One-Pot Wonders: Simple Meals That Minimise Washing Up
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" - Leonardo da Vinci
Let's be honest - after a long day of work, school runs, and keeping the house from falling into complete chaos, whatever your day has been like, the last thing we want is to face a mountain of washing up. As someone who commutes daily and comes home knackered, I've had to become something of an expert at creating decent family meals with as few pots and pans as possible.
Why One-Pot Cooking Works for Busy Families
One-pot cooking isn't just about saving on washing up (though that's a massive bonus). It's about creating proper, nutritious meals without the faff. When you're juggling a million responsibilities, these meals are absolute lifesavers:
Everything cooks together, meaning less time spent in the kitchen
Flavours come together as everything simmers in the pot
Most of the food can be prepped ahead or frozen for future use
Don't forget you can always substitute ingredients if you need to for any reason
Perfect for batch cooking at weekends
Family-Friendly One-Pot Recipes That Work
All of these recipes are good for a family of 4.
Sausage and Bean Casserole
This is a proper crowd-pleaser in our house and takes barely any effort. My protein-heavy approach means I opt for good quality sausages rather than the cheapest ones - it makes all the difference.
You'll need:
8 good quality sausages (we love Cumberland or Lincolnshire)
1 tin each of butter beans and cannellini beans, drained
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tin chopped tomatoes
250ml chicken stock
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp mixed herbs
Brown the sausages in a large casserole dish, then add everything else. Simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on. Job done! Serve with a green salad, mashed or new potatoes, or crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
Proper Tasty Chicken Cacciatore
If you're looking for a family dinner that's full of flavour but won't leave you with a sink full of washing up, this chicken cacciatore has been my go-to for years. It's hearty, uses ingredients you can find in any UK supermarket, and best of all it all happens in one pot!
You'll need:
8 chicken thighs (skin-on, bone-in for best flavour or boneless if you prefer)
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 bell peppers (any colour), sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
200g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
400g tin chopped tomatoes
150ml chicken stock
125ml red wine (optional but adds richness)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp tomato purée
Small handful of fresh basil (optional)
Small handful of black olives (optional)
Salt & black pepper
The Method (All in One Pot):
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan or casserole dish over medium-high heat
Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then place them skin-side down in the hot oil. Let them get properly golden (about 5-6 minutes) before turning them over to brown the other side for another 3 minutes. Don't rush this bit it's where you build loads of flavour. Set chicken aside - don't worry if it's not cooked through yet it'll go back in later.
Cook the veg in the same pot - add the onions and cook for about 4 minutes until they start to soften. Add the garlic, peppers and mushrooms, cooking for another 5 minutes until they start to soften.
Build the sauce by adding in the tomato purée and letting it cook for a minute. Pour in the wine if using it, and let it bubble for 2 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Add the tinned tomatoes, chicken stock, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves. Give everything a good stir.
Simmer - return the chicken thighs to the sauce, skin-side up. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down low, cover with a lid and let it bubble gently for 35-40 minutes until the chicken is falling off-the-bone tender.
Final touches - remove the lid for the last 10 minutes of cooking to let the sauce reduce slightly. Tear in some fresh basil leaves if using, and check the seasoning.
All-In-One Roast Chicken Dinner
Yes, you can do a full roast without using every pot and pan in the kitchen. This has saved my Sunday evenings countless times.
You'll need:
1 medium chicken
600g new potatoes, halved
4 carrots, chunky pieces
2 parsnips, chunky pieces
1 red onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, halved
Fresh thyme or rosemary sprigs
Put the chicken in a large roasting tin. Season well and stuff the lemon halves and some herbs inside. Arrange all veg around the chicken, drizzle with oil, and scatter herbs over everything.
Roast at 180°C for about 1 hour 20 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. The veg soaks up all the chicken flavour and you've got a full roast dinner with precisely one tin to wash up.
Don't be afraid to try new things - throw on some cajun seasoning or a whole bulb of garlic for a different flavour!
Hearty Fish Pie Bake
This isn't your traditional fish pie method, but it delivers the same comfort without the usual stages of cooking.
You'll need:
600g fish pie mix (most supermarkets sell this—usually salmon, cod and smoked haddock)
throw some prawns in too, if you like them
800g potatoes, thinly sliced
1 leek, finely sliced
200ml double cream
200ml milk
2 tbsp butter
100g grated cheddar
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
Layer half the potatoes in an ovenproof dish, add the leeks, then the fish. Mix the cream, milk, and dill, then pour it over. Top with remaining potatoes, dot with butter and sprinkle with cheese.
Cover with foil and bake at 200°C for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden and bubbling. Test the potatoes are done by stabbing with a fork or skewer - if they're still hard, it needs longer. Recover with foil or reduce the heat to prevent burning.
Making One-Pot Meals Work for Your Family
Over the years, I've learned a few tricks to make these meals even more efficient:
Prep When You Have Time
Sometimes I chop vegetables in the morning before work or even the night before. They keep perfectly fine in containers in the fridge, and it means dinner comes together in minutes when I get home.
Use Your Slow Cooker
If you don't have one, get one! Chuck everything in before work, and come home to dinner ready to serve. My slow cooker stew is simply diced beef, root veg, stock, herbs and a splash of red wine. Eight hours later, it's transformed into something that tastes like I've been slaving away all day.
Batch Cook and Freeze
When I do have a bit more time at weekends, I'll make double portions and freeze half. Future-me is always extremely grateful when I can pull a homemade curry or bolognese out of the freezer on those days when I'm too shattered to think.
Use What You Have
One-pot cooking is brilliantly flexible. No carrots? Use courgettes. No fresh herbs? Dried work fine. The core method stays the same, but you can adapt based on what's in your fridge or what's on offer at the shops.
The Reality of Family Mealtimes
Let's not pretend every meal is Instagram-worthy. Sometimes my one-pot dinners look decidedly beige, sometimes my niece picks out every visible vegetable, and sometimes we end up eating at ridiculous hours because life gets in the way. Having these recipes in my arsenal means we eat proper home-cooked food most nights, without spending hours in the kitchen or facing an epic washing-up session afterwards.
On those summer evenings when the garden beckons, there's nothing better than popping a one-pot wonder in the oven and heading outside while dinner cooks itself.
At the end of the day, simple cooking that fits around real life is what we all need, no fancy equipment required, no specialist ingredients, just straightforward meals that feed the family without causing kitchen chaos. That's what makes life easier, and that's what we all need more of.
What's your go-to one-pot meal when time's tight? I'm always looking to add more options to my repertoire!
