10 Quick and Easy One Pot Meals

We split our time between a van and sailboat, so space is a major issue for us.  Our kitchen area is tiny, we have very limited counter space, and we just don’t have as many burners. Our cooking range is really small too, so we really can’t cook anything that takes more than one pot….

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Last Updated: February 4, 2025

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We split our time between a van and sailboat, so space is a major issue for us. 

Our kitchen area is tiny, we have very limited counter space, and we just don’t have as many burners. Our cooking range is really small too, so we really can’t cook anything that takes more than one pot. Oh, and we don’t even have the storage space for tons of pots either.

I know that’s not the case for everyone, and one pan meals are still great options for anyone who lives in a traditional home – they simplify meal time!

So today, I have a great list of one pot meals for you to try. There are several vegetarian and vegan options, there are some delicious looking comfort food recipes, and a fun take on egg rolls. And more!

Personally, I’m really excited about the lemon spaghetti with spinach. The lemon seems like it will the dish taste refreshing and light, and adding spinach makes it a nice healthy meal. 

These one pot recipes don’t require a ton of prep work either, and most of them only take around 30 minutes to cook. This makes them good for weeknight dinners, especially if you’re feeling busy and are tempted to go out to eat.

If you end up with extra, I think all of these meals would make great leftovers that you can bring to work for lunch. That will help you save even more money on your food spending!

Doing things like meal planning, making a grocery list, and packing your lunch are some of the easiest and best ways to save money. You’re also less likely to go out to eat when you have ideas like the ones on this list, and that means you are probably eating healthier food than what you would eat at a restaurant. 

Note: If you’re looking for easy weekly meal plans, full of budget recipes, I recommend $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal planning service that sends you a delicious meal plan and shopping list every week for just $5 a month. This is another way to simplify dinner time and get excited about trying new meals.

Other helpful content to read:

Here are 10 quick and easy one pot meals to make.

 

1. Egg Roll In A Bowl

Get the recipe here.

 

2. One Pot Chili Mac

Get the recipe here.

 

3. One Pot Parmesan Chicken, Spinach and Orzo

Get the recipe here.

 

4. One Pot Taco Elbow Pasta

Get the recipe here.

 

5. Lemon Spaghetti with Spinach

Get the recipe here.

 

6. One Pot Easy Lasagna Soup

Get the recipe here.

 

7. Easy Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken

Get the recipe here.

 

8. One Pot Creamy Chicken Noodle Skillet

Get the recipe here.

 

9. Chicken and Dumplings

Get the recipe here.

 

10. Italian Chicken Tortellini

Get the recipe here.

Do you enjoy one pot meals? Which one will you try above?


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Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Author: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Hey! I’m Michelle Schroeder-Gardner and I am the founder of Making Sense of Cents. I’m passionate about all things personal finance, side hustles, making extra money, and online businesses. I have been featured in major publications such as Forbes, CNBC, Time, and Business Insider. Learn more here.

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  1. I started eating healthier by making homemade sop consisting of:

    * Bok Choy
    * Garlic
    * Ginger
    * Scallops
    * Shrimps
    * Spinach

    And adding Tofu very soon. I had the pleasure of visiting a NYC based authentic oriental restaurant called Yun Nan and had some soup from the. It was so delicious that I now make my own and glad I’m getting back on trrack with eating right and doing the transformation work. 🙂

  2. I’d try most of them. I see myself experimenting with various pastas as an alternative to elbow macaroni. But, to each his/her own.

  3. Dorcas Wood

    I love one pot meals! The chicken, spinach and orzo is my favorite. I have two grown college kids so meal planning and one pot meals has saved us so much money. I just started buying food from Amazon Pantry and it’s different shopping for food online but it’s saving us money.

    Thanks for a great article!

  4. Love this roundup! Pinned! I love easy dinners. Thanks for including me!!

  5. Excellent round up, Michelle! I’m particularly excited about trying the one pot lasagna soup. Yum!

  6. Mr Fundamental

    That one pot chili mac (#2) looks amazing. I need to try it — hopefully the little fundamentals will eat it!

    Cheers!

  7. i love food 🙂 🙂