Food and Recipes Quick and Easy Dinner Our Best One-Pot Meals That Require Minimal Cleanup By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on July 3, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Make meal planning easy by preparing one of these tasty one-dish entrées for dinner tonight. If you're in need of an easy recipe for tonight, nothing is better than a one-dish dinner recipe. Whether you're throwing the ingredients together in one pot, on a sheet pan, on a skillet, or into your slow cooker, one-dish dinner recipes are perfect for easily preparing meals. You might think one-pot recipes can only be pastas or casseroles, but it can be anything from our Southwest Chicken Rice Bowl to Skillet Pork Chops with Apples and Onions. For a light dinner, go with the Roasted Chicken Caesar Salad. For a meal everyone can gather around the table for, the Creole Seafood Jambalaya perfect. These easy one-pot dinners are perfect for any night of the week. Check out the entire list of easy one-dish dinners and prepare one of these tasty one-dish recipes tonight. 01 of 42 Sloppy Joe Casserole with Dinner Rolls Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist Heather Chadduck Recipe: Sloppy Joe Casserole with Dinner Rolls We topped our casserole with dinner rolls, but you can also use crescent rolls or biscuits if you prefer. 02 of 42 Skillet Enchiladas Suizas Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Skillet Enchiladas Suizas This one-skillet meal delivers the flavors of enchiladas with no rolling required. 03 of 42 One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Loren Wood; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta If you'd like to add a little bit of heat to your pasta, you can add chopped jalapeños. 04 of 42 Sheet Pan Hanger Steak and Vegetables Victor Protasio; Prop Styling; Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Sheet Pan Hanger Steak and Vegetables A compound butter made with thyme, lemon zest, and mustard takes this sheet pan steak to the next level. 05 of 42 One-Pot Pasta Primavera with Bacon and Feta Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: One-Pot Pasta Primavera with Bacon and Feta This recipes is made to serve six, so if you have a smaller family you'll have plenty of leftovers to enjoy the next day. 06 of 42 Cajun Shrimp Boil Pasta Recipe: Cajun Shrimp Boil Pasta We've taken a traditional shrimp boil and made it even better with the addition of pasta. 07 of 42 BBQ Rub Roasted Chickens with Potatoes and Carrots Greg DuPree Recipe: BBQ Rub Roasted Chickens with Potatoes and Carrots This recipe allows you to cook dinner and then serve it family style all on one sheet pan. 08 of 42 Southwest Chicken Rice Bowl Greg Dupree Recipe: Southwest Chicken Rice Bowl Lime juice gives these bowls a summery zest while cayenne and jalapeño pepper add a nice kick. Perfect for pairing with margaritas. 09 of 42 Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Chicken and Potatoes Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner Recipe: Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Chicken and Potatoes This winner of a chicken dinner is our new favorite roasting-pan supper for weeknights or easy entertaining with friends. 10 of 42 Chicken-and-Collards Pilau Photo: Greg Dupree Recipe: Chicken-and-Collards Pilau Chicken, rice, and greens fill one soulful pot in our family-friendly take on a Lowcountry staple. Quick-cooking basmati rice helps turn this recipe into dinner in no time and stays fluffy throughout the entire cooking process. 11 of 42 One-Pan Garlic-Butter Shrimp with Orzo Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: One-Pan Garlic-Butter Shrimp with Orzo Rather than cooking the pasta in water, this recipe uses sautéed shallots, white wine, butter, oil, and vegetable broth as the base for cooking the orzo. The shrimp is then coated with a mixture of garlic paste, lemon juice, crushed red pepper, so there's not shortage of flavor. 12 of 42 One-Pan Chicken with Lemon, Olives, and Artichokes Recipe Greg DuPree Recipe: One-Pan Chicken with Lemon, Olives, and Artichokes Recipe When serving, make sure to add plenty of pan sauce to each plate. 13 of 42 Biscuits-and-Gravy Skillet Jennifer Causey Recipe: Biscuits-and-Gravy Skillet Breakfast for dinner just got easier with just one-skillet and the help of frozen biscuits. 14 of 42 Chicken Bog Greg DuPree Recipe: Chicken Bog Using a rotisserie chicken helps this one-pot dinner come together with just 30 minutes of hands-on time. 15 of 42 Slow-Cooker Pot Roast Photo: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton Recipe: Slow-Cooker Pot Roast For the best results, make sure your vegetables are cut into evenly-sized pieces. 16 of 42 Chicken Fricassee with Spring Vegetables Recipe Greg DuPree Recipe: Chicken Fricassee with Spring Vegetables Recipe Browning the chicken in the same skillet as you cook the veggies will help make the flavorful pan sauce. 17 of 42 Honey-Soy-Glazed Salmon with Veggies and Oranges Alison Miksch Recipe: Honey-Soy-Glazed Salmon with Veggies and Oranges Here's the delicious proof that you can serve a complete, no-mess fish dinner in less than 25 minutes. This recipe only uses one pan making cleanup a breeze. Just pile everything on your sheet pan and follow our instructions for perfectly broiled fish that will be on the table in no time. 18 of 42 Chicken and Shrimp Skillet Rice Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Recipe: Chicken and Shrimp Skillet Rice While we love making this recipe with chicken thighs and fresh shrimp, you can easily swap sausage for chicken, crabmeat for shrimp, or make a vegetarian option by subbing vegetable stock and omitting proteins. 19 of 42 One-Pan Pasta with Chicken Sausage, Mushrooms, and Collards Greg DuPree Recipe: One-Pan Pasta with Chicken Sausage, Mushrooms, and Collards Cooking the pasta in the same pan as the sausage and vegetables helps create a rich sauce without needing to add any butter or cream. 20 of 42 Skillet Pork Chops with Apples and Onions Becky Luigart-Stayner Recipe: Skillet Pork Chops with Apples and Onions This one-pan dish is as impressive as it is easy to make. Once you complete this hearty dish of savory apples and whipped cream, you'll also finish with a side and a sauce all-in-one. The Granny Smith apples add sweet notes to the otherwise savory flavor profile, and pull richness from the bourbon. 21 of 42 Ancho Chile Flank Steak and Sweet Potato Tacos Photo: Alison Miksch Recipe: Ancho Chile Flank Steak and Sweet Potato Tacos For an extra burst of flavor, stir a few tablespoons of pan drippings into your sour cream. 22 of 42 King Ranch Chicken Iain Bagwell Recipe: King Ranch Chicken If you're in a rush, use a large rotisserie chicken in place of smoked chicken. It's hard to mess up this age-old crowd pleaser. 23 of 42 Sheet Pan Greek Chicken with Roasted Potatoes Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Tina Stamos Recipe: Sheet Pan Greek Chicken with Roasted Potatoes Make sure to select chicken breasts that are similar in size so they'll cook evenly on the sheet pan. 24 of 42 Chicken-and-Wild Rice Skillet Casserole Hector Sanchez Recipe: Chicken-and-Wild Rice Skillet Casserole This rustic meal, a company's-coming riff on the old-school chicken-and-rice number, is held together by a tangy gravy flavored with country ham and mushrooms. 25 of 42 Skillet Orzo with Fish and Herbs Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner Recipe: Skillet Orzo with Fish and Herbs Cook the orzo like rice, paella-style, on the stove, then top with fish, and bake. Feel free to substitute salmon for any flaky white fish. 26 of 42 Greek Pork Chops with Squash and Potatoes Photo: Hector Sanchez Recipe: Greek Pork Chops with Squash and Potatoes A zesty marinade livens up this pork-and-veggie one sheet pan supper. Flavorful roasted squash, zucchini, and red potatoes make the perfect bed to serve pork loin chops. 27 of 42 Roasted Chicken Caesar Salad Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner Recipe: Roasted Chicken Caesar Salad Reinvent the Caesar by roasting the lettuce to caramelize it, and jazz up store-bought dressing to make it taste like homemade. 28 of 42 Tomato 'n' Beef Casserole With Polenta Crust Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Tomato 'n' Beef Casserole With Polenta Crust A flavorful cornmeal-based crust is topped with hearty ground beef, tomato paste, and sharp Cheddar cheese in this easy Italian casserole. 29 of 42 Skillet Chicken Pot Pie Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner Recipe: Skillet Chicken Pot Pie No rolling pin is needed for this pot pie. Refrigerated pie crusts give you a leg up in the preparation of this classic comfort dish. 30 of 42 Chicken Pot Pie with Bacon-and-Cheddar Biscuits Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie with Bacon-and-Cheddar Biscuits Replace the traditional pastry crust in chicken pot pie with homemade biscuits – trust us, the added cook time is worth it. These homemade buttery biscuits are made with sharp Cheddar cheese, chopped bacon, and chives, making them just as tasty solo as atop this chicken pot pie. 31 of 42 Curried Shrimp with Peanuts Recipe: Curried Shrimp with Peanuts "This is an updated version of my favorite dinner as a kid," says Test Kitchen Specialist Vanessa McNeil Rocchio. "Cooking the curry powder with the flour brings out the essential oils, making the dish even more flavorful. 32 of 42 King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese Becky Luigart-Stayner Recipe: King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese All the flavors of a favorite casserole come together in the comfort of mac and cheese. Serve this dish to your family, and it will become a quick favorite. 33 of 42 White Lightning Chicken Chili Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner Recipe: White Lightning Chicken Chili White Lightning Chicken Chili gets its name because it only takes 30 minutes from start to finish to get this one-dish meal to the table. Don't drain the chopped green chiles or navy beans. Serve chili with cornbread. 34 of 42 Quick Beef Chili Becky Luigart-Stayner Recipe: Quick Beef Chili Hearty chili like this has chunks of meat cooked to perfection in a Dutch oven before being combined with its other ingredients. 35 of 42 Braised Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Lemons Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Braised Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Lemons You may want to consider serving this chicken dish with mashed potatoes so you can enjoy them covered in the delicious pan sauce. 36 of 42 All-In-One Spaghetti Photo: William Dickey Recipe: All-In-One Spaghetti Not only is this classic spaghetti recipe easy to make, cooking it all in one pot means quick and simple cleanup later. 37 of 42 Tuscan Pasta With Tomato-Basil Cream Photo: Ralph Anderson Recipe: Tuscan Pasta With Tomato-Basil Cream This elegant pasta dinner will have your family thinking you worked in the kitchen all day long. The secret, though, is refrigerated ravioli and jarred Alfredo sauce that's heated with white wine, chopped fresh tomatoes, and fresh basil. Top with grated Parmesan cheese for a tasty finishing touch. 38 of 42 Summer Tortellini Salad Photo: Ralph Anderson Recipe: Summer Tortellini Salad Toss pre-made tortellini with chicken and an array of herbs for a palate-pleasing summer salad. 39 of 42 Black Bean Chili Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Black Bean Chili Ready in only 30 minutes, this quick, meatless chili is made with black beans, meatless burger crumbles, and canned tomatoes. You can substitute ground beef for the meatless burger crumbles, if desired. Top with a dollop of sour cream, corn chips, and chopped fresh cilantro just before serving. 40 of 42 Pizza Spaghetti Casserole Beth Dreiling; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey Recipe: Pizza Spaghetti Casserole We preferred turkey pepperoni, so you don't get a greasy appearance. Freeze the unbaked casserole up to one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator; let stand 30 minutes at room temperature, and bake as directed. 41 of 42 Spinach-Ravioli Lasagna Van Chaplin Recipe: Spinach-Ravioli Lasagna This top-rated spinach-ravioli lasagna uses convenience items, like store-bought pesto sauce, jarred Alfredo sauce, and frozen cheese-filled ravioli, to deliver a delicious main dish with little time and effort on your part. 42 of 42 One-Pan Hot Honey Chicken and Rice Recipe: One-Pan Hot Honey Chicken and Rice It's true, you can cook your chicken, rice, and vegetables all in one pan for a delicious, well-rounded meal with minimal cleanup. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit