5 One-Pot Comfort-Food Meals

Martha Stewart

Use a sturdy pot, skillet, or slow cooker to make complete, hearty meals (minus a sink full of dirty dishes).



Chicken and Dumplings
Halfway between a soup and a stew, this one-pot wonder makes a belly-filling family dinner thanks to plump, herb-flecked dumplings.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Serves 4

Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 5 medium carrots, cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup (spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, or 3/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas

Directions
1. In a Dutch oven (or a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid), heat butter over medium. Add onion, carrots, and thyme. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly; season with salt and pepper. Nestle chicken in pot; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 3/4 cup flour, dill, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. With a fork, gradually stir in 1/2 cup milk to form a moist and soft batter. It should be just a little thicker than pancake batter and should easily drop from the tip of a spoon. (Add additional 2 tablespoons milk if too thick.) Set aside.

3. Stir peas into pot. Drop batter in simmering liquid in 10 heaping tablespoonfuls, keeping them spaced apart (dumplings will swell as they cook). Cover, and simmer until chicken is tender and dumplings are firm, 20 minutes. Serve.

Plus: Our Best Chicken Recipes



Three-Cheese Skillet Lasagna
A simple, garlicky tomato sauce and three Italian cheeses make this super-quick version of lasagna extra delicious.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Serves 4

Ingredients
• 43 ounces canned whole peeled plum tomatoes (from one 28-ounce can and one 15-ounce can)
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese, room temperature
• 1 box (12 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, shredded
• 1/4 cup grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, pulse tomatoes until coarsely pureed. In a large, deep skillet, bring tomatoes, garlic, and oil to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce to a simmer and cook on medium until thickened, about 12 minutes (you should have 5 cups marinara sauce).

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together egg yolk, ricotta, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

3. Carefully pour sauce into a heatproof bowl and return 3/4 cup to skillet; spread sauce evenly. Add a single layer of noodles, breaking them up to fit. Top with half the ricotta mixture, spreading evenly. Follow with a second layer of noodles, then 1 1/2 cups marinara. Add a third layer of noodles, then remaining ricotta mixture. Follow with a final noodle layer, then remaining sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella and pecorino over top.

4. Bake lasagna until golden and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Cook's Note: Breaking the lasagna noodles into pieces allows you to arrange them easily and snugly in the skillet without large gaps between them.



Spicy Roasted Chicken
Breathe new life into a roasted chicken dinner with warming spices and a burst of citrus.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), rinsed and patted dry, legs tied
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, halved crosswise, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• 2 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 orange, unpeeled, cut into 8 wedges

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, combine spices. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then rub all over with spice mixture. Place in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. Arrange vegetables and orange wedges around chicken and add 1/2 cup water. Cover and roast 30 minutes. Remove lid and roast until skin is golden brown and juices run clear when chicken is pierced between breast and leg (an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of a thigh, avoiding bone, should read 165 degrees), 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before carving. Serve with vegetables and orange wedges.

Plus: Classic Comfort Desserts



Roast Beef with Cabbage, Squash, and Carrots
This one-pan meal feels like a Sunday supper but is easy enough to make on a Monday night.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Serves 4

Ingredients
• 2 pounds boneless top loin roast, tied
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 medium butternut squash (2 pounds), peeled, halved, and sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 3 medium carrots, cut into 3-inch lengths
• 1 small head red cabbage (about 1 pound), cored and cut into 8 wedges
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Season beef with salt and pepper and place, fat side up, in center of a shallow roasting pan. In a large bowl, toss squash, carrots, cabbage, and thyme with oil; season with salt and pepper. Scatter vegetables around beef.

2. Roast until squash is tender when pierced with a knife and beef is medium-rare, 40 minutes. Tent beef loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Cook's Note: Peeled sweet potatoes can be used in place of the butternut squash.



Easy Paella
Going to a potluck party? Bring this simple version of the classic Spanish dish. Just reheat it covered, and add water as needed.

Prep time: 25 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Serves 8

Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 (12 ounces) chicken sausage, sliced in 1/2-inch rounds
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

Directions
1. In a heavy 12-inch saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp until just pink on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes (do not overcook). Transfer to a plate.

2. Add remaining tablespoon oil and sausage to pan; cook over medium-high heat until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and rice; cook, stirring to coat, until rice is translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Stir in paprika, turmeric, tomatoes, and broth, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover, and cook until rice is tender and has absorbed almost all liquid, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in peas; cook 1 minute. Stir in cooked shrimp; serve immediately.

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