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30 Easy One-Pot Recipes, From Dinner to Dessert

30 Easy One-Pot Recipes, From Dinner to Dessert

Updated April 16, 2020

Jen Causey; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee

These quick one-pot recipes couldn't be easier. Whether you're looking to cook dinner (may we recommend this simple One-Pot Pasta with Tomato-Basil Sauce or this convenient Beans-and-Greens Soup?) or dessert (this One-Pot Chocolate Cake is basically a dream come true), we've got you covered with this collection of one-pot recipes.

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One-Pot Pasta with Tomato-Basil Sauce

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

One-Pot Pasta with Tomato-Basil Sauce Recipe

This dish is a revelation. Throw all of your ingredients into one pot over medium-high heat, and about 25 minutes later you'll have noodles perfectly coated in a luscious tomato-basil sauce. This is any busy mom's weeknight dinner perfection. If entertaining, serve with one of our easy green salad recipes for the complete dinner experience.

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One-Pot Cheesy Pasta Bake

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

One-Pot Cheesy Pasta Bake Recipe

This easy skillet pasta bake is a surefire family hit. Pasta and meat sauce topped with mozzarella cheese will make everyone at the table happy, and the all-in-one-pot technique will have the cook smiling pretty. Cooking the pasta in the meat sauce not only lessens the amount of dishes you have to do and the time it takes to get dinner done.

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One-Pot Salmon with Snap Peas and Rice

Credit: John Kernick; Styling: Sara Quessenberry

One-Pot Salmon with Snap Peas and Rice Recipe

This easy One-Pot Salmon With Snap Peas and Rice comes together in a snap (pun intended).

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One-Pot Chicken with Farro

Credit: Jennifer Causey

One-Pot Chicken with Farro Recipe

This easy dish is perfect for a casual get-together with friends. Inspired by arroz con pollo, it is hearty with satisfying complexity. Cumin, saffron, and oregano season rich chicken thighs and nutty farro as the dish simmers.

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One-Pot Chocolate Cake

Credit: TIFS

One-Pot Chocolate Cake Recipe

This delicious chocolate cake from our friend Joy the Baker comes together in one sauce pan, so you can enjoy the rich flavor and whipped topping without the worry of cleaning too many dishes afterwards!

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One-Pot Beef Stew

Credit: Greg Dupree; Styling: Claire Spollen

One-Pot Beef Stew Recipe

This dish gets zip from whole mustard and richness from red wine. And that leftover wine pairs beautifully with the stew.

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Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup with Chorizo

Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Marianne Williams

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup with Chorizo Recipe

For an easy and elegant fall entertaining dish you can make in your Instant Pot, look no further than our savory butternut squash soup. This Instant Pot butternut squash soup is a perfect recipe for effortless autumnal vibes.

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Easy Taco Soup

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Easy Taco Soup Recipe

In addition to being super simple, this easy taco soup recipe makes a lot of food, meaning you won’t have to worry about lunch or dinner for the next few days. Most of the ingredients are already in your pantry, so everything comes together quickly.

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Capitol Hill Bean Soup

Credit: Greg DuPree

Capitol Hill Bean Soup Recipe

If you don’t have time to soak the dried beans for 8 hours or overnight, try this quick-soak method. Put the beans in a large pot, add water 2 inches above the beans, and bring to a boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 1 hour. Drain the beans, and then cook according to the recipe.

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Savory Sausage, Veggie, and Gnocchi Soup

Credit: Jen Causey; Prop Styling: Kay Clark; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

Savory Sausage, Veggie, and Gnocchi Soup Recipe

Turkey sausage, sweet butternut squash, earthy mushrooms, shallots, and spinach come together to make a big bowl of delicious comfort. The colors stay intact, and the sausage is perfect for sopping up with some crusty French bread.

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Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup

Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos

Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup Recipe

This Instant Pot soup comes together in 60 mins and is full of flavor. No Instant Pot? No problem! Prepare the recipe as directed in Steps 1 and 2, substituting a Dutch oven (perfect for making comforting soups and stews), over medium-high for an Instant Pot.

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Easy Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Bacon

Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos

Easy Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Bacon Recipe

We spiced up plain-Jane lentil soup with the addition of tender sweet potato chunks, fire-roasted tomatoes, and bacon. This rich, comforting, smoky soup is perfect if you are planning a tailgate event or weekend party because it can be prepared up to three days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

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Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe

A little heavy cream adds body and richness to classic chicken and rice soup, and collard greens make it heartier and more nutritious. If you're looking for a tasty side, we recommend this Buttermilk Drop Biscuits Recipe that gets extra flavor from chives and whole-grain mustard.

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Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Missie Crawford

Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup Recipe

Coconut milk tames the heat and combines deliciously with shredded chicken breast in Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup.

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Italian Turkey and Orzo Soup

Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Italian Turkey and Orzo Soup Recipe

Orzo—the little rice-shaped pasta—is practically made for soup. It cooks much faster than rice and is just as satisfying. This quick soup comes together in just about 20 minutes, but still tastes rich and full.

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Ham-and-Bean Soup

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Ham-and-Bean Soup Recipe

A pan of cornbread is the perfect companion to this comforting and rich Southern-style recipe.

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Beans-and-Greens Soup

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Beans-and-Greens Soup Recipe

Escarole is transformed by heat, changing from a bitter green into something soft, mellow, and sultry. If you crave extra crunch, use fresh green beans instead of canned. As with most soups, the longer it sits, the better it gets, making this a great make-ahead option.

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Smoky Pork and Hominy Soup

Smoky Pork and Hominy Soup Recipe

This hearty soup recipe is made simple with the pressure cooking power of your Instant Pot. Try this soup garnished with radish slices and sour cream.

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Spicy Black Bean Soup with Chorizo

Spicy Black Bean Soup with Chorizo Recipe

This spicy soup recipe requires little attention or effort with the slow cooking power of your Instant Pot. Tip: Dried beans don't have to be soaked—just toss them into the Instant Pot®.

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Vegetable Soup au Pistou

Vegetable Soup au Pistou Recipe

A traditional French pistou is a nut-free pesto, but the spinach pesto (or any refrigerated brand) is delicious here. Don't rinse the canned beans after draining; any remaining starches will help bring the soup together.

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Tortellini, White Bean, and Turnip Greens Soup

Credit: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Tortellini, White Bean, and Turnip Greens Soup Recipe

Looking for a meatless meal that still satisfies? Try this filling soup loaded with pasta, beans, and vegetables. Swap out the tortellini for refrigerated ravioli if you prefer.

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Hearty Beef and Freezer Veggie Soup

Credit: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Hearty Beef and Freezer Veggie Soup Recipe

Let convenience products from your grocery store help you stir up a batch of satisfying soup. Season and brown cubed stew meat, and then add vegetable broth, canned tomatoes and frozen vegetables, such as corn, beans, and okra.

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Green Chile-Chicken Stew

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Green Chile-Chicken Stew Recipe

All the big flavors from a south-of-the-border Posole are found in this freezer-friendly stew. Ideal for feeding a crowd during a gameday party, serving the family for a weeknight meal, or enjoying the leftovers for lunch, this recipe deserves a spot in your list of favorite cool-weather soups and stews.

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Bacon and Beef Stew

Credit: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Cat Steele

Bacon and Beef Stew Recipe

Savory, rich bacon and beef pair perfectly with beer, mustard, and red wine vinegar creating a well-rounded, complex flavor profile. The recipe comes together quickly and makes 16 cups--enough for 12 generous servings. Make sure to use low sodium beef broth to keep a balanced salt level. Serve with crusty bread, cornbread, or butter rolls.

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Smoky Lentil Stew

Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Smoky Lentil Stew Recipe

The crowning jewels of this one-pot vegetarian stew are the poached eggs, which cook beautifully in the steaming-hot pot of lentils. Be prepared: You will want crusty bread to dip into the runny egg and sop up the remains.

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Creamy White Chicken Chili

Credit: Jen Causey; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee

Creamy White Chicken Chili Recipe

This Creamy White Chicken Chili is super easy to make—seriously, it only takes 30 minutes, and it’s manageable for beginner cooks. To make it even easier, you could even use a rotisserie chicken. It’s rich, packed with beans, vegetables, and chicken, and isn’t too spicy, but you can always add hot sauce or sliced fresh jalapeños to up the heat.

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Field Peas in Herbed Broth Soup

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Field Peas in Herbed Broth Soup Recipe

If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on a mess of freshly picked field peas, this simple soup will let their unique, earthy flavor shine. While most varieties of field peas can be used interchangeably in recipes, we recommend using lady peas (also called Lady Cream peas) here because they produce a clear, not cloudy, potlikker.

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Couldn't Be Easier BBQ Pork Tenderloin

Credit: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro

Couldn't Be Easier BBQ Pork Tenderloin Recipe

This is an incredibly easy Crock-Pot recipe that's loaded with flavor. Super tender and moist. Perfect for those days you don't want to mess with dinner.

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Chicken Alfredo Soup

Credit: Kelsey Hansen; Food Styling: Adam Dolge; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Chicken Alfredo Soup Recipe

Inspired by the favorite pasta dish, this creamy Chicken Alfredo Soup comes together in no time with the help of a few store-bought shortcuts. Rotisserie chicken, frozen peas, and a jar of Alfredo sauce, which serves as the backbone of this highly comforting pot of soup, keep your hands-on prep to a minimum.

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Buffalo Chicken Chili

Credit: Jen Causey; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee

Buffalo Chicken Chili Recipe

This Buffalo Chicken Chili is one the best soups that’s come out of our test kitchen. We’ve combined two of the best foods around to make one ultimate dish. It’s hearty, full of chicken and veggies, and has a subtly spiced buffalo flavor.

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30 Easy One-Pot Recipes, From Dinner to Dessert

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One-Pot Pasta with Tomato-Basil Sauce

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One-Pot Cheesy Pasta Bake

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One-Pot Salmon with Snap Peas and Rice

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One-Pot Chicken with Farro

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One-Pot Chocolate Cake

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One-Pot Beef Stew

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Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup with Chorizo

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Easy Taco Soup

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Capitol Hill Bean Soup

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Savory Sausage, Veggie, and Gnocchi Soup

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Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup

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Easy Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Bacon

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Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

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Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

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Italian Turkey and Orzo Soup

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Ham-and-Bean Soup

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Beans-and-Greens Soup

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Smoky Pork and Hominy Soup

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Spicy Black Bean Soup with Chorizo

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Vegetable Soup au Pistou

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Tortellini, White Bean, and Turnip Greens Soup

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Hearty Beef and Freezer Veggie Soup

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Green Chile-Chicken Stew

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Bacon and Beef Stew

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Smoky Lentil Stew

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Creamy White Chicken Chili

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