The best one pot autumn and winter recipes for no effort and maximum flavour
From Mary Berry’s Tuscan chicken to Jamie Oliver’s salmon pasta and Nadiya Hussain’s coconut fish noodles, these one-pot wonders prove you don’t need a sink full of pans to eat well this season, says Hannah Twiggs
There’s something deeply comforting about the clatter of a single pot on the hob – a promise that dinner will be hearty, simple and (crucially) involve minimal washing-up.
As the days get shorter and the evenings colder, one-pot recipes come into their own: warming stews that bubble away while you put your feet up, pastas that practically cook themselves, and curries and casseroles that fill the kitchen with the kind of aroma that makes you forget it’s raining outside.
This collection of autumn and winter one-pot wonders proves that easy doesn’t have to mean boring. Mary Berry lends her trademark polish to Mediterranean-style chicken and a creamy Tuscan classic, while Jamie Oliver’s smoked salmon pasta delivers a weeknight dinner that’s on the table in minutes. Donal Skehan’s Moroccan-inspired meatballs simmer with spice and comfort, and Gigi Grassia’s viral “marry me” lentils show that plant-based can still feel indulgent.
Elsewhere, Nadiya Hussain’s coconut fish noodles bring Thai sunshine to your bowl, Melissa Thompson’s peanut and sweet potato stew pays homage to West African roots, and Pinch of Nom’s chilli mac’n’cheese does exactly what you think it will – and then some.
Whether you’re cooking for one (Eleanor Wilkinson’s solo lasagne has you covered) or feeding the whole family, these dishes are proof that a single pot can deliver serious flavour with none of the fuss.
Easy peasy one-pot chicken
“A whole spatchcock chicken with Mediterranean-style vegetables, this is a healthy and hearty all-in-one dish made in a casserole or deep saucepan,” says Mary Berry.
“Removing the backbone of the chicken makes it a spatchcock and it is easier to arrange in the pot and to carve or joint. Double up for eight people, if you wish, and arrange two chickens in a large roasting tin, covered in foil.”
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
3 large garlic cloves, finely grated
100ml (3½fl oz) white wine
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 small whole chicken (about 1.25kg/2lb 12oz)
5 bay leaves
1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp runny honey
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
2. Heat the oil in a deep lidded casserole or large, lidded, ovenproof frying pan over a high heat. Add the onion, fennel and pepper and fry for about 3–4 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Pour in the wine and boil to reduce by half.
3. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, sun-dried tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce, and season with salt and black pepper.
4. Meanwhile, put the chicken upside down on a board. Remove the backbone by cutting either side of the bone with scissors. Turn over and press down on the breastbone to flatten the bird; it is now a spatchcock chicken. Arrange the lemon slices and bay leaves over the chicken.
5. Put the chicken, breast-side up, on top of the vegetables in the casserole or frying pan. Season and bring up to the boil. Cover with a lid and transfer to the preheated oven for about 35 minutes.
6. Remove the lid and sprinkle the paprika over the chicken and drizzle with the honey. Return to the oven, uncovered, for about 30 minutes to brown and finish cooking.
7. To serve, spoon the vegetables on to a hot platter and joint or carve the chicken before arranging the chicken on top of the vegetables.
‘Mary Makes it Easy’ (BBC Books, £28).
Smoked salmon pasta
For a speedy midweek meal, it doesn’t get better than this.
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
125g fresh lasagne sheets
2 spring onions
80g spinach
60g smoked salmon (2 slices), from sustainable sources
½ a lemon
5g parmesan cheese
Olive oil
1 tbsp cottage cheese
Optional: extra virgin olive oil
Method:
1. Boil the kettle. Cut the lasagne sheets in half lengthways, then into two-centimetre strips, using a crinkle-cut knife, if you’ve got one. Trim the spring onions and finely chop with the spinach and half the salmon. Finely grate the lemon zest, then the Parmesan, keeping them separate. Put a 28-centimetre frying pan on a high heat.
2. Once hot, put a little drizzle of olive oil into the pan with the spring onions, spinach, chopped salmon and lemon zest. Scatter the pasta into the pan, then carefully pour in enough boiling kettle water to just cover the pasta – about 250 millilitres. Let it bubble away for four minutes, or until the pasta has absorbed most of the water and you’ve got a nice sauce, stirring regularly and loosening with an extra splash of water, if needed. Turn the heat off, squeeze in the lemon juice, stir in the cottage cheese and Parmesan, then season to perfection. Delicately tear over the remaining salmon, and finish with a kiss of extra virgin olive oil, if you like.
‘ONE: Simple One-Pan Wonders’ by Jamie Oliver (Penguin Random House © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (2022 ONE), £28).
One-pot Moroccan-style meatballs
“There are some recipes that are ideal for making ahead of time and seem to improve in flavour once you plonk them in the fridge for an overnight stay. This is particularly true of a tomato-based meatball stew like this one,” says Donal Skehan.
“The spices have an opportunity to mingle with the lamb, the harissa paste has time to develop the deep hum of heat in the sauce, and you are left with a pot of something truly special.
“Make these meatballs while you have time on a Sunday night, and all you have to do to make a meal of them is serve them at the table with rice or couscous, and maybe some flatbreads.”
If you don’t have a slow cooker, make this in a casserole dish and cook, uncovered, in an oven preheated to 160C/140C fan/320F/gas 3 for one hour.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
450g minced lamb
½ red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 medium free-range egg
2 tsp ras el hanout
30g fresh white breadcrumbs
1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
½ red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 heaped tbsp harissa paste
Grated zest of 1 lemon
400g tin chopped tomatoes
100ml chicken stock
400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
To serve:
Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Couscous, steamed
Greek yoghurt
Flatbreads, charred and torn
Method:
1. In a large bowl, mix the lamb with the red onion, garlic, egg, ras el hanout, breadcrumbs and parsley. Season well and with wet hands, shape into 20 walnut-sized balls.
2. Heat the two tablespoons of oil in a frying pan or using the sauté function on the slow cooker and brown the meatballs all over. Transfer to a plate.
3. Now for the sauce. Add the one tablespoon of oil to the pan or slow cooker and gently fry the onion for five minutes, then add the garlic, harissa and lemon zest, and cook for one minute more.
4. Transfer to the slow cooker (if you’re not already using it), then add the meatballs. Pour over the chopped tomatoes and stock.
5. Season well and cook on high for four hours, then add the chickpeas and cook for a further 30 minutes. If the sauce is too juicy at the end, remove the meatballs and reduce to your liking in a pan or using the sauté function on your slow cooker.
6. Serve the meatballs and sauce scattered with parsley, with steamed couscous, a dollop of yoghurt and flatbreads.
‘Home Kitchen: Everyday Cooking Made Simple And Delicious’ by Donal Skehan (Yellow Kite, £25).
Marry me lentils
“Legend has it that if you make this dish for someone, they’ll want to marry you after tasting it!” says Gigi Grassia, author of Plant Protein.
“Usually made with chicken, in this version the red lentils soak up and carry the rich flavours of the sun-dried tomatoes and rosemary to create a perfect mouthful. In just 20 minutes, you can have a flavourful, protein-packed dish that I hope will become one of your go-to recipes.”
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients:
1 small-medium carrot, diced
½ celery stick, diced
1 small onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 sprig of rosemary
10-12 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped, plus extra to serve
1 tbsp tomato purée
300g split red lentils, washed
700ml vegetable stock
200ml soya milk
4-5 tbsp nutritional yeast
Handful of baby spinach
Olive oil, for cooking
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
Plant-based cream or yoghurt
Small handful of basil
Plant-based parmesan-style cheese
Method:
1. Heat a good glug of oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and fry the carrot, celery, onion, garlic, rosemary, sun-dried tomatoes and tomato purée for five to eight minutes until the onion has softened and the flavours have infused. If it starts to dry out, add a splash of water.
2. Remove the rosemary and add the lentils, stirring for one to two minutes to toast the lentils. Slowly pour in the vegetable stock, stirring frequently, then add the soya milk and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Once the lentils are cooked, season with salt and pepper, then add the nutritional yeast and spinach and stir until the spinach has wilted.
4. Serve with plant-based cream or yoghurt, more sun-dried tomatoes, basil and plant-based Parmesan-style cheese.
‘Plant Protein: 80 Healthy And Delicious High-Protein Vegan Recipes’ by Gigi Grassia (Greenfinch, £22).
Tuscan chicken
“Based on a classic, this is one of our favourites for an easy supper. Use chicken breasts, if you prefer,” says Mary Berry.
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
6 large skinless chicken thighs, bone in
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tsp paprika
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large red pepper, deseeded and finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp tomato puree
30g sun-blushed tomatoes, chopped
150ml white wine
150ml chicken stock
150ml pouring double cream
150g baby spinach
55g parmesan, grated
Method:
1. Place the chicken thighs in a bowl. Add the flour and half the paprika and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss together to coat.
2. Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan over a high heat. Add the chicken and fry for three to four minutes on each side, until browned and crisp. Set aside on a plate.
3. Add the onion and pepper to the unwashed pan and fry for four to five minutes over a medium heat, until soft. You may need a little more oil. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
4. Stir in the purée, tomatoes, wine and stock and bring up to the boil. Return the chicken to the pan with any resting juices, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until tender.
5. Add the cream and spinach to the pan and stir until wilted. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with the cheese and serve piping hot.
‘Cook And Share’ by Mary Berry (BBC Books, £27).
One-pot, one-portion lasagne
“I feel as though I shouldn’t really have favourite recipes in this book as they are all very dear to me, but this lasagne holds a special place in my heart,” says Eleanor Wilkinson, author of One Pot, One Portion. “Just don’t mention it in Italy, OK?”
“A traditionally time-consuming, somewhat strenuous dish that leaves a mountain of washing-up, this version, though not traditional, fully replicates the flavours and feel of a layered lasagne in a simple, stress-free way.”
Serves: 1
Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil
½ white onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced or grated
1 tbsp tomato purée
125g beef mince (you could also use a vegetarian mince)
200g tinned tomatoes
½ beef stock pot
100ml water
½ tsp dried mixed herbs
75g fresh lasagne sheets
60g mascarpone
60g mozzarella, grated
Salt and black pepper
Method:
1. Add a little olive oil to a small ovenproof frying pan or baking dish on a medium heat and fry off the onion for around 5 minutes until softened and golden. Add in the garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
2. Squeeze in the tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes before adding in the beef mince and cooking until browned.
3. Add in the tinned tomatoes, stock pot, water and mixed herbs. Let this simmer and reduce for around 15 minutes over a low heat. While this is cooking, preheat the grill to 200C.
4. Cut the fresh lasagne sheets into quarters. Once the sauce is rich and reduced, taste and season well with salt and pepper, then mix in the lasagne sheets and cook for 3-4 minutes with the lid off until they are cooked but still al dente. Take off the heat and spoon dollops of mascarpone on top, then cover with the grated mozzarella. Grill for 10-15 minutes until golden and bubbling.
‘One Pot, One Portion’ by Eleanor Wilkinson (Ebury Press, £22).
Chilli mac’n’cheese
“Borrowing the best bits from two of our favourite comfort foods, this epic chilli mac ’n’ cheese is a batch-cook sensation,” say Kate and Kay Allinson, the brains behind Pinch of Nom.
They call this one-pot dish “deliciously indulgent”, adding: “We’ve kept things on the milder side with a couple of teaspoons of chilli powder, but there’s nothing to stop you turning up the heat if you’re feeling brave. Don’t forget to save freezer-friendly portions for a rainy day!”
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
Low-calorie cooking spray
2 onions, peeled and finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
500g 5%-fat minced beef
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tsp mild chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
2 peppers, any colour, deseeded and diced
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp Henderson’s Relish
600ml beef stock (2 beef stock cubes dissolved in 600ml boiling water)
300g dried macaroni
1 x 400g tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
180g reduced-fat mature Cheddar, grated
Small handful of fresh coriander, chopped (optional)
Method:
1. Spray a large saucepan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and sauté for five minutes until softened.
2. Add the mince and cook for a further five minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps, until the mince is no longer pink.
3. Add the garlic, chilli powder, cumin and oregano and stir in for one minute until the spices become fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes, peppers, tomato puree, Henderson’s Relish and stock, and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat to medium-low, cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 20 minutes, until the carrots are soft.
4. Add the macaroni to the pan, stir well and replace the lid. Allow to cook for a further 10-12 minutes, until the pasta is just cooked.
5. Stir in the beans and cheese, reserving a little cheese to garnish if you wish, allowing two minutes for the beans to heat through and the cheese to melt.
6. Stir in the coriander, if using, and serve!
‘Pinch Of Nom: Budget’ by Kate and Kay Allinson (Bluebird, £17.99).
Peanut and sweet potato stew
“This dish is unashamedly West African, where peanut stews are common,” says food writer Melissa Thompson.
“Yet I’ve included it here because the movement of peanuts around the world tells of the trading routes that saw food, goods and people cross the Atlantic through the Columbian Exchange and beyond. The Spanish are said to have taken them back to Spain following their exploration of the so-called New World, where they were planted. From there they were taken to Africa, probably through trade, before being returned to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade.
“Today, peanuts grow throughout Jamaica, especially in St Elizabeth. So while this isn’t a Jamaican dish, it’s one that draws on the West African influence that has inspired island food.”
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
Vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2.5cm piece of ginger, finely grated
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground fenugreek seeds
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 2.5cm cubes
400ml vegetable stock
400g can of red kidney beans, drained
2 tbsp peanut butter
2 mature bunches of spinach, washed and roughly chopped, coarse stalks removed
Sea salt
Boiled rice, to serve
Method:
1. In a Dutch pot or large saucepan, fry the onion in a little oil. After eight minutes, add the garlic and ginger and cook for another couple of minutes before adding the spices, mixed with a little water to prevent them burning. Stir and cook until the spices become aromatic.
2. Add the sweet potatoes and stir to coat, then pour in the stock and add the beans and peanut butter. Put a lid on the pot and cook for 10–15 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft.
3. Remove the lid, mix in the spinach and leave for five minutes until cooked through. Taste, then add salt until seasoned as you prefer.
4. Serve with boiled rice.
‘Motherland’ by Melissa Thompson (Bloomsbury Publishing, £26).
Coconut fish noodles
“This aromatic cod dish takes a few of the things I learnt in Thailand and some of the influences from my own family’s cooking and mixes them with one of my favourite ingredients: noodles,” says former Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain. “It’s fragrant, warming and so easy to make.”
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
2 tbsp coconut oil
20g desiccated coconut
2 tbsp garlic paste
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp ground black pepper
4 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp salt
3 lime leaves, thinly sliced
2 x 400ml tins of coconut milk
225g rice noodles
375g cod loins, chopped into chunks
To serve:
2 large red chillies, thinly sliced
A large handful of fresh coriander
Lime wedges
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas mark 6. Have a casserole dish ready, one that has a lid.
2. Add the coconut oil to the dish with the desiccated coconut and put into the oven for the coconut to brown – this should literally only take a few minutes.
3. As soon as the coconut is golden, take out. Now to add the rest of your ingredients. Add the garlic, turmeric, pepper, fish sauce, salt, lime leaves and coconut milk. Mix well.
4. Crush the noodles in the palm of your hand and scatter into the coconut mixture. Now add the cod chunks, put the lid on and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the noodles and fish are fully cooked through.
5. Give it a mix to break up the fish chunks. Spoon into bowls, scatter with some sliced red chilli and coriander and serve with a wedge of lime.
‘Nadiya’s Everyday Baking’ by Nadiya Hussain (Penguin Michael Joseph, £25).
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