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    Home » Recipe Roundups

    23 Delicious One-Pan Dinners That Save You Time and Effort

    By Emmeline Kemperyd on March 13, 2025, updated May 5, 2025 - Leave a Comment

    One-pan dinners are a lifesaver for busy weeknights, combining convenience with great flavor. These meals allow you to cook everything in one dish, making cleanup a breeze while still serving up satisfying and hearty options. From savory chicken and veggies to flavorful pasta dishes, these 23 recipes will help you whip up dinner in no time.

    Slow Cooker Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole

    Slow Cooker Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole.
    Photo Credit; The Magical Slow Cooker.

    This Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole is a delicious meal that everyone in the family will love. It's a simple one-pan dish that combines some favorite ingredients and provides plenty to go around.

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    One Pot Chicken Dumpling Soup

    A bowl of chicken dumpling soup.
    Photo Credit: Midwest Foodie.

    Chicken dumpling soup is a cozy dish that's simple to prepare in about 40 minutes using rotisserie chicken and refrigerated biscuit dough. It features classic flavors along with tasty veggies in a creamy, herby broth.

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    Skillet Ground Beef and Potatoes

    Skillet Ground Beef and Potatoes
    Photo Credit: Foxes Love Lemons.

    This dish is a simple and budget-friendly one-pan meal that combines meat and potatoes. There's no need to worry about extra side dishes, making cleanup a breeze.

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    Mushroom Truffle Risotto

    Mushroom Truffle Risotto
    Photo Credit: always use butter.

    This no-stir Mushroom Truffle Risotto is ready in under 40 minutes and packed with delicious flavors from mushrooms, white truffle oil, and white wine. It's a fantastic dish for dinner parties, and your guests will never guess how simple it was to prepare.

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    Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta

    Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
    Photo Credit: Eating In An Instant.

    Chicken parmesan pasta in the Instant Pot is a simple dinner that combines pasta and chicken breast in one pot. This dish is perfect for busy nights when you want a quick meal without a lot of cleanup.

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    Cheesy Kielbasa Pasta

    CHEESY KIELBASA PASTA.
    Photo credit: Cook Dinner Tonight.

    This easy pasta dish combines simple ingredients like pasta and kielbasa for a quick weeknight meal. It's cheesy and satisfying, perfect for busy nights when you want something delicious without a lot of work.

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    Cheesy Taco Skillet

    Cheesy taco skillet.
    Photo Credit: Homemade Hooplah.

    This taco skillet is a simple and tasty meal that feels a bit fancy, similar to Hamburger Helper. It's great for busy weeknights, and you can adjust the spice level to suit your taste.

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    One Pot Creamy Vegetable Soup

    One pot creamy vegetable soup.
    Photo Credit: Midwest Foodie.

    You can easily change the vegetables to match what you like or use this as a way to use up leftovers and random bits from your fridge. It's a simple meal that helps keep things tidy with minimal cleanup.

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    Instant Pot Chicken Soup

    A bowl of chicken soup.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    This Instant Pot Chicken Soup is perfect for a cozy dinner and is ready in just over an hour. It's creamy with a hint of spice, offering the comfort food you crave.

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    Turkey Chili with Wild Rice

    Turkey Chili with Wild Rice
    Photo Credit: Tried and True Recipe.

    Turkey chili with wild rice is a hearty dish that will keep you feeling full for a long time. It's simple to prepare and packed with nutritious ingredients.

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    Caprese Chicken

    Caprese chicken.
    Photo credit: Seasonal Cravings.

    This simple 5-ingredient Caprese Chicken is a satisfying one-pan meal that hits the spot. With just five ingredients and minimal cleanup, it’s perfect for a cozy dinner.

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    Creamy Garlic Parmesan Instant Pot Pasta with Broccoli

    Creamy Garlic Parmesan Instant Pot Pasta with Broccoli.
    Photo Credit: Midwest Foodie.

    Creamy garlic pasta is quick to prepare and packed with rich Parmesan flavor, complemented by tender-crisp broccoli. It's a simple dish that makes dinner easy and enjoyable.

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    Massaman Chicken Curry

    A bowl of massaman chicken curry.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    This Massaman Chicken Curry is a simple one-pot meal that comes together in just 45 minutes with the help of store-bought curry paste. It's creamy and slightly sweet, featuring chicken, potatoes, and peanuts, making it a comforting dish that's easy to clean up after.

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    One Pan Veggie Pot Pie

    One Pan Veggie Pot Pie.
    Photo Credit: Midwest Foodie.

    This dish is packed with plenty of vegetables and chickpeas in a simple herb cream sauce. Topped with refrigerated biscuits, it’s an easy one-pot meal for a weeknight dinner.

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    One Pan Feta Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes

    One Pan Feta Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes with spoon.
    Photo Credit: Haute & Healthy Living.

    This version of the popular one-pan feta pasta with cherry tomatoes is packed with great flavor. It's super simple to prepare, and since everything cooks in one pot, cleaning up is quick and easy.

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    Chinese Scrambled Eggs & Shrimp

    chinese scrambled eggs with shrimp.
    Photo credit: Pups with Chopsticks.

    Cantonese stir-fried scrambled eggs and shrimp is a quick and tasty dish that comes together in just 15 minutes. With fluffy scrambled eggs and shrimp, this is a great option for a simple meal.

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    Potato Cheese Soup

    Potato Cheese Soup.
    Photo Credit: From a Chef's Kitchen.

    This hearty soup is all about comfort food. With smoky bacon and sharp cheddar cheese blending beautifully with creamy potatoes, it’s a satisfying meal that you can make in just one pot.

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    Slow Cooker Chicken Biscuit Casserole

    Slow Cooker Chicken Biscuit Casserole.
    Photo Credit: The Magical Slow Cooker.

    Slow Cooker Chicken Biscuit Casserole is a comforting meal that comes together in just one pot. It’s perfect for using up leftover chicken and includes simple ingredients like biscuits, frozen veggies, and cheese.

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    One Pan Chicken & Potatoes

    Chicken and potatoes.
    Photo credit: Healthy Seasonal Recipes.

    This chicken and potatoes dish features juicy roasted chicken thighs and drumsticks, along with tender potatoes, roasted garlic, and button mushrooms, all cooked together on one sheet pan. It’s an easy meal that cuts down on cleanup and only takes 15 minutes to prep before it goes in the oven.

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    Red Pesto Salmon

    Red Pesto Salmon.
    Photo credit: Hungry Healthy Happy.

    Baked Pesto Salmon is a simple and healthy meal that's full of flavor and can be customized to your liking. It features tender salmon fillets with delicious red pesto, paired with crispy potatoes, asparagus, and broccoli.

    Get the recipe

    Baked Chicken Drumsticks & Veggies

    Drumsticks and veggies.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    This sheet-pan dinner is perfect for quick weeknight meals. With just a little chopping to begin, you end up with a delicious mix of chicken, veggies, and sauce all cooked together in one pan.

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    Smoked Mozzarella BBQ Chicken Pizza

    A smoked mozzarella chicken pizza.
    Photo credit: Life as a Strawberry.

    BBQ chicken pizza is packed with flavor from smoked mozzarella cheese. It's topped with fresh cilantro and your favorite barbecue sauce, making it a delicious meal.

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    Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs & Sweet Potatoes

    Sheet pan chicken thighs.
    Photo credit: Recipes from a Pantry.

    This comforting and filling dish is simple to prepare using ingredients you probably already have at home. It comes together in just 30 minutes, making it perfect for a quick meal.

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    More Recipe Roundups

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      22 Dump-and-Bake Dinners That Will Revolutionize Your Weeknight Meals
    • A veggie casserole.
      21 Vegetarian Casseroles That Will Change Your Dinner Game
    • Instant Pot French Onion Soup.
      18 Elegant Lunch Ideas to Impress Mom This Mother’s Day
    • Cheesburger sliders.
      18 Cheap Ground Beef Recipes That Are Perfect for Spring

    About Emmeline Kemperyd

    Emmeline Kemperyd is a writer, food blogger, recipe creator and food photographer and the founder of alwaysusebutter.com. She has more than 20 years of experience creating and simplifying recipes so they taste good, and are quick, easy, and approachable. She is a regular contributor to MSN  and her work has been featured by The Guardian, Well+Good, Vulture, SheKnows, Good Men Project, Daily Kos, The Grio, The Asian Parent, and The Feed Feed, among others.

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    Hi, I'm Emmeline! I love tasty food, but I'm always in a hurry. And I have the quick and easy recipes to prove it!

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