After a cool, crisp fall day, there is nothing as comforting as a warm, hearty meal. One-pot meals are an answer to the perfect fall dinner. With no use of multiple pots and pans, there is the additional bonus of cleanup being a breeze. You can just toss all your ingredients into one pot, sheet pan, skillet, or Dutch oven and let your ingredients simmer while combining flavors. You will have created a welcoming family-friendly meal.
The French onion pasta recipe creates sweet caramelized onions and pasta simmered in wine and beef broth until al dente. Of course, nutty Gruyère cheese is incorporated throughout the pasta and tops the dish as a finish. The sheet pan meal offers plenty of colors and flavors. The juices from the chicken and sausages coat the sprouts and shallots, giving them incredible flavor. You could serve this with a side, such as mashed potatoes, but honestly, there's a whole meal right there in the pan, Finally, if you love classic lasagna but want a bit less work for a week-night dinner, the skillet lasagna will become a favorite. Using just a skillet, you combine all of the ingredients and cook them up. The flavor soaks throughout and you get to taste just how delicious this combination of spices and ingredients is. Each of these three one-pot meals provides a scrumptious meal. They are perfect for those busy fall days when you want to enjoy a hearty dinner without a whole lot of fuss. Happy one-pot cooking!
Author: Julie Hyske, UC Master Gardener
French Onion Pasta
Ingredients
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 large yellow onions (about 2 lb. total), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
2 tsps. Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsps. fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving
½ cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
12 oz. dried penne or fettuccine
32-oz. box low-sodium beef broth
1 cup water
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup finely grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese, plus more for serving
In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden brown and caramelized, about 20 minutes. (If onions are browning too quickly, stir in a few tablespoons of water, scraping up brown bits on bottom of pot.) Add Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring, until almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Add pasta, beef broth, water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reducing heat to medium and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, 14 to 16 minutes. Stir cheese into pasta until melted and combined. Top with more cheese and thyme before serving.
Serves 6
Fall Sheet Pan Meal
Ingredients
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 ½ lbs. Brussels sprouts, halved
2 lbs. small red potatoes, cut in half
¾ cup dry white wine
2 Italian sausage links, sliced
3 large shallots, sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
3 Tbsps. olive oil, or as needed
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary, or to taste
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp. chopped fresh or dried sage
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper
Clean and trim fat from chicken, patting dry with paper towels. Place in a large bowl with Brussels sprouts, red potatoes, wine, sausage, shallots, lemon slices, garlic, oil, rosemary, thyme, sage, sea salt, and pepper. Toss together with your hands and allow to marinate at room temperature, tossing occasionally, for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a baking pan with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper. Pour chicken-vegetable mixture onto the prepared baking pan. Arrange thighs over mixture. Roast in the preheated oven until thighs are browned and crispy and no longer pink in the centers, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4
Easy Skillet Lasagna
Ingredients
1 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. lean ground beef
¾ yellow onion, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1Tbsp. minced garlic
½ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
24-oz. jar marinara sauce
8 oz. lasagna noodles
1½ cups water
1 cup cottage cheese
1½ cup mozzarella cheese, divided
Place a large saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the oil, ground beef, onion, zucchini, minced garlic, salt, and Italian seasoning. Break up the ground beef and stir continually as you cook it. Cook for 5-7 minutes on medium heat until the beef is cooked through. Next, break the uncooked noodles into large pieces. Add the marinara sauce, water, and broken lasagna noodles and mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Turn the temperature to low, cover the pan with a lid and let the lasagna simmer for 25 to 35 minutes or until the noodles are cooked. Stir the mixture every 5 minutes. Ensure that the noodles spend the majority of the time submerged in the mixture so they can cook evenly. Once the lasagna noodles are soft, remove the pan from the heat and remove the lid. Add the cottage cheese and half cup of the mozzarella cheese. Stir the lasagna until the mozzarella cheese is melted. Add the remaining mozzarella cheese on top and either broil it in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes or cover the pan with the lid for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Let the lasagna cool for 5 to10 minutes before serving.
Serves 4-6