8 One-Pot Recipes for Busy Days and Fewer Dishes
There’s a lot of cooking, meal prepping, and assembling that goes on in our house each week. And that translates—unfortunately—to a lot of dishes. While my dishwasher handles most of the load, there’s almost always a full sink waiting at the end of the day that still needs to be hand-washed.
I know it’s not just me. It’s you, too.Which is exactly why I’d venture to guess that you love a one-pot meal as much as I do.
But here’s my favorite secret about one-pot meals: they’re so much more than just soups and stews simmering away on the stove. One-pot cooking also includes sheet-pan dinners, casseroles, skillet meals, and even smoothies that come together in a single blender.
So in the interest of fewer dishes—and easier weeknights—we pulled together some of our best one-“pot” meals for you. A few of these even take easy cleanup to the max—no extra bowls or prep dishes required.Bon appétit—and may your sink stay blissfully empty.
Sheet Pan Caesar Chicken and Cheddar Potatoes
This Sheet Pan Caesar Chicken and Cheddar Potatoes recipe proves that weeknight dinners can be simple, delicious, and healthy. Juicy chicken, crispy potatoes, asparagus, and a finishing sprinkle of Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar come together on one sheet pan with minimal effort. Even better? It takes just 10 minutes to prep—and there’s only one pan to clean.
Our sheet pan Caesar chicken and potatoes recipe is especially simple, requiring only 8 ingredients—most of which you most likely already have on hand—and taking only 10 minutes of prep time and 40 minutes of cook time.
Nutrition Boost: Give your dinner a little nutrition boost and mix in a few chicken thighs with the chicken breasts. Thighs will give you more iron and zinc - two nutrients that support a healthy immune system, among other things.
One-Pot Cheesy Mexican Beans & Rice
This Mexican-inspired One-Pot Cheesy Mexican Beans and Rice skillet meal brings together sweet potatoes, black beans, corn, warm spices and melty Cabot Gouda cheese for a weeknight dinner that's both satisfying and budget-friendly. Everything simmers together in one skillet, making it a true one-pot meal with plenty of bold flavor.
Nutrition Boost: Finish it with a dollop of sour cream for extra creaminess - and a small protein boost, too (about one gram per 2 tablespoon serving). Every little bit counts.
Instant Pot Risotto with Corn, Cheddar and Bacon
We love Instant Pot recipes for their simplicity—and the fact that there’s just one pot to clean afterward. This Instant Pot Risotto with Corn, Cheddar and Bacon gets its extra creaminess from sweet corn and Cabot Vermont Sharp Cheddar and comes together in about 45 minutes.
Nutrition Boost: An easy way to pump up the protein count in this recipe is to swap out the chicken stock for chicken bone broth—depending on the brand, one cup of bone broth can add as much as 10 grams of protein.
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Chili
We really do love Instant Pot recipes. This Butternut Squash Chili is a great one to keep in your rotation for busy weeknights or jam-packed weekends. Hearty, healthy, vegetarian—and with just one pot to clean, too.
Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip
With just five ingredients (not counting salt and pepper) and a slow cooker, this Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip couldn’t be easier to make. Creamy and cheesy, this dip will become a go-to for parties—and the only dish is the slow cooker insert!
Cheesy Breakfast Sausage Casserole
Everything for this hearty Cheesy Breakfast Sausage Casserole mixes and cooks in a single baking dish, making both prep and cleanup wonderfully simple. We also appreciate that it combines simple staples—bread, sausage, eggs, milk, and Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar—into a filling, crowd-pleasing meal.
Green Mountain Smoothie
Since everything in this Green Mountain Smoothie comes together in one blender, it’s a one-“pot” recipe that keeps both prep and cleanup wonderfully simple. Don’t let the kale dissuade you—this smoothie is so delicious, you will forget it’s also packed with good-for-you ingredients.
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Made with rotisserie chicken, tangy hot sauce, and two types of creamy Cabot cheese, this Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe is easy to prepare—and with only two dishes to wash, cleanup is just as simple.
Nutrition Boost: Give this recipe a nutrition boost, including some extra fiber, and serve it with fresh carrots (we like the ones that are sliced to look like chips) and celery.
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