There’s no denying that the least exciting part of cooking is cleaning up the mess afterwards. Whether you tackle a good, old-fashioned Sunday supper or a simple weeknight meal, it feels like the dirty pots, pans and plates always pile up fast. That’s where these one-pan meals come in. Grab your favorite casserole dish to make a dump dinner, break out the cast-iron skillet and whip up rustic chicken and dumplings or turn to your Instant Pot for shrimp scampi in just 20 minutes; whatever you decide, you’ll find that these one-pot dinners are wonderfully delicious — and make cleanup a breeze. Take this American version of goulash, for example. It features hearty pasta and plenty of aromatic spices (including paprika as a nod to the traditional Hungarian dish) for a comforting and complete meal that can be made entirely in your Dutch oven. What could be easier?

You can't go wrong with Tyler's macaroni and cheese. He uses cheddar and Parmesan to play up the classic flavors. Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes for a perfect golden crust.

The name says it all: Ree's chili is a simple, perfect one-pot meal-in-a-hurry.

One humble skillet has four jobs in this easy weeknight meal: it sears, sautes, simmers and steams. The cleanup is so minimal, your dishwasher will be out of work!

Low maintenance and packed with flavor, this creamy casserole transforms dorm-friendly ramen noodles into a satisfying casserole for a crowd.

Nostalgic for the boxed cheeseburger macaroni dinner from your childhood? Then whip up this homemade version of Hamburger Helper that’s just as satisfying as the classic. The recipe is super quick and budget-friendly, leaning on pantry ingredients you probably already have on hand. We use shredded Cheddar to make the dish extra cheesy and finish with chopped parsley for a fresh bite. Perhaps best of all: Everything cooks in one pot, even the pasta!

Kardea says, "You'll often find one-pot meals in Gullah cuisine, and this fish stew is definitely that! Creamy, smoky and slightly sweet, it's packed with corn, potatoes, bacon and cod. It also feeds a crowd as an appetizer or main dish".

Use tomato paste, heavy cream and sweet chunks of lobster tail to create an extra-thick, extra-decadent macaroni and cheese that's worthy of a special occasion.

The genius of this recipe is that all of the ingredients — wine, garlic, shrimp — even the pasta — cook together in one pot. Just make sure to use shrimp that's still frozen or they will overcook. You don't have to serve garlic bread with the dish, but there's nothing better for sopping up all that delicious buttery sauce.

"Not to be confused with chicken noodle soup," Ree says, "this recipe is more of a thick chicken stew." To thicken the sauce, Ree adds a mixture of flour and water that she calls a "cowboy's roux" — fitting for a hearty meal on the ranch.

Trisha likes to use hen in her Brunswick stew. It's a fattier bird, which produces a rich broth, but it can be hard to find in grocery stores. Not to worry — standard chicken is just as good, she says.

Add pulled pork to this Cheddar-and-mozzarella mac and cheese; top it with barbecue or hot sauce if you're feeling bold.

Don't let leftover baked potatoes from last night's dinner go to waste. Alton halves the potatoes, then scoops out the starchy filling and feeds it through a ricer. The potatoes' mild flavor blends perfectly with the buttermilk, sour cream and grated Parmesan.

We love a meal that comes together in one pan and this cheesy, saucy pizza rice is a flavorful and balanced meal that tastes like your favorite pizza joint slice.

Ina starts by making a homemade chicken stock, which she later uses to cook the matzo balls in. Leave the skins on the onion and garlic — it gives the soup its golden hue, and "it all gets strained later," Ina says.

Leftover fried chicken thankfully finds its way into this creamy skillet dinner, and the biscuit-like dumplings bake up into a flaky, golden crust. It's like chicken and dumplings meets pot pie.

Shepherd's pie is the perfect way to get your kids to eat their vegetables. Packed with protein and fiber, Alton's hearty homage to the U.K. comfort food will leave your family stuffed and happy.

We gave the classic comfort food dish, chicken and dumplings, a plant-based twist! We swapped out the chicken broth and shredded meat for vegetable broth and protein-packed chickpeas. Then topped it with homemade drop dumplings that are super fluffy and flavorful, thanks to a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh herbs. Not to mention, the whole dish comes together in one pot, making cleanup a breeze.

Grilled cheese and tomato soup is a classic combination that kids love. Ina's easy soup recipe features a thick, oniony base and perfectly golden grilled cheese croutons for a sophisticated spin that adults will appreciate.

Sunny recommends twining up the thyme, parsley and sage before submerging them in the chicken broth. It makes it easier to remove the herbs once the broth has taken on their earthy flavors.

To make the matzo balls, Bobby uses seltzer water, egg and schmaltz (rendered chicken fat used for frying). Staying true to character, he steeps roasted jalapenos in his broth for a spicier soup.

Giada's stew is quick and easy to prepare since it doesn't require cooking a whole chicken. Using only chicken breasts cuts down on time and prep work.

Chunks of chuck roast and three different beans lend bite and texture to Ree’s super-easy chili.

This oxtail stew is inspired by the Jamaican version, with tender oxtails and butter beans seasoned with spicy habaneros, ginger and allspice. Time is the key to the comforting brown gravy, which simmers for several hours, intensifying in flavor and rich color. We love it even more the next day, once the beans have had time to break down and the oxtails melt into the gravy even more. Serve with a few dashes of hot sauce for added heat and acidity.

You’ve never had lentils this delicious before. Don’t skip the fresh thyme or red wine vinegar — together, they add a huge pop of flavor!

Packed with sweet potatoes, beans and nuts, Michael’s hearty stew is a dish you’ll crave again and again.

Little eaters will gobble up Ree’s cheesy, creamy dish (and they won’t even mind the broccoli!).

Skip boiling a big pot of water. This hearty pasta dinner calls for uncooked rigatoni and layers of ricotta and Italian sausage to be layered right in the casserole, so you'll have nothing to wash while it bakes.

Kardea’s cozy stew is just what you want on a chilly evening. Ground ginger adds warmth to her filling stew, which is packed with sirloin, okra and onion. Bonus? The whole thing comes together in less than an hour!

Chili seasoning, red pepper flakes and cinnamon pack a punch of flavor in this meaty chili. The perfect finish? Top it off with spiced sour cream.

Feeling nostalgic for her mom's mac and cheese, Sunny came up with this smooth, spicy version to hold her over between visits home. Buttery croutons top it off for a nice crunch.

Rachael uses anchovy paste to replicate the robust flavor of Caesar dressing in this mac and cheese. Serve it with shredded escarole or romaine dressed with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil for a balanced dinner.

White chicken chili is a great alternative to its tomato-based counterpart. It has lots of flavor from jalapenos, poblanos and chili powder and get's a cool, bright finish from sour cream and lime.

This inventive take on French onion soup turns the bistro favorite into a hearty, comforting main course. Baguette soaked in beef broth becomes a clever binder that helps hold flavorful beef meatballs together while ensuring they stay tender. The sauce begins with a mountain of onions that’s slowly caramelized and enriched with beef broth, thyme and Dijon. The meatballs get tucked into the pan along with baguette slices, and everything is capped with a hearty blanket of Gruyere and Parmesan and quickly baked for French onion’s signature topping of gooey cheese. The result is a fragrant and deeply satisfying twist on this French classic — all made in a single pan.

We took the beefy, comforting flavors of a traditional shepherd's pie and transformed them into a simple one-skillet gnocchi dinner. No cooking or mashing potatoes required — a package of store‑bought potato gnocchi steps in as a delicious shortcut that gets dinner on the table in about 30 minutes. There’s no need to boil the gnocchi separately; they cook directly in the savory meat sauce, soaking up flavor while releasing just enough starch to create the rich, velvety gravy shepherd's pie is known for. Peas and carrots stirred in at the end make it a complete meal with minimal prep time and streamlined cleanup.

This quick, easy dinner takes everything you love about a vegetable samosa and turns it into a one-pot weeknight meal. The real magic comes from a few smart shortcuts: shelf-stable potato gnocchi add hearty texture without any extra cooking, while frozen peas and carrots cut down on prep time. To finish, a layer of buttery frozen pie crust goes on top before baking, creating that golden, flaky finish that classic samosa pastries are famous for.

This crowd-pleasing baked pasta combines refrigerated tortellini, sweet Italian sausage and a garlicky marinara under a bubbling layer of cheese. Skipping the boiling step lets the pasta simmer directly in the sauce, absorbing flavor as it softens, saving you time and extra dishes. Any tortellini variety works — cheese, spinach‑ricotta, meat, or mushroom — so use your favorite and let the oven handle the rest.

This one-pot pasta captures everything people love about long-simmered Italian wedding soup—savory broth, tender greens and vegetables and juicy meatballs—without the all-day commitment. Sweet Italian turkey sausage is a smart shortcut for the meatballs, delivering plenty of flavor with minimal prep. The pasta cooks right in the pot, soaking up the broth and turning the whole thing into a cozy, weeknight-friendly dinner with very little cleanup.

This no‑chop skillet lasagna delivers a comforting, abundantly flavored meal you can get on the table without ever reaching for a knife. Sage, butternut squash, pancetta and plenty of cheese create the cozy richness, while everything cooks together in a single pan (no layering required!) for maximum flavor with minimal cleanup. Frozen vegetables, pre‑diced pancetta and no‑boil noodles are smart shortcuts that never compromise taste. The result is a satisfying lasagna dinner that’s refreshingly low-prep and ready in well under an hour.