20 easy one-pan wonders

If you love cooking but hate cleaning, then these one-pan/pot/tray meals are the way to go for dinner tonight! (Plus, a decadent dessert or two.)

Italian sausages and beans with garlic ciabatta (salsicce e fagioli con crostini all’aglio). Source: Dan Jones / Hodder & Stoughton

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1. Farmer's breakfast (bauernfrühstück)

Similar to an omelette, this one-pan dish of German farmers pulls together potato, egg and bacon that's great for an easy breakfast or dinner.

Hearty fare for a viewing marathon. Source: Alan Benson

2. Italian sausages and beans with garlic ciabatta (salsicce e fagioli con crostini all’aglio)

Beans and Italian sausages come together in Gino D'Acampo's recipe for this Italian favourite. "This dish says so much about rustic Italian cooking – simple ingredients that balance each other perfectly and punchy flavours," says D'Acampo. It's a truly easy one-pan dish that's just as good for breakfast as it is for dinner.

Italian sausages and beans with garlic ciabatta (salsicce e fagioli con crostini all’aglio). Source: Dan Jones / Hodder & Stoughton

3. The perfect ratatouille

Done low and slow, this ratatouille is a case of chopping, frying and relegating the pan to the oven to take over the rest of the work. How long you leave it in is up to you, depending on how soft and tender you want the eggplant, and how long you can resist the delicious smell.

The perfect ratatouille Source: Benito Martin

4. Chicken pulao

Watch your guests' faces as you take the lid off this Indian dish, it's rustic, vibrant and smells incredible. The best bit: that amazement turns to joy as they bite into the spiced and zesty rice.

There are certain dishes people in India will eat around their fasting. Source: Murdoch Books

5. Hokkaido salmon chanchan

Hailing from the northern part of Japan, Hokkaido, known for their seafood is salmon chanchan, an easy fisherman's dish that brings together the rich umami flavours of salmon, wombok, onions and miso to create a heartwarming savoury-sweet dish.

Source: Danielle Abou Karam

6. Green bean stew (loubyeh b'zeit)

There's a good chance you already have everything you need to make this Lebanese dish in your kitchen cupboard. It's very easy to pull together and is a tasty way to get the veggies in.

Loubyeh b’ zeit or green beans in olive oil (although, technically, it’s tomato sauce) is a Middle Eastern vegetarian one-pot dish. Source: Sarka Babicka

7. Tomato and eggplant casserole (bohémienne)

This recipe makes a home-cooked French meal easy. Fry the ingredients, bake for 20 minutes then serve straight from the pan with a salad and loaf of good bread. Bon appétit!

Source: Alan Benson

8. Beef shakshuka with smoked eggplant

As vibrant as it is comforting, here's a one-pan meal you'll want to add to your repertoire. It even involves whizzing up your own tahini sauce, which is very simple.

Source: Tammi Kwok

9. Paella Valenciana

Everything about this Spanish classic is amazing, but it's the layer of crusted rice at the bottom of the pan that is everyone's ultimate goal. The secret to the best soccarat (the name given to the layer) is making sure your stock-to-rice ratio is right.

Paella Valenciana Source: China Squirrel

10. Betty’s casserole

An easy casserole of grilled lamb chops, thinly sliced potatoes, split peas and butter beans baked in tomato soup. This recipe has a special place in presenter, Jason Om's heart, honouring Betty, a Jewish confidante who helped Jason and his father when his mother died when he was 12 years old.

Source: Kitti Gould

11. Spring green risotto

If there's a chief of the one-pan meal clan, it would have to be the humble risotto. Packed with healthy, new-season peas and asparagus, it's a wholesome meal that still leaves you with time to properly enjoy it.

Source: Alan Benson

12. One-pan spicy chicken

This one is for one those busy weeknights, a one-pan wonder from Adam Liaw, ready in under 20 minutes. Seasoned chicken thighs are cooked with aromatic onion, garlic and capsicum, then made saucy with chilli oil, tomatoes, soy and butter. Garnish with fresh spring onions to serve.

One-pan spicy chicken Source: Jiwon Kim

13. Turnip top and goat's cheese frittata

If you've always gone for the bulb of the turnip, give the leafy, green tops a go with this frittata that's a little bit fancy (but still easy).

Turnip and goat's cheese frittata Source: Alan Benson

14. Country chicken stew

This classic country-style chicken stew is made by simmering chicken drumsticks with a flavoursome combination of herbs, onion garlic and vegetables, all in one pot. Perfect for the cold seasons or when you're feeling run down. Serve with crusty sourdough bread and sprinkle with fresh flat-leaf parsley.recipe

Country chicken stew Source: Kitti Gould

A solitary tray goes a long way...

15. Baked Spanish paprika chicken with tomatoes

Colourful, flavourful and easy to make, this is a winner for busy weeknights where a healthy meal is in order. Give the pan a good shake halfway through to spread the flavours around.

Baked Spanish paprika chicken with tomatoes Source: Brett Stevens

16. Mediterranean tray-bake with haloumi chunks

Starring everyone's favourite root vegetables and flavoured with classic Mediterranean ingredients like lemon, garlic and olive oil, this bake could easily be a side or the main. And, for the win, it's scattered with haloumi!

Source: Hardie Grant Books / David Frenkiel

17. Kylie Kwong's honey-roasted chicken wings

A family classic, a big tray of hot, sticky chicken wings will never leave you with leftovers and the biggest cleaning job afterwards will be licking your fingers clean.

Source: Feast Magazine

18. Oven-baked chicken thighs with olive, tomato and lemon

A simple, quick dish of chicken with olives, cherry tomatoes and lemon, which takes just 5 minutes to prepare. After that, it's all up to the oven to do the work, melding together flavours of the roasted ingredients.

Oven-baked chicken thighs with olive, tomato and lemon Source: Adam Liaw

Something sweet...

19. Dumplings in apple sauce

A light pastry dough that's cooked in a fresh butter, apple and honey sauce, serve them straight from the pan for an easy end to your one-dish meal.

Dumplings in apple sauce Source: Alan Benson

20. Condensed milk, lemon and gingernut pudding

A bit like an upside-down cheesecake, a bit like a crumble, this is a pudding in the retro sense. The puddings are set in the cups you serve them from, so they're a quick-clean job.

Source: Bloomsbury / Simon Wheeler