If you’ve been here for a while you may remember last fall when I did my ONE PAN DINNERS DON’T HAVE TO SUCK! series. Well we are back! For the month of October, one-pan dinners are officially on special and I’m kicking things off with everything you need to make them actually good.
🔖Make sure to bookmark this page as I’ll be adding all new one pan dinner’s here throughout the month.
THIS MONTH’S SPECIAL INCLUDES:
30+ one-pan dinners, with new ones coming all month
house rules for making one-pan dinners actually good
the setup the few pans/tools actually worth owning
And because we have an entire month to play with: tell me what you want to see turned into a one-pan dinner. The crazier the better.
HOUSE RULES
01. DON’T CROWD THE PAN
We want golden and crispy, not pale and steamed. Give everything some breathing room. And if things are looking crowded, grab the bigger pan. I can tell you from plenty of experience: the extra two minutes of washing is worth it.
02. COOK IN STAGES
One pan does not mean everything needs to go into said pan at the same time. Brown the chicken. Take it out. Cook your veg. Throw the chicken back in. Still one pan. Significantly better dinner.
03. LAYER YOUR FLAVOR
A one-pan dinner has fewer opportunities to build flavor, so make the ones you have count. Salt as you go, brown things properly, deglaze the pan and employ a flavor bomb whenever necessary.
FLAVOR BOMBS: Dijon, miso, Calabrian chile paste, harissa, tomato paste, anchovies, capers, or a splash of vermouth/wine to pick up all those browned bits.
04. ACID BEFORE MORE SALT
If dinner tastes like it’s missing something, try acid before automatically reaching for more salt.
THE ACID DEPARTMENT: lemon, lime, basically any vinegar, pickle brine, pepperoncini brine. Don’t be shy.
05. SOFT FOOD NEEDS CRUNCH
One-pan dinners have an unfortunate tendency to become a sea of soft things. Give them some texture.
CRUNCHERS: toasted panko, crumbled crackers, nuts, crispy onions, potato chips, toasted breadcrumbs.
06. FINISH IT RIGHT
You’ve come this far. Thirty seconds at the end can be the difference between fine and I would happily serve this to people.
FINISHERS: fresh herbs, good olive oil, flaky salt, Parmesan, hot honey, lemon zest, chile crisp.
THE SETUP
01. A BIG CAST-IRON OR STAINLESS-STEEL SKILLET.
Emphasis on BIG. More surface area = more contact with the pan = more of the crispy, deeply browned bits we’re after. Bonus if it can go from stovetop → oven → table.
02. A DUTCH OVEN.
For the saucier side of one-pan dinners: braises, pastas, soups, beans and anything that benefits from a little low-and-slow bubbling. Mine is Staub and she lives on my stove.
03. A HEAVY-DUTY SHEET PAN.
Thin baking sheets warp at high heat and, more importantly, don’t give you nearly as good of a roast. Look for a sturdy half-sheet pan with a rim so all the good juices stay ON the pan. The bigger the better but make sure it fits into your oven.
04. A VERY GOOD OVEN MITT.
Particularly if your skillet goes from stovetop to oven. My personal trick: once the pan comes out, leave the mitt sitting directly over the handle so you don’t forget it is approximately the temperature of the sun and grab it with your bare hand. Learned that one the fun way.
05. A FISH SPATULA.
Not just for fish!! The thin, flexible edge gets underneath crispy chicken thighs, meatballs, halloumi, roasted veg or really anything with a golden crust you worked very hard not to leave stuck to the pan. One of those tools you don’t think you need until you have one.
ON THE MENU
impress without stress
i just need comfort
a hot bowl of love
low-effort, little twist
dinner in 30
That’s it for opening night, but October Special is just getting started. I’ll be adding new one-pan dinners all month, so consider this your running menu.
If you’ve made one of these already, tell me your order below. And if there’s something ridiculous you think I should attempt in one pan next, I want to hear it. See you at dinner.