20 One-Dish Meals for Easy, Well-Rounded Dinners
Plus, easy cleanups—perfect for busy weeknights!
Pulling together a delicious, well-rounded dinner is a breeze with our best-ever recipes for one-dish meals. Each requires little prep time and uses just one pan—be it a casserole, skillet, slow cooker, or sheet pan—so cleanup is a breeze. Whether you're craving tacos, perfectly cooked chicken, or roasted salmon, weeknight cooking doesn't get much easier than this.
Chicken and Lemon Broccoli Alfredo
Cooking chicken breasts is one of the easiest ways to get a delicious dinner ready on the fly. In this simple one-pan meal, mushrooms and broccoli accompany the tender chicken. A bit of lemon and alfredo sauce take this 20-minute dinner from standard to standout.
Skillet Taco Pie
Nothing beats a delicious Mexican-inspired meal. Speed up your one-pan dinner's cooking time by preparing it in a large, low-sided skillet so the filling gets warm and bubbly faster. For a leaner protein option, try replacing the ground beef with ground turkey.
Chicken Fajitas in a Flash
Chicken, vegetables, and spices cook together in the oven in this sheet pan dinner. Broiling the chicken under high heat gets the job done super fast. Simply serve the fajita filling alongside your choice of toppings and a stack of tortillas, and allow everyone to build their own meal.
Related: Sheet Pans Are Changing the Dinner Game
Roasted Vegetable-Chicken Sausage Pizza
One sure-fire way to make better-than-delivery pizza is to cook the different elements in layers, so they get just enough bake time and nothing gets overdone or underdone. Start by roasting the vegetables on your sheet pan. Transfer them to a wire rack as you partially bake the crust, then layer it all together, finishing with chicken sausage and cheese—then slide the pan into the oven for one last quick bake.
Buy It: Nordic Ware Naturals Aluminum Baking Sheet ($18, Nordic Ware)
One-Pot Spaghetti
Yes, it's possible to enjoy a full pasta dinner with just one pot. Not only does it make for fewer dishes, but cooking the pasta right in the meaty marinara sauce gives it loads more flavor than cooking it separately. Don't forget to sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
Related: 15 Sizzling Pasta Skillet Recipes
Sunday Oven Pot Roast
For a classic meat-and-potatoes dinner, look no further than our top-rated pot roast. Knowing how to cook pot roast isn't as intimidating as you may think. The fork-tender meat will leave your mouth watering for every minute it spends cooking in the oven. If you'd prefer, let it slow-cook on the countertop all day in lieu of baking it in the oven.
Related: The Best Pot Roast Recipes Ever Developed in Our Test Kitchen
Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables
Prepare to blow your family away with a one-pan dinner they'll crave constantly, especially if they love quick and hearty chicken recipes. The chicken and vegetables achieve a perfect sweet and tangy flavor from a balsamic-honey mixture that's finger-licking good. It is also filling, yet it has less than 300 calories per serving.
Cajun-Seasoned Vegetarian Gumbo
A peppery-hot cajun seasoning blend adds bold flavor to this easy vegetarian gumbo. Using both frozen and canned vegetables makes this slow cooker dinner a breeze to prepare. If you like, serve it with some rice and you've got a warm, spicy meal perfect for a night in.
Buy It: Crock-Pot 6-Quart Cook and Carry Programmable Slow Cooker ($97, Amazon)
Mexican Skillet Dinner
Mexican chorizo is a spicy, deep red sausage, and combined with chili powder and ground cumin, it really brings the heat to this quick and easy one-dish dinner. Corn, beans, and cheese round out the 8-ingredient recipe.
Mini Meat Loaves, Green Beans, and Potatoes
How cute are these tiny meat loaves? By making them miniature, you can count on them cooking quickly—and you can cook your greens, potatoes, and meat in one sheet pan. Slather on some extra barbecue sauce once they're done, so everything stays moist and flavorful.
Beef Sirloin Tips with Smoky Pepper Sauce
For a hearty one-dish dinner, cook beef sirloin tips with roasted red peppers and serve them over polenta, couscous, or mashed potatoes. Our smoky pepper sauce pulls the whole dish together. And as impressive as it looks, this meal only takes 30 minutes to prepare.
Related: 25 Lightened-Up Versions of Your Favorite Comfort Foods
Roasted Salmon with Broccoli and Tomatoes
It only takes minutes to bake fish to flawless, flaky perfection. Throw some fresh (or frozen) salmon and vegetables onto a sheet pan and you'll have a delicious, healthy meal ready in less than 20 minutes. A squeeze of lemon and some fresh herbs add a zesty finishing touch.
Related: Healthy Fish and Seafood Recipes You'll Want to Add to Your Menu ASAP
Skillet Lasagna
Enjoy all the flavors of a classic lasagna in a fraction of the time. Wide egg noodles, ground beef, and zippy pasta sauce combine for a one-pan skillet meal that's warm and comforting. All you need to go with it is some crusty garlic bread to sop up that delicious sauce.
Easy Huevos Rancheros Casserole
Huevos rancheros are a Mexican breakfast staple of eggs on tortillas smothered in salsa. Whether you need a new idea for brunch or really want breakfast for dinner, a dump-and-bake casserole like this one delivers spice from cumin and chili powder. To amp up the spice even more, choose a salsa with extra heat.
Buy It: OXO Good Grips Freezer-to-Oven Safe 3-Quart Glass Baking Dish ($23, Amazon)
Chicken and Vegetable Sauté
You really can't go wrong with chicken and veggies, and this simple one-pan dinner is no exception. The best part about this recipe is how forgiving it is. If you don't have one of the vegetables listed, feel free to swap it out with what's in your fridge or freezer. We've also added some beans to the mix for extra protein and fiber.
Buy It: Lodge 12-Inch Cast Iron Skillet ($30, Target)
Apple-Pecan Pork Chops
"Easy, quick, and a huge hit in my family," says one BH&G reader of this top-rated one-pan dinner recipe. Calling for just five common ingredients (plus salt and pepper), this skillet pork dinner is one you'll make again and again.
Related: 30-Minute Pork Recipes
Pineapple-Chicken Meatball Stir-Fry
A few shortcut supermarket ingredients (canned pineapple and chicken meatballs) make it possible to prep this teriyaki stir-fry super fast. Use precooked rice to keep the prep time to just 15 minutes.
Buy It: Select by Calphalon 12-Inch Hard-Anodized Non-Stick Stir Fry Pan ($64, Calphalon)
Chili-Pasta Skillet
Your favorite cozy bowl of chili meets pasta in this irresistible one-pan dinner recipe. The pasta noodles are cooked with beans, tomatoes, and spices. Top it all with shredded cheese for some extra melty goodness.
Striped Bass en Brodo
You'd never guess a fish dinner with such a fancy name only took one skillet and half an hour. En brodo simply means "in broth," and this dish features a light broth of white wine, water, shallots, and fresh thyme. Change up the recipe and swap the striped bass for red snapper or halibut.
Related: Quick and Easy Seafood Recipes Just as Good as Your Restaurant Faves
Pulled Roast Chicken Sandwiches
In just seven minutes of cooking, you can transform a store-bought rotisserie chicken into saucy barbecue sandwiches. If you have more mouths to feed or want to make sure you have leftovers for tomorrow's lunch, buy two chickens and you'll be set.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is a one-dish meal?
The name says it all—you’ll be cooking, serving, or eating in just one pot or sheet pan. It’s the perfect technique if you don’t have time to cook a full course, or if you’re meal-prepping or making food ahead for your family.
How can I make one-dish meals even easier?
By simply focusing on the prep work and post-cleanup. You can start by chopping some vegetables and protein, marinating them, and freezing them
until you’re ready to cook it all together. Have some microwave or frozen rice
handy, and a handful of your favorite spices. For the cleanup, you may want to
line your sheet pans with foil or parchment paper to prevent food from
sticking. That way, you only have to throw away the paper and give it a good
rinse (as opposed to leaving it soaking overnight).
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