The 19 Super Simple Recipes That Don’t Involve a Sink Full of Dishes
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When cooking feels like a chore and cleaning feels even worse, these super simple recipes are the answer. Each one is low-effort, high-reward, and won’t leave a sink full of dishes in its wake. They’re perfect for hectic nights, tired brains, or anyone just trying to keep the kitchen chaos to a minimum.
Italian Beef and Cauliflower Rice Skillet
This one-skillet Italian beef and cauliflower rice dinner is a low-effort recipe that makes cleanup a breeze. The beef simmers in a creamy tomato sauce while riced cauliflower soaks up all the flavor, then everything gets finished off with a blanket of melty mozzarella. It’s hearty, filling, and doesn’t leave a mountain of dishes behind.
Get the Recipe: Italian Beef and Cauliflower Rice Skillet
Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Parmesan crusted chicken delivers crispy, golden goodness with just a few basic ingredients and zero kitchen drama. The cheesy crust seals in the juicy chicken while it sizzles in one skillet, so there’s no need for messy breading stations or extra bowls. It’s an easy win that keeps flavor high and cleanup low.
Get the Recipe: Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Cheesy Ground Beef Taco Skillet
This cheesy ground beef taco skillet is the ultimate one-pan dinner that’s packed with bold flavor and none of the post-dinner dish dread. Ground beef, taco spices, and melty cheese come together fast, with no side dishes or separate pans required. It’s simple to make, totally delicious, and leaves behind hardly any mess.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Ground Beef Taco Skillet
Herb-Crusted Chicken
Herb-crusted chicken brings out big, herby flavor without taking over the kitchen. With dried spices, olive oil, and one trusty skillet, it cooks up fast and delivers juicy chicken with a crispy outer layer. There’s no need for breading bowls or extra steps, making this dinner simple, flavorful and fuss-free.
Get the Recipe: Herb-Crusted Chicken
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Slow cooker beef stew gives you all the warm, hearty goodness of a long-simmered meal without hovering over the stove. Just toss everything in, walk away, and come back to fork-tender beef and rich, savory broth. It’s simple and pure comfort in a bowl with hardly a dish in sight.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Honey Garlic Pork Chops
These honey garlic pork chops hit that sweet-and-savory balance perfectly using just one pan and a few pantry staples. The sauce gets sticky and delicious while the pork stays juicy, all without making a mess. It’s a fast, yet impressive and flavorful meal that feels fancy but skips the kitchen chaos.
Get the Recipe: Honey Garlic Pork Chops
Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli
Let the slow cooker do the heavy lifting with this beef and broccoli dish that rivals your favorite takeout. The beef cooks until tender in a garlicky soy-based sauce while broccoli steams perfectly right in the same pot. It’s a simple one-dish wonder that tastes amazing and keeps the sink empty.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli
Slow Cooker Cheesy Ranch Chicken
Cheesy ranch chicken made in the slow cooker is pure low-effort, high-reward comfort food. The chicken simmers in a creamy sauce all day and comes out melt-in-your-mouth tender, ready to be scooped onto a plate with zero stovetop work. Cleanup is a breeze since the slow cooker handles it all.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Cheesy Ranch Chicken
Cabbage and Sausage Alfredo
Cabbage and sausage Alfredo turns a handful of ingredients into a creamy, dreamy skillet dinner that won’t wreck the kitchen. The cabbage noodles soak up all that rich Alfredo flavor while the sausage adds a hearty, savory bite. With everything cooked in one pan, it’s big on comfort and light on cleanup.
Get the Recipe: Cabbage and Sausage Alfredo
Apricot Chicken
Apricot chicken bakes in one dish and comes out glossy, flavorful, and tender every time. The sweet and tangy glaze needs just a few ingredients and no complicated prep, so it’s a breeze from start to finish. It’s one of those dinners that look impressive but only leave behind a single dish to wash.
Get the Recipe: Apricot Chicken
Cilantro Lime Rice
Cilantro lime rice is a vibrant, one-pot side dish that delivers fresh flavor without any of the usual mess. Everything simmers together in one pan for perfect texture and tang in every bite. Whether paired with tacos, grilled meats, or scooped into a bowl, it’s a simple solution that keeps the sink clear.
Get the Recipe: Cilantro Lime Rice
Salsa Chicken in Slow Cooker
Salsa chicken in the slow cooker is the kind of set-it-and-forget-it recipe that makes dinner easy and cleanup even easier. Just toss in some chicken and salsa, and let the slow cooker take care of the rest while you get on with your day. It’s flavorful, hands-off, and won’t leave the kitchen looking like a disaster zone.
Get the Recipe: Salsa Chicken in Slow Cooker
Ground Beef and Broccoli Casserole
This ground beef and broccoli casserole delivers big comfort food flavor with very little mess. Everything bakes in one dish, combining seasoned beef, creamy cheese, and tender broccoli into a delicious, low-effort meal. Perfect for hectic nights when you want something hearty without the pile of pans.
Get the Recipe: Ground Beef and Broccoli Casserole
Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles
Shrimp scampi with zoodles is fresh, fast, and made in just one pan, which means fewer dishes and more time to relax. It’s packed with garlicky, lemony flavor and feels like a fancy meal without the kitchen chaos. This recipe simply shows you don’t need multiple pots to pull off something delicious.
Get the Recipe: Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles
Korean Ground Beef
Korean ground beef is a 20-minute skillet dinner that hits every note, savory, slightly sweet, and totally addictive. The entire meal cooks in one pan with no sides or sauces to juggle, which keeps the sink clear. Whether served over rice or in a wrap, it’s bold, budget-friendly, and mess-free.
Get the Recipe: Korean Ground Beef
Chicken Quesadillas
Chicken quesadillas come together fast and easy with salsa chicken and melted cheese wrapped in crispy golden tortillas, all made in one skillet. There’s no need for extra pots or complicated prep, which makes it perfect for hectic nights. Cleanup is quick and no-fuss, and the flavor is next-level comforting.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Quesadillas
Ground Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry
Ground beef and cabbage stir fry is a one-pan, simple yet impressive dinner that works on the busiest nights and won’t fill the sink with dishes. It’s a simple mix of meat and veggies, cooked fast and packed with flavor. No extras needed, no fuss involved, just a balanced meal in under 20 minutes.
Get the Recipe: Ground Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry
Chicken Francese
Chicken Francese brings light, lemony flavor to the table without making a mess of it. The whole dish cooks in a single skillet, from searing the chicken to simmering the sauce. It’s elegant enough for guests but simple and easy enough to keep your sink empty and your night stress-free.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Francese
Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Slow cooker beef stroganoff makes comfort food effortless with zero need for stovetop babysitting. Toss in beef, mushrooms, and a few pantry staples, and let the slow cooker do its thing while you enjoy your day. The rich, creamy result tastes like it took hours, because it did, but without any mess on your part.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
