Maybe you have a fancy dishwasher with all the bells and whistles, or maybe the fancy dishwasher is you, but either way, fewer dishes to clean is always something to love. These cozy, one-pot weeknight dishes are some of our readers’ favorites for getting a complete meal on the table with minimal cleanup.
“Luscious! This is going to be on regular rotation in my home!”
You know the thick solids at the top of a can of coconut milk? Instead of stirring it into the rest of the can, Genevieve Ko scoops it out and uses it to sauté the veggies in this 20-minute vegetarian curry before pouring in the rest of the milk. This imbues the entire dish with a rich, nutty flavor.
“I admit that I had doubts about this recipe but decided to give it a go. Utterly delicious!”
This hearty Italian dish from Ali Slagle is quintessential cucina povera, or peasant food, which is characterized by simple dishes made with a handful of affordable ingredients. Here, pasta, lentils, tomatoes, onion and garlic cook in the same pot so that the pasta starches thicken the liquid into something almost luxurious.
“This was so great. After I made it I thought about it all week. It would just hit me in the middle of the day, like ‘Wow. Remember when you made that Saturday? That was really good.’”
Yasmin Fahr uses uncased sausage to make cute little meatballs that cook alongside broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms and garlic bread in this complete sheet-pan dinner that can be on the table in about 40 minutes.
Recipe: Sheet-Pan Sausage Meatballs With Tomatoes and Broccoli
“I wake up craving this sometimes — I love it so much.”
Kay Chun’s one-pot, weeknight version of the classic Japanese stew calls for chicken thighs, vegetables and rice. No need for store-bought instant curry roux. Instead, curry powder, ground nutmeg and Worcestershire sauce are bloomed in butter for a rich sauce that mimics its flavor.
“Over the past few years, I’ve made this soup at least 100 times.”
Now is the time to whip out those little star or alphabet noodles you bought on a whim. In this one-pot chicken soup from Naz Deravian, boneless chicken breasts, carrot, onion, celery and garlic cook together for a simple, comforting soup that’ll make you feel better about, well, everything.
Recipe: Brodo di Pollo con Pastina (Chicken Soup With Pastina)
“One of my favorite dishes from NYT. I have made it with both fresh and frozen pierogies, it turns out fine either way. When my store didn’t have pierogies, I substituted it with gyoza (potstickers work, too), and it was still delicious.”
Hetty McKinnon is a vegetable genius. In this clever recipe, she combines store-bought pierogi with brussels sprouts and kimchi for a filling vegetarian sheet-pan meal that is anything but boring.
Recipe: Sheet-Pan Pierogies With Brussels Sprouts and Kimchi
“This is a crispy dream!”
Technically, this dish is not one-pot — Priya Krishna calls for sautéing the vegetables in a pan, then transferring them to a baking dish — but if you prep them in an ovenproof pan, ta-da! It’s a one-pot wonder.
Recipe: Tomato Rice With Crispy Cheddar
“This is a family favorite; the recipe that got us hooked on NYT’s cooking site.”
In this recipe, Mark Bittman cooks pasta, shallots, mushrooms and chicken as one would risotto — by gradually adding broth and white wine to the pot and stirring until it’s absorbed for a creamy one-pot affair with nary a drop of cream. This recipe is a solid template from which to start, but kick up the herbs and spices as you see fit.
“Made this for a weeknight dinner on a blustery night. In a word, fantastic! With a glass of wine and toast, I felt like I was in Tuscany.”
Chock-full of herbed sausage and chickpeas, this dish from Colu Henry is like a more substantial version of eggs in purgatory, the classic Italian egg and tomato casserole. Substitute any white bean you like for the chickpeas, and for a vegetarian version, ditch the sausage.
Recipe: Baked Eggs With Beans and Greens
“This recipe is INCREDIBLE. Packed with flavor.”
Adapted from Diana Henry’s “From the Oven to the Table: Simple Dishes That Look After Themselves,” this complete chicken dinner is a delightful mix of flavors and textures. The cumin-y rice and black beans soak up the chicken juices, and everything emerges from the oven perfectly cooked. One note: Be sure to use a 12-inch skillet; a smaller or larger pan might result in under- or overcooked chicken or rice.
“This recipe was bomb. I love Rao’s sauce, so I substituted the blistered tomatoes for that.”
Inspired by shrimp saganaki, the classic Greek appetizer, this recipe from Yasmin Fahr combines shrimp, tomatoes, orzo and feta for a vibrant, well-rounded meal. Stir in some baby spinach for a little green, a can of drained white beans for more heft, and feel free to use frozen shrimp in place of fresh; just thaw them first.
“Made it two days in a row. A new classic that I can’t wait to iterate on.”
Mujadara is classic Middle Eastern comfort food made with lentils, rice and caramelized onions. This version from Melissa Clark calls for leeks because they cook faster, but you can certainly use onions in equal amounts instead.
“Yes, yes, yes. This was an outstanding weeknight meal using halibut.”
You can use perfectly ripe in-season tomatoes or the grocery store variety for this deceptively simple and, yes, kind-of sophisticated dish from Lidey Heuck. The tomatoes are roasted with garlic, shallots, sherry vinegar and a drizzle of honey, then everything is scooted to the side so the fish can cook nearby in the last 10 to 12 minutes of cooking time.
“Yummy and comforting. We almost never have fresh herbs, so I just add small amounts of whatever dried herbs Clark recommends fresh until it tastes right.”
This delightfully adaptable soup from Melissa Clark is delicious and warming on a chilly fall night. To thicken it, smash some of the beans; to loosen, add more broth. Substitute uncased turkey or chicken sausage for the ground turkey. Toss in whatever greens you have in the fridge. And if you don’t have fresh herbs on had, just follow the smart reader advice above until a spoonful makes you nod and smile.
