If anything ever made the top stress free cooking charts, it would be the invention of one pot meals. With little to no cleanup, one pot meals are the ultimate kitchen kick boxer, simple to make, delicious to eat and completely stress free.
So what exactly is it that makes a one pot meal so versatile? Truth be told – the list of why they are not good will undoubtedly be much shorter.
Benefits of one pot
One. Pot. It doesn’t get any easier than that, well, other than no pot, but that isn’t cooking, it is just making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Some of the benefits of one pot meals are the fact that it only takes one pot to make a fantastic meal for you family. That being said, one pot is also much easier to clean up than a whole slew of pots and pans.
Another benefit to cooking out of only one pan is the ability to use that pan as a dish. Please note, if there is more than one person in the house, this would not be recommended, but it is a benefit for the solo chef. On a more serious note, one dish meals are generally associated with comfort foods. Since the original one pot meals were probably some form of soup or stew made with vegetables and the current hunted game, people are familiar with crowding around a table to get some grub.
Also, one-dish meals, just so happen to generally be quality, wholesome meals. Usually including vegetables, starches, and meats, these hardy dishes typically hit on many, if not all, of the different levels of the food pyramid. This keeps bodies ready for the next day of work, while satisfying the hunger of toiling throughout the day.
Simple or complex
One pot meals can be as simple or as complex as you wish. Some meals have three ingredients, while others have twenty, thirty, or even around 50. The great thing about one pot meals being as simple or complex as you want, means that the meal will only take as long as you want it to take.
No matter if you are under a strict time constraint or if you want the most savory, juicy and delicious pulled pork in the world, one pot meals are where it is at. From a 30-ingredient, 5:00 alarm chili to a Greek baked chicken; the ability to cook a wide variety of meals in one pot caters to every need and skill set. Many college kids only have one pot or pan to weather dorm life and many adults are giving up the kitchen clutter and dropping down to a single trustworthy pot to prepare all their family meals.
If you are up for a challenge, put away all of your other pans and cling to one for a week. See how that does and what meal ideas you can come up with. If things look like they are still going strong, try it out for a month. I believe you will be surprised with the amount of different choices you have available to you within the constraints of a single pan. Who knows, maybe you will be the next to adopt the single-pan kitchen life; it sure saves a lot of cabinet space.
