One-Pot Meals: Less Pots in Your Sink & More Time in Your Day

I love to use the least number of pots, pans and dishes whenever possible, so one-pot meals and me are a match made in heaven. Try these 36 Quick and Easy One-Pot Meals on for size! In the foodie world, you’ll see many different interpretations of one-pot meals…so what exactly qualifies a “one-dish recipe”?

For me, it’s very simple: if there’s less pots in my sink and more time in my day, a dish likely qualifies as a one-pot meal. More specifically, the entire meal – vegetables, starch, and meat (if included) – comes to the table in a single pot, skillet, bowl, or dish. There are a lot of “one-dish meals” that can be prepared with only one pot, pan, skillet, slow-cooker, etc., but my bottom line is how the meal is served: in just ONE dish.

Other things I look for in one-pot meals is minimal prep time that is also pretty basic (chopping a green pepper or sauteing chicken, for example). And one-pot dishes are the star of the show: no additional side dishes, breads, rice, or salad is necessary.

My absolute favorite one-dish recipe to make is One Pot Couscous with Moroccan-style lamb. The tiny pearls of couscous make a wonderful complement to the flavorful lamb chunks. Plus, it’s packed with vegetables…but there’s no chopping veggies involved! Just add a bag of frozen mixed vegetables, and this stew pretty much makes itself. The other great thing about One Pot Couscous is the leftovers are fantastic – I make some at the beginning of the week and had lunch for the next three days!

Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients that make this one-dish meal a delight:

Ingredients

• 2 to 2-1/2 pounds lamb stew meat or boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 medium-sized onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 ³/4 cups beef broth
• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¹/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (10-ounce) package couscous

Yum! To check out the entire recipe for One Pot Couscous and more one-pot recipes, visit MrFood.com!