17 High-Protein One-Pot Dinners for Spring
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
Use seasonal ingredients like broccoli, kale and mushrooms to make these satisfying dinners this spring. From savory skillet pizza to zesty tacos, these filling dishes offer at least 15 grams of protein per serving from foods like chicken, beans, legumes and seafood. That protein can help support healthy digestion, muscle recovery and staying full for longer so you can feel your best. Recipes like our One-Pot Pasta With Spinach & Tomatoes and Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Sauce are easy, flavorful and nutritious meals that come together in just one pot.
Kale, Sausage & Pepper Pasta
This healthy sausage and kale pasta recipe cooks in one skillet, so there's only one pot to clean! Try it with any greens you have in the fridge, such as chard or spinach.
One-Pot Pasta With Spinach & Tomatoes
This one-pot pasta dinner is simple, fresh, and healthy—what's not to love? Cooking the pasta right in the sauce saves time and cleanup while infusing the noodles with more flavor. This speedy recipe is also endlessly adaptable, and lends itself to plenty of easy ingredient swaps (make sure to check out the clever riffs below). Change up the spinach for any vegetables you have on hand such as sliced zucchini and mushrooms, or add leftover chicken or cooked and crumbled sausage. We've happily embraced whole-wheat spaghetti as a healthier alternative to white pasta; it works especially well in this one-pot application.
One-Pot Spinach, Chicken Sausage & Feta Pasta
A little bit of Sunday meal prep goes a long way in this one-dish pasta recipe. The pasta is cooked ahead of time and stored in the fridge to use for meals all week, but any leftover cooked pasta you have on hand will do. Chicken sausage with feta is especially good in this recipe.
Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
These seared pork chops are topped with a rich and creamy mushroom sauce that gets flavored with fresh herbs.
One-Pot White Bean, Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo with Lemon & Feta
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
This one-pot pasta dish with white beans, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes is lively and vibrant and leaves you with an easy cleanup. Toasting the orzo before adding the broth adds another layer of flavor. Another dark leafy green like chopped kale or Swiss chard can stand in for the spinach, but may take longer to wilt in the pan. If you use a sturdier green, add it to the pan during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli
Photographer: Kelsey Hansen; Food Stylist: Greg Luna
Shrimp and broccoli cook quickly in this easy, one-pot recipe, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Serve this healthy shrimp recipe over whole grains or rice.
One-Pot Lentil & Vegetable Soup with Parmesan
This lentil-vegetable soup is packed with kale and tomatoes for a filling, flavorful main dish. If you have it, the Parmesan cheese rind adds nuttiness and gives the broth some body. If you avoid cheese made with rennet, look for vegetarian Parmesan cheese, which is made without it.
Cast-Iron Skillet Pizza with Sausage & Kale
A piping-hot cast-iron skillet turns pizza dough into a puffy, crisp-bottomed crust (similar to focaccia). If you have children, let them help make this easy pizza recipe: While you cook the sausage, have the kids tear up the kale--no knife required!
Bacalao Guisado (Puerto Rican Fish Stew)
Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser
Bacalao, salted dried codfish, is the defining ingredient in traditional Puerto Rican fish stew, but salt cod requires overnight soaking and several rinses in cool water before it can be used. We opt for fresh fish in this quick version. Serve with crusty rolls to soak up the juices.
Cabbage & Kielbasa Skillet
Smoky sausage, tender cabbage and sweet apples, along with mustard and cider vinegar, create a perfect balance of flavor in this hearty skillet dinner.
One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Spinach
Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist:Christine Keely, Food Stylist:Chelsea Zimmer
Shrimp, spinach and garlic brown and cook quickly for a simple one-pot weeknight dinner. A fast pan sauce gets life from zesty lemon juice, warm crushed red pepper and herby parsley. Serve with a slice of whole-wheat baguette to swipe up every last drop of sauce.
Smoked Turkey, Kale & Rice Bake
This hearty one-skillet dinner is loaded with celery, kale, tomatoes and quick-cooking brown rice. It's easy to make the recipe vegetarian by substituting smoked tofu for the turkey.
Steak with Glazed Carrots & Turnips
This cast-iron steak recipe has what it takes to transform beef and vegetables from basic to brilliant--a pop of rosemary on the steak, an intense sear in a hot skillet and a sweet-and-sour glaze on the vegetables. Serve with sautéed spinach and a glass of red wine.
Smoky Shrimp, Corn & Pea One-Pot Pasta
Make your sauce and pasta all at once with this fast weeknight pasta dinner recipe. By using the exact amount of water you need to cook the pasta--no colanders here--the starch that cooks off into your pasta water, which you usually drain away, stays in the pot, giving you delectably creamy results.
Weeknight Lemon Chicken Skillet Dinner
Victoria Jempty
This one-pan chicken dinner doesn't get much easier, or more satisfying. In just half an hour, you can have a complete meal on the table that doesn't require loads of dishes afterwards. We call for tender haricots verts because they're quick cooking; traditional green beans likely won't be tender enough after the brief cooking time at the end. If that's all you have on hand, steam them first, and then add them to the pan for the final step. Serve this hearty chicken and potatoes dinner with a simple side salad to sneak in another serving of veggies.
Lemony Linguine with Spring Vegetables
Instead of cooking pasta in a huge pot of water, here we use just 3 1/2 cups for this one-pot pasta recipe. When the pasta is al dente, most of the water has evaporated and the bit that's left is thickened with the starch that cooks off the pasta. With just a few add-ins like lemon and Parmesan cheese you have a delicious silky sauce. Want to use up your veggie stash in the freezer? Swap in 8 ounces frozen spinach for fresh.
Chicken & Broccoli Casserole
This one-pan chicken and broccoli casserole is prepared in a skillet on the stovetop, then finished in the oven until it's browned, cheesy and bubbling. Serve with a crunchy green salad.
Read the original article on Eating Well.
