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Sometimes the most daunting part of cooking is the sink full of pots and pans to clean up after you eat.
But you can avoid this, even without turning to takeout. With a single pan, you can make tasty meals on the stovetop with enough to feed your family and maybe have leftovers throughout the week
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Here are three recipes and a few tips to make a great single skillet meal, with little cleanup required. If you want to round out the dinner, you can always add a salad or side dish, but that might mean a few extra dishes in the sink.
A Southwestern skillet
When chef Shon Foster of restaurant Wood Ash Rye in St. George, Utah, is looking for a go-to meal to quickly feed his family, he makes this semi-homemade version of enchiladas. Using a rotisserie chicken, instead of making your own roast chicken, cuts back on time and will still result in a delicious dish full of layered southwestern flavors.
Skillet Stacked Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chiles
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30
Serves: 8–12
- 1 rotisserie chicken, deboned and shredded
- 1 cup chicken stock (plus all of the juice in the bottom of the rotisserie bag)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 can green chiles, diced (4 ounces)
- 1 bunch cilantro, washed and roughly chopped, divided in half
- 1 green onion sliced thin, whites and greens separated
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced and divided in half
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Chihuahua cheese
- 1 12-ounce can cream of chicken soup
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 24 corn tortillas (6 inches in diameter, white or yellow corn)
- 1 mini head of Romaine lettuce, shredded
- Vegetable oil spray
Instructions:
1. Prepare the cilantro, green onion, Roma tomatoes, cheese and garlic.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine, sour cream, green chiles, half of the cilantro, sliced whites of the green onions, half of the diced tomatoes, chicken stock, cream of chicken soup and garlic.
4. Whisk until all ingredients are well combined.
5. Spray a light coat of oil in the bottom of the cast-iron skillet.
6. Place six tortillas in a circular pattern to create the bottom layer (think of it like layering lasagna).
7. Scoop a cup and a half of the mixture from the bowl into the skillet and spread evenly.
8. Sprinkle an even layer of shredded cheese and chicken.
9. Repeat steps 6 and 7. (Note: You will repeat this process three times, six tortillas each layer, plus the mixture, cheese and chicken.)
10. On the last layer, add the mixture and chicken and cheese only (no tortillas).
11. Set the skillet on medium-high heat for approximately 10 minutes.
12. Once the skillet is hot, place it into the oven for 20 minutes.
13. Remove pan from the oven and top mixture with reserved tomatoes, green onions, cilantro and shredded lettuce. Optional: Add diced avocado.
14. Cut into equal portions and serve.
Note: These make great leftovers. The enchiladas must be chilled uncovered until cool and then wrapped or sealed in an airtight container or plastic bag. They will hold their shape well. In the morning you can make chilaquiles, a traditional Mexican breakfast dish, by adding eggs and a little hot sauce.
