29 Simple (But Delicious) Recipes To Seriously Lower Your Cooking-Related Stress This Holiday Season
Ah, the holiday season. Family, friends, cooking, cooking, and more cooking. Oh, and then some baking, too.
But when the leftovers (and your energy) have run out, you still need to eat. That's when your trusty kitchen friends — like your Instant Pot, slow cooker, sheet pans, and 30-minute meals — come to the rescue.
This collection of recipes will deliver delicious results, all while keeping things easy and family-friendly. Why? Because you deserve to actually enjoy the holidays this year.
1.One-Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
With just 15 minutes of prep time, this dish brings sweet and savory together seamlessly — and it even includes a serving of veggies. It's on the nice list!
Recipe: One-Pot Honey Garlic Chicken | Shop This Recipe
2.The Best Ever Slow Cooker Pot Roast
'Tis the season for food that's cozy, and this dish is like a big warm hug. For extra flavor, throw in those spare cloves of garlic you have lying around and let it infuse while it cooks low and slow.
Recipe: The Best Ever Slow Cooker Pot Roast | Shop This Recipe
3.Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Bowls
This one is so easy, older kiddos might even be able to handle getting all the ingredients into the slow cooker by themselves...so you can actually snag a minute of holiday R&R while it cooks.
4.20-Minute One-Pan Pizza
Find us someone who doesn't appreciate pizza night. We'll wait. This quick, delicious, and extremely customizable recipe pleases even the pickiest of palates.
Recipe: 20-Minute One-Pan Pizza | Shop This Recipe
5.Slow Cooker Thai Green Curry
Deep, rich flavors and a bit of heat (totally adjustable if you have littles!) will make this one a regular in your rotation. Have extra veggies lying around? Toss 'em in!
Recipe: Slow Cooker Thai Green Curry | Shop This Recipe
6.One-Pot Basil Pasta
With light, bright, and fresh flavors, this dish might be just the what you need in between celebrations. This serves two people, so double (or triple!) it if you're making this dish for a crowd.
Recipe: One-Pot Basil Pasta | Shop This Recipe
7.Mississippi Roast
This one cooks low and slowwww, and it's worth every single melt-in-your-mouth bite.
Recipe: Mississippi Roast | Shop This Recipe
8.Instant Pot Mac 'N' Cheese
In just 10 minutes, you'll have the MVP of family meals hot and ready on your table. Not to get cheesy about it, but is there anything better than that?
Recipe: Instant Pot Mac 'N' Cheese | Shop This Recipe
9.Blueberry French Toast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, after all. And, if you're really feeling wild...make breakfast for dinner.
Recipe: Blueberry French Toast | Shop This Recipe
10.20-Minute Beef And Broccoli Noodle Stir-Fry
Real talk: You can make this faster than it takes to write down everyone's takeout orders. (Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it's still super quick.)
Recipe: 20-Minute Beef And Broccoli Noodle Stir-Fry | Shop This Recipe
11.Instant Pot Beef Chili
Chili is the poster child of hearty meals for good reason: it's warm, full of protein from the meat and beans, and topped with plenty of cheese. Bonus points are awarded based on the fact that it's almost impossible to mess up.
Recipe: Instant Pot Beef Chili | Shop This Recipe
12.Instant Pot Lasagna
With the deepest respect to your grandmother's day-long lasagna-making process, this recipe delivers a ton of flavor in just 90 minutes (which includes only 20 minutes of prep work). For an extra kick, swap out the beef for hot Italian sausage.
Recipe: Instant Pot Lasagna | Shop This Recipe
13.One-Pot Swedish Meatball Pasta
Swedish meatballs in just 30 minutes, without accidentally spending too much money on build-it-yourself furniture? Perfection.
14.Cheesy Chicken And Broccoli Pasta
The marriage of broccoli and cheese is truly sacred and should be celebrated. Here's a party on a plate, ready to devour in less than 30 minutes.
Recipe: Cheesy Chicken And Broccoli Pasta | Shop This Recipe
15.Paprika Chicken & Rice Bake
This one-pot recipe means clean up is a breeze...for everyone else. (Because if you cooked, you are NOT cleaning.)
Recipe: Paprika Chicken & Rice Bake | Shop This Recipe
16.One-Pot Bacon And Wild Mushroom Risotto
For those who might not like mushrooms: You know what the best gateway to liking a new food is? Pairing it with bacon. It's science.
Recipe: One-Pot Bacon And Wild Mushroom Risotto | Shop This Recipe
17.Creamy Lemon Chicken
This one is easy peasy lemon squeezy, but still impressive enough to serve to your holiday visitors.
Recipe: Creamy Lemon Chicken | Shop This Recipe
18.Sheet-Pan Crispy Chicken Strips And Veggies
These chicken strips are just begging to be dipped in a tangy honey mustard sauce. Don't let them down.
Recipe: Sheet-Pan Crispy Chicken Strips And Veggies | Shop This Recipe
19.Sheet Pan Breakfast Sandwich
This recipe yields 24 servings, so you can feed the entire fam at brunch. Or, freeze your leftovers and make your weekday breakfasts so simple, you can figure it out before you've even thought about coffee.
Recipe: Sheet Pan Breakfast Sandwich | Shop This Recipe
20.Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken
A true set-it-and-forget-it kind of meal...but you won't actually be able to forget it because the aroma will be SO GOOD.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken | Shop This Recipe
21.Easy Chickpea Curry (Chana Masala)
This vegetarian-friendly dish is perfect when you need curry in a hurry. Throw some spinach in at the end if your body is begging you for something green in between all the delicious holiday treats.
Recipe: Easy Chickpea Curry (Chana Masala) | Shop This Recipe
22.One-Pot Chicken Alfredo
Who knew everyone's favorite pasta dish could come together so quickly and in just one pot? For extra decadence, add bacon — or, to sneak in some veg, broccoli does wonders here.
Recipe: One-Pot Chicken Alfredo | Shop This Recipe
23.One-Pan Salmon And Veggies
This entire meal — protein and two sides — comes together on one, easy-to-clean sheet pan. Not a fan of asparagus? Swap it out for brussels sprouts!
Recipe: One-Pan Salmon And Veggies | Shop This Recipe
24.Sweet And Sour Pork
Spare yourself the takeout negotiations. What to order? Who goes and gets it? Instead, dive into this flavorful favorite in just 30 minutes. If you don't have pork on hand, chicken will work beautifully, too.
Recipe: Sweet And Sour Pork | Shop This Recipe
25.Sheet Pan Steak And Fries
Steak night, but make it sheet pan. Meat and potatoes never looked so good!
Recipe: Sheet Pan Steak And Fries | Shop This Recipe
26.Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos
It doesn't even need to be Taco Tuesday. These customizable (read: VERY kid friendly) tacos are something you'll crave every day of the week.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos | Shop This Recipe
27.Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers
Swap out the chicken stock for veggie stock to make this dish vegetarian-friendly. If you're a meat eater in need of some extra protein, adding chicken or ground beef is a great way to get your fix.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers | Shop This Recipe
28.Cider Pulled Pork
Have some extra cider hanging around? Considering it's the holidays, you probably do. Toss it in the slow cooker and this pulled pork will be the apple of your eye.
Recipe: Cider Pulled Pork | Shop This Recipe
29.Veggie Fried Rice
Who doesn't love a whole meal in a bowl? If you're out of fresh veggies, canned or frozen ones are just fine. In fact, you might just start keeping more frozen veggies on hand so you can whip up this dish whenever the craving hits.
Recipe: Veggie Fried Rice | Shop This Recipe
