Minimal clean-up, maximum flavor.
Cooking at home would be a lot easier if it weren't for all the mess and dirty dishes. Well, luckily there's a solution. These one-pot, one-skillet, and single-sheet pan recipes are not only delicious, but they basically make clean-up a total breeze.
2. One-Pan Italian Sausage and Veggies
Chelsea's Messy Apron / Via chelseasmessyapron.com
Start with whatever kind of sausage you like best (pork, chicken, veggie, or soy-based) and roast it on a sheet pan with the veggies sitting in your fridge. For even easier cleanup, line the sheet pan with foil or parchment first.
Lil Luna / Via lilluna.com
You don't even need to boil the noodles ahead of time. Brown beef in a skillet, add your favorite pasta shape like farfalle or penne, top it all with marinara sauce and beef broth and bring it to a boil. Add mozzarella cheese and continue simmering until melted.
Recipe: Skillet Lasagna
Gimme Delicious / Via gimmedelicious.com
This Indian-inspired recipe is similar in taste to tikka masala, thanks to a spiced, tomato-based creamy sauce. This version calls for chicken, but you can swap in shrimp, cauliflower, chickpeas, or tofu.
Recipe: 20-Minute One-Pot Butter Chicken
Sweet C Designs / Via sweetcsdesigns.com
Store bought ravioli = the hero of your kitchen. Add it to a skillet with sausage or ground meat and your favorite pasta sauce and call it dinner.
All The Healthy Things / Via allthehealthythings.com
Start with sirloin steak or flank steak at the base of this skillet dinner. Oh, and pro tip: pop the meat in the freezer for about 20 minutes before you're ready to cook. It will make super easy to slice it evenly and thinly.
Recipe: Philly Cheesesteak Skillet
Half Baked Harvest / Via halfbakedharvest.com
The orzo is toasted then boiled in veggie broth and white wine so it cooks directly in the skillet.
Recipe Runner / Via reciperunner.com
You can jazz up this cheesy chicken skillet with just about whatever vegetables, pasta sauce, or cheese you have in your kitchen. Follow the recipe to a T or mix it up with store bought pesto sauce and gruyère or alfredo sauce and mushrooms.
9. Beef and Barley Stew
Damn Delicious / Via damndelicious.net
There's only about 15 minutes of active cooking required to make this hearty soup from scratch. The rest of the time is just letting the ingredients simmer until they become tender and flavorful.
Recipe: Beef and Barley Stew
Alexandra Cooks / Via alexandracooks.com
This flavor-packed sauce is made with a handful of spices, curry paste, tomatoes, and coconut milk. Use bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, which start on the stovetop but are finished in the oven until the skin is nice and crispy.
Savory Nothings / Via savorynothings.com
Traditional Bolognese simmers on the stovetop for hours, but this expedited version is perfect for busy weeknights when you want something quick and comforting.
Recipe: One-Pot Rigatoni Bolognese
Half Baked Harvest / Via halfbakedharvest.com
You don't need a special oven or any fancy appliances to make amazing pizza at home. All that's required is a sheet pan, some pizza dough (homemade or store bought), and some creative toppings.
Recipe: Easy Sheet Pan Tomato Herb Pizza
Peas and Crayons / Via peasandcrayons.com
Skip the take-out tonight and whip up this shrimp and veggie stir fry. Serve it over rice or whatever noodles you have on hand.
14. Sheet Pan Broiled Salmon With Broccolini
What's Gaby Cooking / Via whatsgabycooking.com
A fancy-tasting seafood dinner in just 20 minutes? Yup, it's possible. Look no further than this sheet pan salmon which is baked until flaky then broiled until slightly charred.
15. Skillet Gnocchi With Brussels Sprouts and Chickpeas
Diethood / Via diethood.com
Start with whatever gnocchi you like best from cauliflower to sweet potato. Or if you're looking for more of a cooking project, get fancy and make your own potato or ricotta gnocchi from scratch.
From a Chef's Kitchen / Via fromachefskitchen.com
Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs are extremely affordable and so delicious. Here, they're browned in a cast iron skillet until the skin gets golden and crispy. Then, they're braised in a Korean-inspired sauce made with chicken broth, soy sauce, gochujang, sesame oil, mirin, ginger, and garlic.
17. One-Pot Shrimp Parmesan Pasta
Damn Delicious / Via damndelicious.net
Introducing your new favorite recipe for pasta night. In addition to shrimp, you can bulk up this meal with just about any seafood from scallops to lobster or mussels.
Recipe: One-Pot Shrimp Parmesan Pasta
18. French Onion Chicken Casserole
Eat Well 101 / Via eatwell101.com
Chicken Parmesan meets French onion soup in this outrageously comforting one-dish meal.
Recipe: French Onion Chicken Casserole
Half Baked Harvest / Via halfbakedharvest.com
Transport yourself to warmer weather with these Hawaiian inspired tacos. Shrimp, shallots, and pineapple are baked on a sheet pan along with jalapeños, which are then blended into a creamy, spicy crema.
20. One-Pot Mushroom and White Bean Pasta
It's All Good Vegan / Via itsallgoodvegan.com
Canned white beans, non-dairy milk, and nutritional yeast give this pasta such a creamy and cheesy flavor, you won't believe it's vegan.
A Spicy Perspective / Via aspicyperspective.com
Paella is typically made in a large pan, but this version removes most of the busy work and stove-top stirring. The result is a hands-off, big batch recipe anyone can handle.
Recipe: Sheet Pan Spanish Paella
22. Easy One-Pot Green Shakshuka
The Mediterranean Dish / Via themediterraneandish.com
Shakshuka is usually made with a spiced tomato-based sauce, but this green version swaps in spinach, kale, and brussels sprouts as the base.
Recipe: Easy One-Pot Green Shakshuka
Dishing Out Health / Via dishingouthealth.com
If you need some more protein, bulk up this one-pot rice and beans with anything from ground chicken to chorizo.
Recipe: One-Pot Spanish Rice and Beans
24. Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
Feasting at Home / Via feastingathome.com
This Thai take on chicken soup features a creamy, tangy broth made with coconut milk, fish sauce, ginger, and lemongrass. Make it in the Instant pot or right on the stove top, and try serving it with rice noodles or steams white rice.
25. One-Pan Beef and Broccoli
Mom's Dish / Via momsdish.com
Make a big batch of this Chinese-inspired beef and broccoli because it tastes even better as leftovers after a day or two in the fridge.
Recipe: One-Pan Beef and Broccoli
The Modern Proper / Via themodernproper.com
These individual meatloaves are perfect for feeding a family or for meal prepping. Make a whole sheet pan and freeze the leftovers for future lazy dinners.
Dishing Out Health / Via dishingouthealth.com
It's hard to go wrong with the simple combination of shrimp and orzo simmered in chicken broth, lemon juice, and garlic.
Cotter Crunch / Via cottercrunch.com
Start with any vegetables you like best and a flaky white fish such as cod, halibut, hake, or haddock. Toss the veggies in balsamic vinegar and spices, coat the fish in a store-bought mustard dressing and bake everything at once on a sheet pan.
Two Peas and Their Pod / Via twopeasandtheirpod.com
Sheet pan pasta? You bet. Toss some store bought gnocchi, sliced sausage, and chopped veggies on a baking sheet, top with marinara sauce, and call it dinner.
Recipe: Sheet Pan Sausage Gnocchi
Vikalinka / Via vikalinka.com
Serve this Asian inspired salmon and veggies on a bed of rice or your favorite grain. If you don't love salmon, you can try this same marinade with anything from chicken to shrimp.
Recipe: Teriyaki Salmon With Bok Choy
Princess Pinky Girl / Via princesspinkygirl.com
Customize this game-changing family dinner recipe with any of your favorite quesadilla fillings. Slice 'em up and serve with sour cream, guac, and salsa.
Recipe: Sheet Pan Quesadilla
32. Sheet Pan Souvlaki Chicken and Potatoes
Half Baked Harvest / Via halfbakedharvest.com
Topped with lots of fresh herbs, garlicky yogurt sauce, olives, and feta cheese, this sheet pan chicken and potatoes tastes deceptively fancy, yet it's easy enough to throw together on a weeknight.
33. Nourishing White Bean and Lemon Soup
Dishing Out Health / Via dishingouthealth.com
The base of this decadent soup begins with canned white beans, which are simmered with veggies, chickpeas, herbs, and vegetable broth. Topped with lemon juice and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, it's just the dish you'll crave on chilly winter nights.
The Candid Appetite / Via thecandidappetite.com
Baked from start to finish, this oven roasted fish still gets delightfully crispy because it's coated in flour, spices, and a mixture of panko and Italain-style breadcrumbs.
Recipe: Sheet Pan Fish and Chips
The Recipe Critic / Via therecipecritic.com
You could order in Thai food for dinner, or you can try your hand at this one-skillet meal featuring rice noodles, chicken, and lots of veggies in a slightly sweet and tangy peanut butter-based sauce.
Recipe: The Easiest Skillet Pad Thai
Le Creme de la Crumb / Via lecremedelacrumb.com
You'll want to shout winner, winner, sheet pan chicken dinner from the rooftops.
This Mess Is Ours / Via thismessisours.com
This vegetarian shawarma-style meal is made with cauliflower florets, tempeh, and chickpeas, which are coated in lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and lots of spices, then roasted until golden. Serve with pita bread and Greek yogurt sauce.
Recipe: Sheet Pan Veggie Shawarma
Jo Cooks / Via jocooks.com
This classic Russian recipe featuring wide egg noodles with mushrooms, beef, and creamy gravy comes together in one skillet in about 30 minutes flat.
Recipe: One-Pot Beef Stroganoff
Gimme Delicious / Via gimmedelicious.com
Top these Mexican-inspired bowls with anything from guacamole and sour cream to pico de gallo and diced jalapeños.
Recipe: One-Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls
Cooking Classy / Via cookingclassy.com
This meal boasts all the flavors of stuffed cabbage —tender ground beef and veggies in a sweet and vinegar-y tomatosauce — but it takes half the time to prepare.
Recipe: Skillet Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
Family Style Food / Via familystylefood.com
Boneless chicken, red onion, carrots, orange, dates and ginger are seasoned with lots of spices and roasted until juicy. Serve over couscous for a Moroccan-inspired feast.
Lexi's Clean Kitchen / Via lexiscleankitchen.com
Cooking fish at home doesn't have to be intimidating, especially when you can prepare it entirely on a single sheet pan complete with veggie sides.
The Baker Mama / Via thebakermama.com
Load this sheet pan recipe with your favorite nacho toppings, anything from ground beef to roasted sweet potatoes.
How Sweet Eats / Via howsweeteats.com
Never underestimate the power of a simple marinade. This one is made with cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Serve the steak in tortillas, on top of your favorite grain, or with a big salad loaded with veggies.
The Recipe Rebel / Via thereciperebel.com
When homemade mac 'n' cheese is basically as easy to prepare as the boxed version, you make it from scratch.
Recipe: One-Pot Mac 'n' Cheese