One Pot Meals For Busy Nights

The ultimate convenience of weeknight cooking is the one-pot dinner! In a world where there is not enough time in the day and the last thing anyone wants is a pile of dishes, one pot meals come to the rescue.

At Anderson’s Nutrition, we love a satisfying dinner that requires minimal cleanup and maximum taste—sounds too good to be true? Well, it isn’t! We’ll dive into a variety of delicious one-pot recipes that are not only easy to make but also perfect for feeding the whole family.

One Pot Meal Recipes We Love

One Pot Animal Protein Based Meals

One Pan Chicken and Spinach

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 pound of chicken breast, chopped
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 4 cups spinach
• 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spread half of the tomato puree in the bottom of a large baking dish.
3. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and add to the baking dish. Top with remaining tomato puree, spinach, and cheeses.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes until chicken is no longer pink and cheese is melted. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 cup no salt added diced tomatoes
• 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup low sodium white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup low sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup macaroni
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add peppers, onions, and garlic powder and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Sprinkle in flour and chili powder. Stir constantly for 2 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, black beans, white beans, kidney beans, and vegetable broth. Stir well to combine, scraping up any food stuck to the bottom of the pot.
4. Stir in pasta. Bring to a boil, then cover and lower to simmer for 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked to your liking.
5. Stir in cheese, turn off heat, and cover for 1 minute to allow the cheese to melt into the pasta.

One Pot Cilantro Lime Shrimp Scampi

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 dash salt
• 1 dash ground pepper
• 3/4 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 glove garlic, minced
• 1/8 cup dry white wine
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 lime, for garnish cut into wedges
• 1/4 cup cilantro, divided chopped

Directions

1. In a shallow bowl, stir together the flour with a pinch salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat a large frying pan over medium/high heat. Add the olive oil and allow to heat up.
3. Toss the shrimp in the flour mixture and add to the pan in batches. Cook for approximately 2-3 minutes, turning/tossing occasionally. When opaque/cooked through, transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. Reduce heat to medium and add in two tablespoons butter. When the butter has melted, add the garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until translucent and fragrant.
5. Slowly add in the wine, lime juice, and half of the cilantro. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 2 full minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Whisk in the remaining butter a bit at a time, allowing it to melt before adding more.
7. Add the shrimp back into the skillet and coat completely with the sauce. Sprinkle with more cilantro and garnish with lime wedges. Serve.

One Pot Vegetarian Meals

One Pan Eggplant and Chickpeas

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 globe eggplant, cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 can diced tomatoes, no salt added
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 black olives pitted and sliced
• 1/4 cup basil leaves
• 2 ciabatta rolls torn into chunks
• 1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Add eggplants to a baking sheet and toss with olive oil. Bake 15 minutes.
3. Stir in Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, tomatoes, garlic, olives, and basil and bake 10 minutes.
4. Scatter bread and chickpeas on top and bake another 25 minutes.

One Skillet Veggie Hash

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 potato, peeled and diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 cup broccoli cut into florets
• 1 zucchini, chopped, 1 cup red cabbage, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch pepper
• 1 tablespoon raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoon hemp hearts
• 1/2 avocado, sliced

Directions

1. Preheat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and shallots and cook for about 5 minutes or until translucent.
2. Add in the rest of the vegetables and cook for about 10-12 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables turn golden brown.
3. Add the parsley and garlic; cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and hemp hearts and serve immediately.
4. Top each plate with 1/4 sliced avocado.

Join Our Meal Planning Program

Want more one pot meals like the ones listed above? Meet virtually with your own dietitian to receive nutrition guidance and a personalized meal plan.

Anderson’s Nutrition has a robust meal planning program to assist you on your journey to simpler, better health. Get your personalized meal plan to enhance your lifestyle. Your meal plan will be customized by:

• Calories
• Carbohydrates
• Protein
• Fat
• Fiber
• Key nutrients for optimal health

By collaborating and meal planning with your dietitian, you will achieve the best possible results!