Easy One-Pot Dinners

As a busy mom of two little kids, I often find myself in a rut with dinners. Preparing nutritious meals is very important to me, but it's equally important that I'm not spending the day in the kitchen cooking, or spending my evenings cleaning up a messy kitchen.

The solution? One pot meals. Crock-pots, casseroles and pasta bakes are all easy one pot meals.

My family's favorite is chili. Use your favorite recipe and put it in the crock-pot, I assure you that almost every chili recipe can be cooked in the crockpot, and it's also a wonderful way to sneak in veggies like chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, even carrots. Be sure to include toppings such as shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips for dipping. Leftovers can be used as taco filling, or as a topping for nachos later in the week.

Soup is another quick, easy and filling one pot meal. It's also a great means of using up any leftover beans, veggies and herbs you have hanging around. I always keep a few containers of vegetable stock or broth in my pantry, then I simply chop up my veggies and herbs, and the beans and let it simmer for a few hours, adding salt and pepper occasionally as I stir. You can add cooked noodles just before serving, or include a side of crusty French bread with the meal. Leftovers freeze well.

A favorite casserole dish at our house is my mother-in-law's Chicken and Stuffing Casserole. It's very simple and super tasty! Prepare Stove Top according to the package directions, defrost a box of frozen spinach, and then pound down a 1 lb. package of chicken breasts with a meat-mallet so they're nice and thin. Layer the spinach and stuffing on the flat chicken breast, then roll it up and place it seam side down in a casserole dish. Cover the chicken with a can of cream of chicken soup and then bake for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Another super simple one pot meal is stew. Brown beef (or chicken) cubes and add them to the crockpot along with some chopped potatoes and carrots. Top the meat and veggies with beef (or chicken) stock, and add some salt, pepper and other herbs and spices that you like. Let it cook all day, and serve with cornbread for an easy and quick supper.

Dinner doesn't have to cause a lot of stress. And it doesn't have to be fancy. I find that these easy, slow cooking recipes make for a tasty, comforting meal.