One-pan recipes to top your toast with

Whether it's beans for breakfast or a hearty sausage skillet, the comfort factor is high when you can pile or scoop up something delicious on toast.

The perfect ratatouille Credit: Benito Martin

— Watch Lidia Bastianich cook up two of the dishes below in Lidia's Kitchen on SBS Food, streaming at SBS On Demand. —

Whether you're piling something light and full of flavour on top of toast, or using your toasty slices to mop up delicious juices, there's something simple but superb about a meal where toast plays a key role. Here, we've gone one step further and picked out some of our favourite one-pan meals that are made for matching with toast.

Zucchini with herbs and pine kernels

This one's a light and bright option, making the most of zucchini and fresh basil and parsley. The recipe is super simple, with zucchini, herbs, pine nuts, lemon juice and olive oil cooked in a frying pan, then served on toast with smoked trout.

Whole bean ful on toast

Whole bean ful on toast. Credit: Freshly Picked with Simon Toohey

Simon Toohey shared this recipe on Freshly Picked. He says it's a breakfast fave, based on a dish an Egyptian friend introduced him to. A mixture of fresh and dried broad beans, and tinned butter beans, are cooked in a lemony-garlic-herb mixture and then served on toast. Technically this is a two-pan dish since Toohey does his toast in a second pan, but you could just toaster your toast! (And if you're looking for something more in the snack/dip line, or to be served as part of a bigger breakfast or brunch spread check out Paul Farag's recipe for green ful medames, based on one of the brunch recipes at Nour recipe in Sydney.)

Green eggs on toast

Green eggs on toast. Credit: Murdoch Books / Cath Muscat

Use up leftover spinach or silverbeet or those forgotten greens in the fridge to make Alex Elliott-Howery and Jaimee Edwards' green sauce, and keep it in the fridge to make recipes such as their 'green eggs'.

Baked Mexican eggs

Credit: Donal's Kitchen Hero

Start your day with this hearty breakfast from Donal Skehan. Feta-sprinkled eggs are baked in a tomato, capsicum and red onion sauce, and served with toasted sourdough.

Ratatouille with baked eggs

Credit: Let's Brunch

Another egg option, this one, from Vanessa Gianfrancesco, is a breakfast version of the classic French vegetable stew. Serve with toasted or fresh baguette slices.

Broccoli “sauce”

Credit: China Squirrel

Simmered like a sauce, this ends up as a chunky topping. This recipe is incredibly versatile – use it to top pasta, pizza, baked crostini or just some quick toast! The long cooking (it takes about an hour and a half, so it's a good one to make ahead and then have in the fridge or freezer ) melds everything together and the resulting “sauce” tastes rich, mellow and nothing at all like blanched broccoli. Eat as it is or add cooked beans or flaked canned tuna to make a heartier meal.

Skillet prawns with asparagus

Skillet prawns with asparagus. Credit: Lidia's Kitchen

In season 9 of Lidia's Kitchen, host Lidia Bastianich devotes an entire episode to skillet dishes. Among them, is this easy recipe. "You can whip it up in 30 minutes and only one dish to clean!" she says. "I love serving these sauteed shrimps [aka prawns] over grilled toasted bread. Paired with asparagus, it becomes a complete meal, and it only uses one pan." And if asparagus isn't in season, she suggests using green beans or Swiss chard (silverbeet).

Fried potato with sausage and eggs

Fried potato with sausage and eggs. Credit: Lidia's Kitchen

Technically, this recipe, another from Lidia Bastianich, doesn't need toast, since it has tasty potato filling the carb role, but if you were looking for a hearty breakfast, you could definitely add some bread. "This is a one-skillet breakfast wonder, packed with protein in every bite and all served up on a crispy bed of fried potato," she says.

Country chicken stew

Country chicken stew Credit: Kitti Gould

A classic slow-cooked one-pot chicken stew from Adam Liaw is perfect served with thick slices of toast.

One-pan baked chorizo, halloumi and tomato

One-pan baked chorizo, halloumi and tomato Credit: Kitti Gould

"This is my go-to starter when people come over for dinner. Serve it in the middle of the table in the pan and let everyone help themselves with the flatbread – and don't forget to mop the juices up at the end – the best bit! Also works as a weekend lunch for two," says Colin Fassnidge of this chorizo, chilli, haloumi and tomato bake, served with a citrus zest, rosemary and sage-flavoured salt and grilled flatbreads.

Sweet potato and sausage skillet

Brunch skillet. Credit: Comfort Food With Spencer Watts

This hearty dish from Spencer Watts is perfect for a weekend brunch or breakfast. With savoury notes from the sausage and natural sweetness from the sweet potato, a touch of cream and eggs cooked in the mix, this is the perfect comfort food, and it's easy to make. And there's no tomato in this one, so it's a good option for those who want a change from the usual baked eggs.

Baked beans with black pudding

Baked beans with black pudding Credit: Gourmet Farmer

"I make baked beans all kinds of ways, but this one is a really rich, indulgent version. It's well worth trying to source the best quality black pudding you can," says Matthew Evans of this recipe.

Prawn saganaki

Credit: My Market Kitchen

Khanh Ong puts a seafood twist on the better-known cheese saganaki here. Prawns cooked 'saganaki' (in a frying pan) make a great lunch, or a share plate as part of a bigger meal, he says.

The perfect ratatouille

The perfect ratatouille Credit: Benito Martin

What defines a perfect ratatouille? Matthew Evans says it does not have rubbery eggplant in it. Instead, it’s cooked for so long that it falls apart, making for an unctuous sauce.

Looking for more one-pan recipes? Explore the one-pan dinner recipe collection.