One Pot Meals

When I was a kid this was served at very special meals. My mother made hers plain. I had no idea how incredibly fabulous this meat could taste until I started adding the meat rub!

This colorful dish is super simple to make. You can include whatever assortment of veggies you like. I’ll give you a list of suggested options. You can serve this with something cooked on the grill; chicken, fish, or even steak.

This dish is super easy and a one pan job if you have a cast iron pan.. Serve with green beans and eat them with your fingers if you dare...

You could call this the “adult version” of Sloppy Joes.  It does have some ZIP to it. Don’t be intimidated by the length of the ingredients list. The recipe is worth it. And you probably have most of these ingredients in your pantry.

This is a famous chili that probably should not even be called a chili. It was invented by two brothers who emigrated from Europe in the 1920’s. Of course, they lived in Cincinnati. When finished this will look sort of like chili but it’s served on spaghetti. There are no beans and it’s not spicy. It’s flavorful for sure, but not “hot.” Don’t let the list of ingredients throw you off.

This simple Italian Soup is packed with flavor and convenience. It travels well and heats in the microwave too. Leftovers are a BIG YUM.

A dish that is easy to make for a weekday meal, but you could also serve this to guests, and no one would guess this is diet food.

This chicken casserole will remind you of chilies Rellenos. If you like those you’ll be a big fan of this low-carb dish. Simple to put together and toss in the oven. And Voila! Dinner. I serve with slices of avocado on the side dusted with a bit of grated sea salt.

This award-winning chili recipe won best Verde Chili by the International Chili Society in 2018. "Texas Chuck," the creator of this awesome recipe, made this chili using Mild Bills Spices (in case you're trying to get his authentic flavor).

When you are in the ZReduction portion of Plan Z you will not be eating the skin of the chicken or any of the dark meat. Breast meat only.

I’m Irish, so beef stew was a staple in our family. Trouble is there are so many carbs in most beef stew recipes. So with this recipe I have adjusted it to keep the carbs lower and introduce some other veggies that are lower carb to the mix.

Okay, so I opened my pantry and saw a jar of roasted red pepper strips. I thought… I could make a new chili with these! So here you have it.

This simple Italian Soup is packed with flavor and convenience. It travels well and heats in the microwave too. Leftovers are a BIG YUM.

I remember my first introduction to scallops like it was yesterday. As I took my first bite and swooned I knew these were to become a new favorite.

This is a wonderfully moist meatloaf. It has a kick from the Cajun spices but not all that much and you can adjust according to taste. This transports well to work.

This is a super easy meal to make; made even easier by doing it in your slow cooker. Simple Italian.

I had a hankering for ribs. I ordered some as an appetizer at a restaurant and they just didn’t cut it. I could not get the craving out of my head, so I came up with the barbecued meatloaf recipe.  Hope you love it. 

Tasty white fish and vegetables has been a regular part of my ZReduction regimen. My favorite is starting with a 6-8 ounce mahi-mahi fillet AND a 6-8 ounce hake fillet purchased frozen in big bags at Costco. This results in a “double batch” meal with the second half going in the fridge to bring into the menu flow a day or two later.

Make this for the whole gang and watch a movie on a cold evening. You can even make a big batch of this and serve it for a football party. Tailgate too.

This comes together in a flash and tastes just as good as the recipes that cook for hours.

This meatloaf makes six servings. When you serve it, remember that your crunch item is already included, so no breadstick or crackers with this meal.

This is a “Whopper” of a meatloaf, designed to taste like the famous burger. I hope you enjoy.

All the ingredients spend a lot of loving time together in the pot to make an amazingly simple and flavorful soup.

Dieter Jessica made this meal on one of her first days of ZReduction. It was so delicious she wanted to share it with everyone.

For a change of pace you can try a unique meatloaf. This one comes with an optional extra sauce in case you want to really ramp up the flavor.

This is very close to my mother's meatloaf recipe. I used to serve this with mashed potatoes and corn when I wanted comfort food. Not Anymore! I also used to say that if I ever ended up on death row and they asked me what I wanted for my last meal, this would be it. It’s such a BIG YUM and brings back fond memories.

Get ready to 'kick' up your dinner with this recipe from Dieter Rebecca. She used a combination of ground chicken and Italian sausage to add an extra boost of flavor to her meatloaf. Feel free to use ground beef if that's all you have, but Rebecca really recommends trying the chicken version for a unique take on this American classic.

Thanks to Dieter Brian of WVJS Breakfast Bunch for sending us his take on a simple spring salmon recipe.

Dieter Emily sent us this easy to make crock pot weeknight recipe. Emily says, "when I came home from work, it smelled heavenly! This soup has so much flavor and is also quite filling!"

This dish can be served with something as simple as a grilled steak or a baked chicken breast. If you want an American-Asian combo this is the way to go. It’s also designed to be served with the seared sea scallops for a more Asian-directed entrée.

Add a kick to your weeknight meals. Just let the crock pot do the work and you'll have a South of the border dinner in a cinch.

As the weather gets colder and the nights get longer this makes a wonderful soup. Or if you get a cold while on Plan Z this might be just the ticket!

I redesigned this recipe to incorporate cream to make a smooth sauce that will remind you of an old spaghetti house. Just no spaghetti.

The seasoning on the top of this turkey breast comes from a great guy in Door County named Curt. He makes his own seasoning and sells it in a store and on-line.

Riley rocked her refrigerator to come up with this one. Riley says, "I was looking for a way to use up leftovers and winter in Nebraska is a great time for soups."

Well for those unfamiliar, ratatouille is actually a really fine French vegetable dish. So easy to make!

When I made this Creole stew, I used some “aristocratic” ingredients (shrimp and lump crab meat) but you can certainly make it easier on your budget by making a “Cajun” version.

Seafood is often served on New Year’s Eve. In some cultures it’s a celebration that is supposed to come with good luck if you eat seafood.

A really quick healthy dinner even the kids will enjoy.

A really simple, yet really tasty meal. This a favorite around the Zola HQ for a lunch time treat.