One-pot cooking is far from a new idea. Combining a mix of vegetables, starch, and protein in one vessel has been an efficient way to feed people since humans have been cooking.
TV Shows & Podcasts
In the Library with Toni Tipton-Martin: One-Pan History
In this video, Toni Tipton-Martin highlights the history of one-pan meals and their resurgence in popularity.
By Published Aug. 7, 2023.
Sign up for the Cook's Country Dinner Tonight newsletter
10 ingredients. 45 minutes. Quick, easy, and fresh weeknight recipes.
America's Test Kitchen will not sell, rent, or disclose your email address to third parties unless otherwise notified. Your email address is required to identify you for free access to content on the site. You will also receive free newsletters and notification of America's Test Kitchen specials.
In the 1950s, the popularity of recipes for one-pot meals surged when more women started to work outside the home and convenience became important. It continued into the 1990s, when one-pot cookbooks were marketed to families with two working parents. Suddenly, a fundamental cooking method that had been used throughout history by people from all different cultures got a rebrand for middle-class Americans who wanted to get dinner on the table fast. Today, social media has continued to highlight the efficiency (and photographability) of one-pot meals.
Cook's Country's Editor in Chief Toni Tipton-Martin gives a more detailed story in the video below.
Check out our recipe for One-Pot Chicken Jardinière, one of our favorite one-pan meals. It includes lightly braised chicken pieces, mushrooms, potatoes, and carrots in a savory sauce.
