There's that magical time of day when everyone is hungry, my son is asking what's for dinner, and I'm wondering how it's this late already. I know I've been there; it's a tough time, but this is where I'm going to help you, because everything goes into one pan, the oven does all the work for you, and you end up with a satisfying meal on the table. From sticky soy chicken to roasted vegetables and comforting creamy dishes, these recipes keep your dinner simple without making it boring.

1) Midnight Garlic-Herb Chicken Thighs with Baby Potatoes

I remember making this not long after we moved into our new house, when my son wasn't even one yet. The place is still a total mess; boxes are everywhere, nothing is in place, and there is no real kitchen to speak of. All it took was one pan, into whatever oven was working at the time, and somehow it still came together. That's stuck with me ever since.

I like to use rosemary with this one. I find that rosemary holds up so well on her heat with our turning, unlike some herbs. That's why it can sit in the oven for about 40 minutes and still taste like rosemary.

Such a delicious one-pan meal to make.

Ingredients

Instructions

2) Honey Mustard Chicken and Carrots

This honey mustard chicken and carrots reminds me of a night my husband was working late and it was just me and my son for dinner. I wanted something that felt a bit more special than the usual weeknight scramble but still needed it almost there. Honey mustard chicken and carrots hit that exact spot. One pan into the oven and by the time it came out the whole kitchen smelled like it, and he was asking for seconds.

There's something really special that happens to carrots when you cook it alongside honey mustard chicken, it just sucks it all up and they become caramelized and delicious. My son loves carrots cooked or uncooked, so this is a real winner.

3) One-Pan Chicken Parmesan with Crispy Breadcrumbs

I made this one-pan chicken palapas recently when we had a whole bunch of people for a casual lunch. It wasn't formal, but I needed to make something that looked like I'd put a bit more effort into it. And it came out looking like I had spent hours over it, when in reality it took me about 30 minutes of actual work.

4) Cast-Iron Chicken Fajitas with Peppers and Onions

This one's become a bit of a Friday night thing in our house. I just found that everyone's so tired from the week; nobody wants a proper sit-down meal.

You've got to get that crust really hot before you add anything in, because you need to get those peppers and onions to char and blister instead of just steaming and getting liquid.

“One pan means less cleanup, and less cleanup means I actually sit down at the table instead of hovering by the sink.”

5) Sheet-Pan Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

All the comfort of a classic pot pie but made in one sheet with a big sheet of golden pastry on top, which I, of course, bought from the shops. There's no way we're making it from scratch. I did that when I was in cooking school, and we don't need to do it again.

I like to use leftover rotisserie chicken for this recipe. And you can substitute multiple creams for rich stock if you don't have cream. This also leaves the filling leftovers with the pastry, which freezes well for up to three months.

6) Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Spinach

This one always looks really impressive and comes together in one pan. I like to pound thicker chicken breasts to an even thickness so they cook evenly. And this is great served over pasta, rice, or with crusty bread for the sauce.

A bit special for me, but this is the one that I make for my husband, who absolutely loves it with rice.

7) Roasted Lemon Chicken with Brussels Sprouts

Typically, I make this one on Mondays every week. Make sure you've dried the chicken skin very well before roasting. In my opinion, moisture is the enemy of crispy skin.

And then I like to squeeze a couple of lemon slices over everything just before serving for a brash finish. Normally, I make a big batch of this because I love eating the leftovers for the next three days.

8) One-Pan Chicken Enchilada Rice

This one requires no separate pot for rice, no rolling tortillas, just one pan to cook the chicken, rice, and enchilada sauce together, and then finish with some melted cheese. It's a delicious combination.

Make sure you use a wide, deep pan or skillet with a tight-fitting lid so it steams evenly. I've found that if you don't do this, sometimes some of it cooks and some of it's crispy.

And try to resist lifting the lid while it's simmering. I know that's hard, but when you do that, it lets the steam escape and can leave the rice undercooked.

I love doing this with some avocado if it's in season, sour cream, and extra cilantro. These also make great leftovers and can keep for 3 days in the fridge.

9) Maple-Dijon Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Chicken thighs and sweet potato roasted together in a sticky maple Dijon glaze. The sugars in both caramelize at the same rate, so everything comes out golden and glassy together in one pan.

Even better with some roasted sesame seeds, which I add. Make sure you cut the sweet potato into fairly small cubes; I'd say around 2 cm. They cook through at the same time as the chicken. I've done larger pieces before, and they don't cook at the same rate as the chicken.

Also make sure you pat the chicken's skin dry before adding the glaze, because if it's wet it tends to steam instead of caramelizing. And then, if the glaze starts to brown too quickly in the last 10 minutes, just loosely tent the pan with foil so the sugar doesn't burn before the chicken's cooked through.

This goes really well with some steamed broccoli.

10) Skillet Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli

This is real comfort food, and the bonus here is that there are no separate pots to wash. You can't get better than a creamy Palmers and Alfredo sauce with pan-fried chicken and tender-crisp broccoli, all finished in one skillet.

I would definitely go for parmesan from a block you grate yourself rather than the pre-grated stuff, because the pre-grated just doesn't melt the same way and doesn't give it that silky sauce.

Blanch the broccoli in steam until it's bright green before adding it, so it keeps its color and texture instead of going Gray and mushy.

And this is what I never do, because I always forget, but you should reserve a special cooking water before draining. I don't know why, but I cannot remember to do this. It's so useful for loosening a sauce to prevent it from getting too thick.

And then, as my grand taught me many years ago, add a pinch of nutmeg. It's optional, but it is a classic. Just grate a little bit of that into that sauce; it just rounds out that richness.

And if you want to reheat this gently, add a splash of cream as the sauce is warmed.

A delicious one-pan that never gets boring.

11) Crispy Chicken Thighs with Apples and Onions

Crispy chicken thighs with apples and onions sounds strange, but it works. The chicken fat bastes everything beneath as it cooks, creating a sweet, savory one-pan dinner.

When I make this one, I like to use a firmer apple. I just find that the softer ones tend to collapse, and they turn into mush when you roast them. And again, pat the chicken's skin very dry before seasoning. This is the single biggest factor in getting it properly crisp.

12) One-Pan Greek Chicken with Feta and Olives

I love making this one when we've got friends coming over (usually on a Friday). It takes me about 40 minutes total. I like to use Kalamata olives, especially the green ones; I just think they're softer, more fruity, and that their sharp, briny flavor suits the tomato and fits a bit better than the pungent ones.

And then add feta in the last 10 to 15 minutes rather than at the start; this just keeps it from breaking down too much. It kind of splits if it cooks too much.

13) Chicken Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Bake

This is a great dish to make when you're feeling particularly lazy, with no inspiration, and have all of the stuff around. I normally have chicken sausage in the freezer, white beans in a tin in the pantry, and kale growing in the garden (and if I don't have kale, spinach works just as well).

It's a really filling dish. And really, it's hands-off with minimal shopping. It's really about making sure you choose a high-quality, easy-to-season chicken sausage. I like to use Italian because it works really well, and you don't have to add extra seasonings; it just does it for you.

14) Smoky Paprika Chicken with Corn and Zucchini

This one-pan dish actually looks really beautiful when you've wrapped it up with some olive oil and put it into the oven. You've got this bright, summery one-pan dish with a deep, smoky edge: sweet corn, which is yellow; zucchini, which is green; and then that's smoky paprika.

Also, make sure you're using the smoked paprika, not just normal paprika; there is a difference here. The smoked paprika is actually dried and smoked over oak, which is where that deep, almost bacon-like depth comes from without any meats involved.

The approach here is to give the zucchini room on the pan rather than overlap it, because they're mostly water and will steam rather than char if crowded. It's also best to add some salt over it to draw a little water out of the zucchini.

Rub the chicken dry again, because that's how the crust is going to come.

If you have an oven like mine, which runs really hot, keep an eye on the corn in the last 10 minutes, because it can catch and burn quickly before the chicken is fully cooked.

This is delicious with a squeeze of fresh lime if you've got it, which I always have in the garden. At the end, I just find it really lifts the smokiness. And then I like to pair this with them.

15) Skillet Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms

I found this golden pan-seared chicken cutlets in a rich marsala and mushroom sauce, really rich. I don't make it that often, but my husband and my dad love eating it, so we'll do it every now and again. It's a classic Italian-American school-dinner dish that comes together in under 30 minutes, which makes it pretty ideal.

Make sure you check them so they're an even thickness so they cook quickly and all at the same time. Then give the mushrooms space in the pan, and don't salt them until they've started browning. What happens here is that if you crowd the mushrooms and salt them too early, it draws out their moisture, then they steam and turn gray and gross.

And then, I always have Marsala in my cupboard because I bought it once, and we only use it for this dish. It's fortified with brandy, which is why it holds its flavor and the sauce won't cook it off like a regular wine.

This is really good served over mashed potatoes.

Keep reading

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