Going on vacation is all about rest and relaxation, and the last thing you want to do is spend half the day cooking dinner for your entire family. Plus, when you’re staying in your vacation rental, you won’t always know what kind of kitchen tools will be available. Here are some delicious and easy one-pot (or sheet pan) meals that you can whip up in a jiffy so you can quickly get back to the fun.
1. Chicken Drumsticks and Vegetables
Once you put it all the ingredients together, you just shove it in the oven and set the timer!
Ingredients
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. Kosher salt
1¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1¼ pounds of small red potatoes
1 pound of large carrots
1 red onion
1 lemon
3 clove garlic
8 large chicken drumsticks
¾ cup dry white wine
Directions
1. Heat oven to 450 F. Toss 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper with potatoes and next four ingredients in a large roasting pan. Rub chicken with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Arrange on top of the vegetables in the pan. Pour wine into the pan.
2. Bake at 450 F for 45 to 50 minutes or until chicken is done and golden.
2. Lasagna
This 30-minute lasagna cooks in just one pot.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 Italian sausage links, casing removed
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
8 ounces farfalle pasta
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat.
2. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, basil, garlic powder and red pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Bring to a simmer and stir in pasta and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13-15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Stir in mozzarella and Parmesan until well combined. Using a small cookie scoop, top with dollops of ricotta and cover until heated through, about 2-4 minutes.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
3. Honey Mustard and Rosemary Chicken
This recipe is easy and healthy.
Ingredients
2-2.5 cups potatoes (depending on size of pan), cut into thin wedges or sliced
11.5 pounds chicken breasts, cut into thick strips (or use tenderloins)
2 medium onions, finely diced
A small bunch of fresh rosemary
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
For the sauce
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 tbsp. grainy mustard
Juice of 1 large lemon (or 2 small lemons)
1 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 tbsp. honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt & pepper
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. In an oven-safe skillet (if you’ve got one at your vacation home), cook the onions in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat on the stove until softened and starting to brown, about 10 min.
3. Take off the heat and arrange your potato slices on top in an even layer. (if you are using a normal skillet, transfer the onions to an oven-safe dish first then arrange the potatoes on top). Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cover loosely with foil and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until softened.
4. Meanwhile, mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl or jug. Taste and adjust according to your preference; if you like more acidity add more lemon, more sweetness add more honey etc.
5. Take the pan out of the oven and arrange your raw chicken on top of the potatoes in an even layer. Pour the prepared sauce on top, making sure everything is coated. 6. Throw a few sprigs of rosemary around the chicken, cover again with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
7. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and turn on your oven’s top grill on high and bake for a further 15 minutes until nicely browned. Serve immediately.
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4. Chicken Chow Mein
Just as easy as takeout!
Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 red pepper, diced
1 cup stringless snap peas
1½ cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon minced ginger
1-2 pinches red pepper flakes
4 cups chicken broth
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup hoisin sauce
1 375g box whole grain spaghettini pasta
Directions
1. Add oil to a large pot and cook chicken over medium-high heat, just until mostly browned.
2. Add pepper, peas, cabbage and carrot and cook for 2-3 minutes, until veggies are softened slightly.
3. Add garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes and cook 1 minute.
4. Stir in broth, soy sauce and hoisin sauce and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 5. Add pasta and reduce heat to medium.
6. Cook the pasta, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until pasta is separated (we don’t want no clumps!) most of the liquid has been absorbed. Cover and cook for 3-4 more minutes until pasta is al dente or cooked to your preference. Serve.
5. Spinach Dal
This recipe is vegan and gluten-free!
Ingredients
3 tablespoons high heat oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 yellow onion, diced
2 jalapeños, cored and diced
2-inches fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1 (15 ounce) can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup yellow split peas, soaked in water*
3½ cups water
10 ounces spinach leaves, roughly chopped
fresh cilantro for topping
whole grain naan and brown basmati rice for serving
Directions
1. In a large pot, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Being careful to stand back as the oil will likely splatter, add the cumin and mustard seeds and allow to cook until they start to crackle and change color, for 10-15 seconds.
2. Add the diced onion, jalapenos, fresh ginger, and garlic along with the turmeric, coriander, cayenne and salt then stir together. Pour in the drained diced tomatoes and continue to cook over medium-high heat until they start to break down, for about 10 minutes. Mash them with the back of a spoon until they are macerated.
3. Stir in the pre-soaked split peas with 3½ cups water then bring to a boil. Reduce to a low boil and allow to cook until the peas are soft enough to mash, for about 30 minutes. This may take longer depending on how old the peas are. Add more hot water as needed until they are thoroughly cooked. Use a spoon or a whisk to mash the peas.
4. Add the spinach to the pot and cook until it starts to wilt, for about 5 minutes. Serve warm with whole grain naan, brown basmati rice, and fresh cilantro, then enjoy!
6. Creamy Chicken Marsala Pasta
This one might sound fancy, but the kids will love it.
Ingredients
1 – 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
¾ – 1 pound cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon oil
3 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces prosciutto, sliced or torn into thin strips
4 cups chicken broth, plus more to thin the sauce
1½ cups Marsala wine
12 ounces of the pasta of your choice
Salt & pepper, to taste
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
¼ cup heavy cream
Parsley, to garnish
Directions
1. Place the cubed chicken and the all-purpose flour in a resealable plastic bag and shake well to coat. Set aside.
2. In a large, high walled skillet or pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat, until warmed but not smoking. Add in the butter and let melt. Once the butter is melted and warmed, add in the garlic, prosciutto, mushrooms, and chicken. Cook until chicken is browned on each side, turning and stirring often, about 5 minutes.
Add in the chicken broth and wine and scrape the bottom to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Mix well and add in the pasta. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Bring to a low boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked to al dente, about 12 minutes. If you find that you need more liquid, add slightly more chicken broth. Keep in mind, the pasta may peak out a bit from the liquid, but as long as you stir and mix occasionally, that is okay.
4. When the pasta has cooked to al dente and the sauce has reduced, mix in the Parmesan cheese and heavy cream. Stir to combine and let warm through for an additional 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish with parsley and serve.
7. Pesto Chicken Pasta
The sun dried tomatoes give this dish some extra pizzazz.
Ingredients
1 package (19 ounces) frozen cheese tortellini
½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts* ~2 small
¼ cup flour
¼ teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
½ cup sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
½ cup + 2 tablespoons prepared basil pesto sauce
Optional: red pepper flakes, fresh basil, freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Follow package directions to cook tortellini and then drain.
2. Meanwhile, prep the chicken. Remove any fat and cut into small bite sized pieces.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, paprika, and some salt and pepper. Toss the chicken pieces to coat in the flour mixture.
4. Prep the tomatoes: Remove from the olive oil and coarsely chop the tomatoes and then set aside.
5. In the same pot used to cook the tortellini (must be a nonstick pot) add in the olive oil and minced garlic. Stir on medium heat for about 20 seconds and then add in the chicken pieces. Cook the chicken until cooked through and no longer pink inside.
6. Add the tortellini back in with the chicken and reduce the heat to low.
7. Stir in the basil pesto sauce and the coarsely chopped sun dried tomatoes.
8. If desired, add 1-2 tablespoons of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes container. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (start with ¼ teaspoon and increase) if desired for a little bit of heat.
9. Shred some fresh basil to stir in the dish if desired. You can also add some parmesan cheese if desired.
8. Chili Mac and Cheese
This recipe combines the best of both worlds.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
8 ounces ground beef
4 cups chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
¾ cup canned white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
¾ cup canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons chili powder
1½ teaspoons cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10 ounces elbows pasta
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion and ground beef, and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.
5. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a simmer and stir in pasta. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13-15 minutes.
3. Remove from heat. Top with cheese and cover until melted, about 2 minutes.
4. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
9. Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese is always a classic, but the tomatoes make this recipe stand out from the crowd.
Ingredients
2 cups shell macaroni
¼ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
¼ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
¼ cup grated provolone cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 can diced stewed tomatoes
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. fresh oregano
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook macaroni according to package instructions, drain, and transfer to a 4-cup casserole dish. Stir in remaining ingredients and bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes.
10. Turkey Chili
The perfect, cozy comfort meal.
Ingredients
1 tbsp. olive oil or canola oil
Medium yellow onion, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 lb ground turkey (90% lean is best)
1 tbsp. chili powder
Medium carrot (about ¼ pound), peeled and chopped
Medium red bell pepper (about ¼ pound), cored and chopped
15-ounce can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
28-ounce can of chopped tomatoes
1 cup of low-sodium chicken broth
Directions
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is just starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, just until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute.
2. Add the ground turkey, chili seasoning, and more salt and pepper. Use a spoon to break up the turkey and coat it evenly with the chili seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
3. Add the carrot and red bell pepper, stir everything together, and cook just until the red pepper is starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the kidney beans, chopped tomatoes, and chicken broth, season with more salt and pepper, stir, and turn the heat up to bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 50 to 60 minutes, until the chili has thickened and all the vegetables are soft.
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