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There are many perks to college life, but unfortunately food is generally not one of them. Instead of relying on dining hall meals of questionable quality or reaching for another ramen packet, try your hand at cooking a proper meal. One-pot meals offer the opportunity to make decadent and filling meals with minimal cleanup involved.
Not sure how to go about attempting a one-pot meal? You’re not alone: According to Pinterest, searches for easy one-pot recipes have increased 960% from last year. To help you along in your quest to eat better, we’ve found 12 delicious one-pot recipes you can make that don’t require gourmet-level kitchen skills.
Pesto Chicken
Add A Pinch’s one-pan pesto chicken is a healthy, carb-free recipe—it uses zoodles instead of regular pasta—guaranteed to keep you full.
Protein Pasta
Made using red lentil pasta for tons of protein, this dish is a great vegetarian option. The blogging duo behind Fresh Off The Grid made it at a campsite; so if they can make this in the literal wilderness, you can definitely recreate it with ease at home. Looking for a more budget-friendly option than red lentil pasta? You won’t get the same protein benefits, but regular pasta works just as well and tastes just as good.
Vegetarian Quinoa Chili
The vegetarian chili recipe to end all vegetarian chili recipes, this one by The Healthy Maven uses dark chocolate and maple syrup for a unique twist on a classic recipe. If you miss home-cooked chili but aren’t quite ready to handle raw meat yet (or simply don’t have the kitchen tools to do so), this is the recipe for you.
Spicy Thai Noodles
Better than takeout and definitely healthier, Domestic Superhero’s one-pot spicy noodles are a must for a gourmet spin on typical college food. Technically, you do need one small separate bowl to whisk ingredients in, but other than that you just throw everything into a pot and let the heat do the work for you.
Chicken and Rice Dinner
Savory Tooth’s dish is uber-filling and ideal for weeknights. You can even make leftovers to use as a quick and healthy lunch the next day—hey, meal planning is the busy college student’s best friend.
Shakshuka For Two
One-pan meals don’t have to be just for dinner: Try this flavorful shakshuka recipe from Nourish Atelier for an at-home brunch. Eaten with crusty bread for dipping, it’s also an ideal hangover cure. Do with that information what you will.
Mediterranean Quinoa with Spinach and Chickpeas
Somewhere between a salad and a pasta dish lies this quinoa recipe courtesy of Simply Quinoa. If you’re looking for a healthier meal that’s a little more filling than just lettuce and assorted vegetables, be sure to try this option.
Lasagna Pasta
Lasagna is the ultimate comfort food, but if you have a small kitchen and limited culinary experience it’s not exactly easy to make. The Little Kitchen’s one-pot lasagna pasta has all the delicious flavors and components of traditional lasagna minus the hours spent making it in the kitchen.
Chunky Monkey Porridge
This hearty breakfast dish serves one and is perfect for colder mornings when you have a little more time. Clem Foodie’s recipe is easy to follow and requires ingredients you probably already have on hand—minus the mesquite powder which, as intriguing as it sounds, is optional.
Creamy Skillet Tortellini with Sweet Potato and Spinach
If there were ever a dish that perfectly represented fall, this skillet tortellini would be it. Unlike most sweet potato recipes that require you to bake the vegetable, you can make this one using only one pan for minimal clean-up.
Mac ‘n Cheese with Broccoli
So much better than Easy Mac, London Brazil’s recipe for mac ‘n cheese is decadent and simple to make. It also has broccoli in it so as far as we’re concerned, it’s basically a health food.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Combining two of the best comfort foods in existence (chicken pot pie and chicken noodle soup), Little Spice Jar’s chicken pot pie soup is creamy, cheesy goodness. Make it on the weekend and store in the fridge to have a ready-made meal every night of the week.
Related Reading:
The (Healthy!) One-Pot Recipes We’re Making For Lunch This Week One-Pot Pasta Recipes For Minimal Cleanup One-Pot Vegetarian Recipes Even Non-Vegetarians Will Love