Busy Week? 11 Piping Hot One-Dish Meals

Article posted in: Diet & Nutrition

Busy weeknight meals shouldn’t be a challenge–and they shouldn’t be an excuse to fall off of the wagon, either. Nutrisystem has a collection of recipes that require no more than one dish. Convenient and easy, minimal clean up? Yes, please!

All of these one dish meals follow Nutrisystem’s flex meal guidelines, incorporating the perfect portion of SmartCarbs and PowerFuels. Recipes balanced with protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates are the key to keeping you on your weight loss plan for a lifetime, and enjoying it, too!

One pan. One pot. One dish. However you refer to them, these easy recipes cut down on clean up and are easy to throw together in a flash. Plus, they’ll help you learn how to incorporate healthy habits into your busy schedule and maintain your weight loss for a lifetime.

Here are 11 one dish meals everyone should be using:

1. Seafood Paella

One Pot Meals Seafood Paella One Dish Meals

Paella is a Spanish dish of rice, seafood and spices, served in a single large shallow pan. Nutrisystem has the perfect healthy take on the delicious dish! Shrimp and mussels dance in flavorful spices together in one pot, making the dish a complete meal with little mess. Shrimp is a wonderful addition to your healthy eating plan since it’s loaded with flavor, protein and vitamin B12. But the best part: Shrimp are low in calories and fat.

Get the Seafood Paella recipe.

2. Greek Fish and Vegetables

One Pot Meals One Pan Meal Greek Fish and Vegetables One Dish Meals

Mediterranean food has all sorts of cancer fighting, heart healthy, waist friendly benefits that cannot be ignored. Packing fish and vegetables together in every meal can provide the nutrients your body needs to support a healthy weight. This tasty flex meal recipe combines fresh white fish, delicious olives, chickpeas and plump, nutritious tomatoes. Change the dish by changing the fish! It’s simple to make this a weekly staple by rotating between tilapia, halibut, cod and flounder. Olive oil provides the healthy fats you need in your diet, keeping this meal well-balanced.

Get the Greek Fish and Vegetables recipe.

3. Brazilian Feijoada

One Pot Meals Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew) One Dish Meals

Feijoada is pronounced (fay-ZHWA-dah) and is a traditional Brazilian stew. All you need is one large saucepan to cook up this flavorful meal. Black beans are loaded with folate, B6, potassium and our weight loss secret… fiber! The tiny little nutrient-packed bean helps with satiety and provides plant-based nutrients that are heart healthy and waist friendly. Chicken sausage is added to this meal along with onion, garlic, heart healthy olive oil, chicken broth, tomatoes and brown rice. Things even get zesty with orange. This Nutrisystem flex meal counts as one SmartCarb, a PowerFuel, a Vegetable and one Extra. This is an easy recipe that goes like this: Sauté, cook, simmer and simmer!

Get the Brazilian Feijoada recipe.

4. Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry >

One Pot Meals Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry One Dish Meals

Skip the takeout with a one pan meal that is easy to cook and even easier to clean! Eat your broccoli, and enjoy it! Broccoli is loaded with fiber and is known to be a great inflammation fighter. It’s rich in vitamin K, A, C and plant-based compounds called phytonutrients. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli fill you up with little calories. Combine this vegetable powerhouse with chicken breast for lean protein, and brown rice for complex carbohydrates and you have a well-balanced, well portioned, perfectly satisfying week night meal. This meal counts as a SmartCarb, two PowerFuels, two Vegetables, and two Extras for those following the Nutrisystem program. No thinking required. Really!

Get the Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry recipe.

5. Savory Turkey Chili >

One Pot Meals Savory Turkey Chili One Dish Meals

No need to give up your warm hearty chili when you’re on a weight loss plan. Just a few changes to an old favorite can boost the nutrition and your weight loss. This Nutrisystem flex-meal-friendly recipe can be done in one pot for easy clean up during your weeknight rush. Turkey breast is a low fat meat option full of protein and lower in calories than ground beef. Add in the green bell peppers, onions, celery, spinach, tomato sauce, pinto beans, kidney beans and you have plethora of nutrition—a rainbow of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Just cook your turkey, add your vegetables, season and simmer for a delicious meal ready in under 20 minutes. You can make that less than 15 if you’re a wizard at dicing, or buy store cut containers.

Get the Savory Turkey Chili recipe.

6. Turkey Cranberry Salad >

Turkey Cranberry Salad One Pot Meals One Dish Meals

This make ahead one dish meal could not be any easier. Combine shredded turkey with nonfat plain Greek yogurt, dried cranberries and pepper to taste. Add to a salad or enjoy on a whole grain roll. The lean protein found in the turkey and Greek yogurt are weight-loss-promoting kitchen staples. One serving counts as a SmartCarb and a Powerfuel on the Nutrisystem program, so dress this combo up to your liking for flex meal perfection.

Get the Turkey Cranberry Salad recipe.

7. Butternut Squash Turkey Chili >

One Pot Meals Butternut Squash Turkey Chili One Dish Meals

Make this one ahead and freeze it for later because it’s an easy one pot dish you’ll have ready in a heartbeat! Protein rich lean ground turkey combines with butternut squash for a vegetable-packed chili that will be the perfect ending to a cold winter day. One large pot is all you need to cook your turkey. Add in the rest to simmer and serve in less than an hour! One cup counts as one SmartCarb, PowerFuel, Vegetable and Extra.

Get the Butternut Squash Turkey Chili recipe.

8. Sloppy Joe >

One Pot Meals Sloppy Joe One Dish Meals

Combine the freedom of the flex meal with the convenience of Nutrisystem’s meal plan for the perfect weeknight meal–sloppy joe. Take the already prepared Nutrisystem Hamburger and combine it into one dish with onion, carrot, tomato sauce, tomato paste, a splash of maple syrup and some other tasty additions. This counts as one Nutrisystem Lunch, a Vegetable and an Extra!

Get the Sloppy Joe recipe.

9. Slow Cooker Chicken Gumbo >

One Pot Meals Slow Cooker Chicken Gumbo One Dish Meals

Cook your dinner while you’re at work and come home to a well-balanced, heart healthy meal ready to eat at the end of your day! This chicken gumbo provides lean protein perfect to fuel your body and keep your diet on track. Loads of vegetables provide the fiber, vitamins, minerals and nutrients your body craves. It’s easy to add these ingredients to the slow cooker, and set it on low. One serving, or two flavor-bursting cups counts as a SmartCarb and a PowerFuel. Add creole seasoning to the grocery list!

Get the Slow Cooker Chicken Gumbo recipe.

10. Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas >

One Pot Meals Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas One Dish Meals

Mexican night made easy: Just add chicken breast, your favorite salsa, onion, spices and black beans to your slow cooker. Shred the chicken, simmer on low and, once the day has come to a close, you’re ready to feed your whole family! This one dish meal is perfectly balanced counting as a SmartCarb and a PowerFuel on Nutrisystem. Add to a whole wheat tortilla and you have a complete meal ready in a flash!

Get the Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita recipe.

11. One Dish Pork Tenderloin >

Dish Herb Pork Tenderloin

There is nothing quite like One Dish Herb Pork Tenderloin with potatoes and carrots. It’s got all the savory flavor of a staple hearty meal, with none of the guilt. Plus, when you add in potatoes and carrots, you get the added boost your body needs to stay healthy while you chow down!

Get the One Dish Pork Tenderloin recipe.

Hungry for more? Explore our healthy fast food recipes (burgers, shakes and more!) >

Rather not cook? Check out the top grab-and-go lunches from Nutrisystem!