Ten Healthy One Pot Meals

Why use multiple pots and pans when you can create delicious meals with just one? (Think: Less to clean.)

one pot meal

One pot meal image via shutterstock

For busy moms, professionals, or even for those who just want to experiment, creating a one pot meal not only makes cleaning up easy, it’s an opportunity to showcase the layering of flavors. One pot meals also create tasty leftovers, and your friends and family will think you’ve spent hours in the kitchen.

1. Tomato Chicken Bake
via American Heritage Cooking

This recipe serves the chicken with parmesan cheese and egg noodles, but you can lose the cheese and use brown rice, or eat the chicken with a side salad to make it a little healthier. All variations are delicious.

2. Chicken Roasted on a Bed of Vegetables
via Wishful Chef

Roasting chicken usually requires that the skin stay intact in order to keep the chicken moist. Try roasting the chicken with the skin and then remove it before eating. Be sure to season under the skin so the chicken will be flavorful without it.

3. Chipotle Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili
via The Healthy Family and Home

Chipotle peppers add a smoky and slightly spicy quality to this chili. Be sure to rinse your black beans because the canning juices are extremely salty. Try topping the chili with nonfat Greek yogurt or low-fat cheese.

4. Couscous Chicken
via Pretty Little Dishes

Don’t be thrown by the ingredients list for this recipe. All of the ingredients are pretty basic and you might even have most of them on hand. You can add other vegetables to this dish like butternut squash or bell peppers.

5. Spicy Chicken Sausage, Sweet Potato and Kale Soup
via Culinary Colleen

This is a great soup to make in big batches because it will freeze well, plus it will be a great lunch the following day. Be sure to test the potatoes to make sure they are cooked through.

6. Chilli Tomato Mussels
via Chew Town

This recipe will come together in just under 15 minutes. Be sure to throughly scrub each mussel and remove the beard (the seaweed-looking piece attached to the base) before cooking. If a couple of mussels do not open during cooking, just discard them.

7. Pork Chops with Chard and White Beans
via Real Simple

Cooking seasoned meat in the same skillet as the greens will impart a lot of flavor to the veggies and make your dinner that much simpler. Have all the ingredients cleaned, chopped, and rinsed before you start cooking because once you begin, the cooking will be super fast.

8. Quick Paella with Shrimp and Mussels
via Eating Well

Paella is a traditional Spanish dish with a rice base and can be made with a variety seafoods. This recipe uses fast cooking shrimp and mussels and brown rice for a healthier (and much quicker) version of a traditional favorite.

9. Enlightened Chicken Pot Pie
via SELF

This recipe is good for when you’re craving something indulgent and don’t want to spend an extra hour on the treadmill. Use skim milk and add in extra veggies, fennel, celery, and/or frozen peas for additional flavor.

10. Savory Egg and Sweet Potato Scramble
via Better Homes and Gardens

Breakfast for dinner? Yes, please. You can serve this dish with turkey bacon and whole wheat toast for a full brunch experience, or try it with a side salad for a French bistro feel.