pan, it still qualifies for this list. Don’t skip them either: While the soup is hearty on its own, reviving stale bread lying around means you’ll get bites here and there that are almost pizza-like in taste.
Recipe: Pressure Cooker Ribollita With Smoked Mozzarella Toast
If there’s a tube or jar of harissa in the pantry, put it to work in this fluffy weeknight soup from Ali Slagle. Since the North African chilli paste has a good amount of heat and flavor in just a few tablespoons, you don’t need much other than a few crunchy staples and a few cans of chickpeas to be on the table in 30 minutes.
This creamy, vibrant, and spicy soup actually doesn’t need any cream: Yewande Komolafe uses coconut milk, natural peanut butter, and pumpkin puree to get a silky smooth consistency. Those velvety ingredients also temper the heat of some habanero chili, a staple in West African cuisine.
Recipe: Spicy Peanut and Pumpkin Soup
Kay Chun makes dinner—and therefore life—so much easier for you with this recipe, which eliminates the need for the stovetop hovering and endless stirring often associated with risotto. This dish is also easy to adapt: While chicken stock is needed, mushroom stock would make an exceptional substitution.
Recipe: Baked Risotto With Vegetables And Peas
Doenjang, the Korean fermented soybean paste, imparts a salty funk that adds complexity to an otherwise simple stew of pantry beans and hearty vegetables. Eric Kim keeps waste to a minimum by including the stems of the greens — especially rainbow chard — that add color and a subtle crunch.
Recipe: Bean and Vegetable Stew With Doenjang