One-Pot Meals

These lettuce wraps put a fresh, modern spin on a favorite Asian appetizer. Spiced with chili sauce, ginger, and garlic, this dish will leave you craving more!

EFFORT: NOT MUCH
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 6 HOURS
KEEPS ON WARM: 1 HOUR The ingredient list is designed for use in a medium (4- to 5 1/2-quart) slow cooker. See the cook's notes for ingredient lists for small (2- to 3 1/2-quart) and large (6- to 8-quart) models.

Shrimp absorbs the flavors of a marinade rapidly, making this quick entrée ideal for a busy weeknight. Steaming gently cooks the shrimp and reduces the likelihood of overcooking. Regular coconut milk offers the best flavor for this dish, as the taste of light coconut milk is too subtle. I often serve it over brown rice or whole wheat noodles.

My mother grew up in Bad Nauheim, Germany, where she helped her parents with their inn and restaurant called Die Krone (The Crown). When I was growing up, she cooked several traditional German dishes, but one of the most memorable for me was her recipe for sweet-and-sour red cabbage. Though I was a pretty picky eater, I adored the cabbage and loved how it colored the mashed potatoes my mother would always serve with it. Mom never wrote the recipe down for me, but I reached out to German relatives and re-created it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed taking the trip down memory lane. Grating the cabbage takes a while, so make sure to have some good tunes on!

Two humble ingredients have big impact here: The Parmesan rind adds richness; the dried beans deliver creaminess.

In defense of Velveeta: Its texture is supreme.

This stew calls for water instead of stock to be added. The pork shoulder will create a rich cooking liquid on its own.

A mix of fragrant spices, garlic, and fresh ginger turn this stewed chicken into the most perfectly warming dinner for an October Sunday.

It might look like a lot when the greens are raw, but add them all anyway. They'll quickly wilt down to a silky texture.

When cooked with aromatics and rich tomato sauce, lentils are anything but bland.

Kosher Status: Meat
Prep: 10 Minutes
Cook: 2 Hours, 20 Minutes
Total: 2 1/2 Hours

This 30-minute one-skillet dinner is just the thing for an October weeknight.

I originally designed this recipe for wild snow geese, and because many of California's snow geese spend their summers on Wrangel Island, near Siberia, it seemed fitting to give the stew a Russian feel. But of course the legs of any goose or duck, wild or domesticated, will work here. It's important to remove the meat from the bones before you serve this stew, otherwise everyone will be picking through their bowls for small, sharp objects. It takes only a few minutes, and your family and friends will thank you for it. This stew keeps well in the fridge for a week, though the grain in it will continue to swell over time, absorbing moisture and making this more like a French potage. It also freezes well.

Chris Shepherd, executive chef and owner of Underbelly in Houston, Texas, shared this recipe exclusively with Epicurious. This Cajun and Creole classic is often served with rice, but Shepherd insists his version doesn't need the starchy side. Studded with turkey meat and andouille sausage, it's filling enough on its own. Making a solid roux is essential to gumbo, because the flour and fat mixture thickens and flavors the dish. For newbies, Shepherd recommends patience. Roux must be cooked slowly over low heat and it requires just about constant attention, so take your time and be prepared to stir. For more on Shepherd, plus four more chefs' recipes for transforming your Thanksgiving extras, see The Five Best Leftover Turkey Recipes.

When an abundance of fresh vine-ripened tomatoes piles high on my mother's kitchen counter in Thessa-loniki, she cooks up a simple pot of juicy bulgur with the fruit. This classic pairing is born out of necessity in the heat of summer in many parts of the Mediterranean. It nicely accompanies lamb chops, flank steak, chicken breast, or grilled shrimp. I like to add the fruity heat of Aleppo pepper, but you may replace it here with 1 teaspoon paprika and a good dose of black pepper. If you like a more textured side, use coarse bulgur. You may need up to an additional 3/4 cup broth (for a total of 2 1/4 cups liquid) and a total cooking time of 20 to 25 minutes. I often prepare double the amount, as this side reheats well and freezes nicely for up to 1 month (add a bit of water when reheating). I don't mind that the basil darkens a bit, as it also intensifies the flavor.

This breakfast is wonderfully versatile and allows you to use up any leftover grains you have from previous meals, folding in leafy greens for a bit of color. In that sense, think of it more as a template rather than a hard-and-fast approach.

In Milan, osso buco is traditionally served on a bed of creamy saffron risotto and topped with a pungent, colorful topping of garlic, lemon zest, parsley, and anchovies known as gremolata.

A surprisingly easy sweet-tart lamb roast is just the thing to feed a crowd this Easter.

Warm and nourishing, this panfried rice is a brown-bag favorite. The dish starts with a couple of scrambled eggs to which rice, edamame, and seasonings are added. If you happen to be making eggs for breakfast, it’s just a few extra steps to make this savory lunch dish. Naturally, brown rice is more nutritious than white. Leftover farro or barley make tasty substitutions.