One-Pan and One-Pot Recipes (Less Washing Up)

How we cook one-pan & one-pot on a weeknight

Pan size matters more than people expect. Crowd a small skillet or sheet pan and the food steams instead of browning; use one that is too large and sauces reduce too fast and scorch. When a recipe calls for a 12-inch skillet or an 18 by 13 inch sheet pan, it is for that reason.

Order is everything in a one-pan dinner. Sear the protein first, take it out, cook the vegetables and aromatics in the flavorful fat, then build the sauce and return the protein to finish. Every recipe here follows that rhythm.

An oven-safe skillet, cast iron or stainless steel, is the most useful pan for this style of cooking because it can go from stovetop to oven without a second dish.

Short on time? Grilled Cheese Sandwich is the quickest here at 13 min, with 5 min of hands-on work.