It seems to be my running theme these days to keep dinner simple. Winter is rarely the season for strong culinary inspiration when I’m desperate to get away from sweet potatoes and zucchini. And so, aside from my current obsession with freezer meals and batch prepping and freezing, on a cold winter night it’s the ultimate crockpot meal. Cut, dice, set it and forget it – you know what I’m saying?
No matter the season, one pot meals are always an easy and delicious way to get dinner on the table. One Potters are my go-to meals because they’re comforting, simple, no-fuss, and a great reason to use up any shelf-stable item in the fridge.
One-pot meals are flexible and forgiving, so there aren’t many strict culinary rules to follow. However, I have a few basic guidelines that I use to ensure that I don’t end up with a mess in the pot that looks more like dog diarrhea than my dinner of choice. Here are some of the things to keep in mind when making healthy crock pot meals.
The ultimate guide to one pot meals
1. Choose a quality protein source
Protein is an essential meal component that keeps us full longer and provides the amino acids we need for healing and repair. One of the reasons we are hungry after meals is that we have not given our body what it needs. A bowl of gluten-free pasta and tomato sauce is not a meal. This is a carb fest and it will leave you squeamish!
You can make a one-pot vegan meal with organic tempeh, tofu, beans, and legumes, or go Paleo with grass-fed meat, poultry, or fish.
Bean Cooking Tip
If you are using dry beans, soak them first so they cook faster and remember that you will need to add more liquid to the pot as they absorb liquid as they cook. For every cup of beans, add an additional cup of water.
2. Load your pot with vegetables
The best one pot meals are packed with vegetables. I don’t need to remind you of this, do I? Life without a diet is a vegetable plant where most of what we eat are fresh, unprocessed, non-starchy vegetables. Fresh vegetables provide us with the super keys that work optimally in our bodies. I like to use a mix of hearty and lighter vegetables, which I’ll get to in a moment.
3. Layer or layer your vegetables as needed
Some vegetables take longer to cook than others and you don’t want to end up with a pile of mush at the end. I like to layer my veggies, with the ones that take longer to cook on the bottom, like sweet potatoes, squash, parsnips, beets, carrots, celery root, turnips, etc. – basically the winter vegetable + root family. Then I’ll put the lighter colored vegetables on top that don’t need as much cooking time and will soften if cooked too long.
Another option is to stagger the cooking and add the heartiest vegetables to the pot first, then throw in the lighter ones 15 minutes later.
4. Add a gluten-free grain (or not, if you’re grain-free)
Gluten-free grains add an extra source of fiber, which is great for our digestive system, blood sugar management, and cardiovascular health. They are also packed with B vitamins to boost our energy levels and reduce stress.
Some grains take much longer to cook than others, so for a one-pot meal I recommend choosing a quick-cooking grain like quinoa, millet, or buckwheat. Remember that you will also need to add an extra cup of water for every cup of cereal you use.
And if you don’t do grains, a cauliflower rice it makes a great addition to add some heartiness to the meal.
5. Use a large container!
This is important! Especially for people like me who are super busy in the kitchen. There’s nothing worse than having an overflow situation or having to change pots as you add more ingredients. Use a large pot from the start so you have plenty of room for everything you need and don’t have to do extra dishes.
Lining up a large pot is also helpful, as you’ll likely make more that you can eat for lunch the next day or freeze for later.
6. Skip vegetable stocks and stocks
Remove the stocks and broths and pour water into the pot. For one, that’s one less ingredient to have on hand. And unless you’re a pro and have homemade broth or stock, 99% of store-bought is mostly salt and water. Or worse, check the ingredients and you might find monosodium glutamate or yeast extract (alternative names for the same thing), both of which are neurotoxic.
All simmering vegetables will create their own flavorful broth, so make it easy on yourself and just use water and sea salt.
7. Select a flavor profile
Just because you put everything in a pot doesn’t mean you can throw away all the herbs and spices in your pantry. Choose a flavor profile for your one pot meal, whether you want to go for curry seasoning, Italian spices, or Greek-inspired flavors.
My One Pot Flavoring Technique
Truth be told, one of my favorite ways to dress up a one pot meal is to keep it super simple. I love the flavor of vegetables that are slow cooked together, so aside from adding a little sea salt while cooking, I tend to keep things pretty simple. At the end, just before serving, I can add one or some of the following:
- Cold pressed olive oil or DHA Flax Oil
- Chili salt (for a little spice)
- A drizzle of tamari
- A spoonful of kimchi
- A squeeze of lemon or lime
- A dash of hot sauce
8. Load on the Greens at the end
Dark leafy greens are delicate and lose their nutrients the longer they are cooked – they also tend to become very bitter and soggy. I like to add a heaping serving of greens to my one pot meals, but I always add them after I turn off the heat and then stir until the greens are wilted.
This allows you to retain the nutritional value while retaining the bright green color. Grayish vegetables are what I call barftastic.
9. Garnish with herbs and spices
Add some freshness to your meal with a sprinkling of your favorite herbs and homemade spices. I like to pile on the herbs and serve my meals in a pot with a spoonful of something fermented like sauerkraut or kimchi. But you can use whatever herbs and spices you love!
10. Finish with a Heathy Dollop of Fat
A good source of fat helps us maintain hormone health, nourish the nervous system, support the brain and joints, and stabilize blood sugar. I like to drizzle my meals with linseed oil or chia oil at the end, as these fats are sensitive to heat. You can also use olive oil, coconut oil or ghee if you like.
Free resource library
Enjoy over 40 downloadable guides, recipes and resources.
