We recently presented our pick from a long ‘listicle’ of easy, cheap, fast suppers anyone can make. No sooner had that one post ‘aired’, than we found another, completely different source story on the same theme. Herewith, our picks!
Cowboy Pork Chops: More like a stew… Big on animal protein –
but Pork is by far the cheapest meat you can buy today!
These are, specifically, one-pot dinners. Get ready for a cavalcade of casseroles… But there’s much more than that!
Common-sense supper suggestions…
I love the title of this post, from Simply Recipes: ‘Lazy One-Pot Dinners For When You Don’t Want To Cook‘.
I also love that the recipes have been constructed to meet basic healthy eating standards: “Each dish includes a vegetable or a starch, and some include both, so you can choose whatever suits your appetite. From stick-to-your-ribs Cowboy Pork Chops to Rice Carbonara, you can’t go wrong.”
Bonus: Many of these dishes are, or can be made vegetarian or vegan.
On with the show…
One-Pot Spiced Lentils
“Think of it like a thick spiced lentil soup. There’s almost no prep and very few ingredients, and once it’s on the stove, it requires almost no hand-holding.” – Amanda Blum, Recipe Developer
Maggie: “Think of it as a super-nutritious, hearty meal-in-a-bowl you can spice to suit your own taste, and toss in any root veggie that strikes your fancy… Carrots. Potatoes and Chick Peas are totally-authentic India.” – Maggie
“I reached for orzo, a rice-shaped pasta that works really well in one-pot preparations due to its small size and quick cooking time.” – Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer
“Caprese Pasta! What a concept! And a great introduction to Orzo if you haven’t had the pleasure, yet. Caprese is traditionally a style of salad featuring cherry or grape tomatoes, Baby Mozzarella Balls, garlic and basil. A summer-themed dish if ever I saw one… But this pasta is something different – even newstalgic, if you want to get technical – and I’ll make it year-round!” – Maggie
Rice Carbonara
“A container full of rice left over from another recipe I had been working on was taunting me from the back of the fridge. I detest wasting food, and I always have bacon, eggs, and Parmesan cheese on hand, so this seemed like a low-risk, high-reward experiment. ” – Jamie Anulewicz, Recipe Developer
“Another great newstalgization of an Italian pasta classic! Checks all the boxes for nutrition and flavour. And Anulewicz even suggests ‘east additions’ such as a handful of frozen peas (there’s my fave hot-dish back, again!). Of course, you could add anything you want…” – Maggie
One-Pot Tortellini Bake
“There’s one dish that consistently brings joy to our dinner table and peace of mind to my meal planning session. This cheesy, saucy wonder is comforting, familiar, and guaranteed to put smiles on faces.” – Kris Osborne, Recipe Developer
“Italian again – and for a good reason. Italian cuisine has always balanced its carbs, veggies and proteins carefully and appropriately. A great model to follow. This dish is not only fast, but leverages ingredients that are partially-prepared. The sauce and pasta can be found in ‘healthier’ versions in any supermarket. You could also use frozen Ravioli, Pierogi or even Potsticker dumplings! The only really expensive ingredient is cheese. But the recipe serves 6!” – Maggie
Cowboy Pork Chops
“Meaty pork chops smothered in a creamy sauce that’s kicked-up with green chiles and taco seasoning. Baby potatoes make it almost like a stew.” – Sara Bir, Recipe Developer
“Going Tex-Mex is similar to waxing Italian. There’s an ancient tradition of balanced nutrition in a single pot. And lean Pork is the least-costly meat you can buy today: $5 to $7 lb for any bone-in cut. Developer Bir just mentions Baby Potatoes: Add Onions, Carrots and whatever else you crave in stew veggies.” – Maggie
Black Bean and Egg Bake
“Black beans simmer in a base of tomatoes, onions, and green chiles while eggs are gently poached right on top. Spiced with chili powder and cumin, this easy, one-skillet bake has flavors reminiscent of huevos rancheros with the look and ease of shakshuka. ” – Coco Morante, Recipe Developer
“An international dish, though, as Morante suggests, leaning toward Tex-Mex. But you could use any kind of classic flavouring – even any of a number of Asian curries to keep the cumin company. Use chapatis instead of taco chips! Your chance to experiment and create something completely different!” – Maggie
My take
Here’s a fab, fun take on how you can make ‘fast-and-easy’ ‘cheap-and-tasty’. I just adore this kind of recipe, even if it does leverage some ‘processed’ foods. Nevertheless, those called for in this collection can all be found in ‘healthier’, ‘cleaner’ versions, from smaller makers in most decent supermarkets these days…
~Maggie J.