While winter is the ideal time to fire up the oven and cook comfort meals, it’s still useful to have a variety of time saving and simple options at your disposal. Tasty, enjoyable meals that come together quickly and have the minimum clean up post-dinner appeal to all types of home cooks.
The collection of dinners below showcases 9 one-pan and dump and bake options that are fantastic for warding off the winter chill. Some are variations on classics and favorites, while others are designed for those who are looking to create a stress-free dinner time, yet not skimp on flavorful, interesting recipes that will make you go WOW!
1. One-Pan Taco Chicken Bake
Not only is our One Pan Taco Chicken Bake simple to prepare with hardly any prep time involved, but it’s also quite healthy (you can also sub out sour cream for plain Greek yogurt). You may wish to serve the chicken with Spanish rice for a more filling dinner, or a side salad for a lighter style meal. Another option: shred the chicken once it’s out of the oven and use it as a traditional taco filling.
2. Amish Chicken Corn Casserole
A list such as ours could be filled with recipes featuring buttery, creamy baked chicken. Amish Chicken Corn Casserole has a crumbled Ritz cracker topping and is also studded with sweet corn for extra pockets of fresh flavor. This is a family-friendly, quick and easy comfort food – the kind of one pan hot dish that’s simple but always satisfies!
3. Arroz con Pollo (Spanish Chicken and Rice)
Arroz con Pollo (Spanish Chicken and Rice) is a delicious Latin comfort food featuring beautifully balanced herb spiced rice along with velvety skin on chicken pieces. It’s a one pot dish brimming with delicious flavors Arroz con Pollo has a few steps, but they’re logical and simple, and are designed to layer the flavor of the chicken and rice as it cooks into a subtle build up of quality tastes – it’s an inexpensive dish that will soon become a family favorite for it’s flavor and character!
4. Dump and Bake Chicken Parmesan
I know a lot of home cooks who don’t bother making chicken parm because it involves cooking pasta, a sauce, and frying chicken – as delicious as it is, there is little motivation to put the work in on busy nights when you just want to eat and relax. Dump and Bake Chicken Parmesan takes the work out of this classic dinner, all you need to do is put the ingredients in a dish, give it a stir, and let the oven do the rest!
5. One-Pan Hawaiian Pasta
If you are a fan of pineapple on pizza, or are just longing for a touch of summer sun in the middle of winter, then One-Pan Hawaiian Pasta will help keep the mid-winter blues at bay. This is an almost perfect family friendly recipe that’s simple to put together and on the table in less than 30 minutes. This touch of tropical fun combines the pasta of your choice with pineapple, ham, and fresh basil in a zesty tomato sauce that will have you reaching for a second serving in record time!
6. One-Pan Ground Beef, Cabbage, and Rice
One-Pan Ground Beef, Cabbage, and Rice is a great step away from traditional ground beef favorites because it uses homestyle steak seasoning and butter to provide a creamy, rich flavor without relying on a heavy sauce or casserole-style recipe. It satisfies the need for something fresh and tasty but quick to cook from ingredients that you have handy, all with connections to classic comfort food.
7. Easy Sheet Pan Paella
I love cooking sheet pan dinners, especially when I want to cook something with flavor and excitement but I’m strapped for time (or energy). Making Easy Sheet Pan Paella is a simple variation on the classic, yet packs a whole lot of flavor into the dish. It turns out just like the traditional Spanish version, but in just a snip of time – complete with saffron-scented rice, spicy sausage, and succulent shrimp!
8. One-Pan Lemon & Garlic Chicken Dinner
If you’re not in the mood for making soup, our One-Pan Lemon & Garlic Chicken Dinner is the perfect quick meal to help combat flu season. It’s stacked with delicious, complementary flavors that also help fight winter nasties, plus it’s quick and easy to cook. Using a base of olive oil and crisp white wine, the infusion of lemon gives the dish a bright, vibrant flavor that helps deepen the familiar aroma and flavor of garlic.
9. Easy Cheesy Bacon Potato Skillet
Our Easy Cheesy Bacon Potato Skillet is ideal when you want to whip up quick comfort food full of flavor and fun. Combining favorites such as bacon, cheese, and red potatoes, with popular pantry herbs makes a mundane meal seem more bright and vibrant. With little prep effort, and just 20 minutes in your skillet, you can have the perfect winter weeknight dinner for two, or a delectable side dish.
Conclusion
During winter it’s still a good thing to get in and out of the kitchen with minimum effort and maximum flavor when cooking dinner. Being able to cook a delicious one-pan or dump and bake meal helps you to spend more time relaxing with family, or spending time curling up on the couch where it’s warm and cozy!