I’m a food editor – five tasty one-pot recipes I make every week

The joy of a one-pot dish isn’t only ease and lack of washing up. Cooking everything in one dish maximises flavour, too. The ingredients mingle as they go and the result is much more than the sum of its parts. I suppose I think of traybakes as one pots, but for this piece we’re sticking to dishes that can be cooked in a large pan or casserole. On a typical weeknight, I’m at a stage where I try to cook one meal for the whole family. That said, because I still want people to eat, my one-pots can often be split into their constituent parts on serving. Shorts Chicken thighs with crispy skin and miso leeks I budget for two to three skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs per person when doing this kind of dish; it’s always good to have leftovers. Take them out of the fridge at least 20 minutes before you start cooking and season all over with salt. Choose a large pan or casserole with a lid that can go in the oven. Put it on the hob on a medium to high heat and warm a tablespoon or two of any oil, I use olive. Add the thighs, skin side down, in one layer. It can take 15 minutes for the fat to render out and crisp up the skin. The trick is not to try and turn the thighs too soon. Leave at least five to eight minutes before nudging with a spatula to see if they’re ready to move. You might want to prop a large thigh up on its neighbour for a few minutes to crisp up as much as possible. Meanwhile, clean and slice one leek per person and pre-heat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C. Once you’re happy with the crisped skin, remove the thighs to a plate. Add the leeks to the pan and stir to help them absorb flavour from the delicious chicken fat. Cook until very soft, then stir in one tablespoon of white miso paste, or more if you love it. Add about 250ml boiling water – you want it to cover the leeks – and give everything another good stir. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Sit the chicken back in the pan, this time skin-side up. Put the lid on and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. When you take it out, add pre-cooked chickpeas – half a can per two people – and give it a few minutes back on the hob to warm them through. Serve with a dollop of yoghurt, a splash of extra virgin olive oil and a good crack of black pepper. Sophie’s one pot chicken thighs with crispy skin and miso leeks Next-day spiced rice Many cuisines have a version of a braised rice dish. For this one, I use leftover meat from a roast and warming spices like cumin and cinnamon. We might traditionally have leftover cooked meat on a Monday, but this dish will give you a warm meal on the table in 30 minutes any day of the week. If I could choose the leftovers, lamb would be my top pick for its fatty, textural and unmistakably farmy flavour. Apparently lots of people don’t like it for just these reasons, but chicken or any other meat will also work admirably. Start with a finely sliced onion and fry this in a large pan or casserole in a tablespoon of flavourless or mild oil. When the onion is soft and translucent, which may take 10 minutes, add two large cloves of crushed garlic and one teaspoon each of ground cumin, coriander and cinnamon. Adapt the flavours if you know your preferences. I love cumin, its scent is unbeatable, and often use it on its own. It’s time to add your shredded leftover meat. I don’t like to give weights for this as it depends on appetite and availability. If my meat looks a little paltry, I might bulk it out with some beans. At this point, add a handful of sultanas or raisins if you like them, which will become Danny the Champion of the World plump during cooking. For the dried rice, 75g per person is usually plenty. Once you have measured this out and added it to the pot, add double the volume of cold water, put the lid on and bring to the boil, keeping an eye on your pan. When it begins to shudder, reduce to a low simmer. Check after eight minutes, the water should have retreated from the surface. Put the lid on for another two minutes then take it off to keep an eye on the rice. When small divots appear on the surface, you’re just about there. Turn the heat off and return the lid to the pan, placing a tea towel or napkin underneath to secure the heat inside. When you’re ready to eat, stir the rice and meat together, season with salt and a shower of lemon or orange zest, and serve with a sharp yoghurt or sour cream to cut through the fatty lamb and fragrant spices. Tiny brothy pasta with mix and match veg My daughter and I are obsessed with teeny tiny pasta, the sort you find in soups. Annoyingly, it’s not as easy to find in the UK as it should be. We stock up on diminutive stars and twists and shells in French supermarkets. Over here, you’ll find some in Italian delis. Macaroni or any small pasta will do. The aim of the dish is to cook the pasta for longer than you usually would in water spiked with stock, to give you a brothy pasta without it being a soup. I tend to use a frying pan and add just enough water to cover the pasta. Use about 80g per person and a quarter of a veg or chicken stock cube or one teaspoon of bouillon per person, stirring this in well. I choose the veg depending on diner preference and what’s in the fridge. Diced carrots and peas often make an appearance. As do spinach, kale and cavolo nero along with chickpeas or butter beans. This is one of those dishes that ticks lots of boxes. It is simple and speedy as well as comforting and filling. I serve it cloaked in clouds of grated parmesan. Sophie’s one pan tiny brothy pasta with mix and match veg Harissa sausage stew I cook sausages in the air fryer when I want them ready quickly. But if there’s time, I much prefer a deeply flavoursome sausage stew with lots of onions and tomatoes, heat from harissa or paprika and maybe lentils or beans, too. Start with a large frying pan or casserole (choose one with a lid) and add two tablespoons of olive oil. Brown the sausages in the hot oil. I tend to go with two per person, or just one of the beautiful huge sausages my butcher sells. You know your audience. Make sure each sausage has a tasty char on most of its surfaces before removing to a plate. Now take two or three large white onions and slice finely. Add to the pan, with another tbsp of oil if it looks a little dry. Fry at a medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes. Add a fat clove of crushed garlic or two, and season with salt and pepper. Add a small glass of any wine, around 125ml, stir the pan to deglaze. Add one tablespoon of harissa and one of tomato paste, or two of harissa if you like heat. Stir. Add two tins of chopped tomatoes and one of water. Return the sausages to the pan, put the lid on and simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes. It is ready to serve when the tomatoes have thickened into a rich sauce. Easy onion soup I make this when I notice there are onions to use up. I’m not sure if it’s anything approaching authentically French, but that classic dish is my inspiration for this version, which is low effort and cost. For a kilo of onions, slice finely and fry in a combination of oil and butter, one tablespoon of each. Use a large pan with a lid on a medium-high heat, and make sure the onions don’t stick. Once the onions have softened, season with salt and add a tablespoon of caster sugar. Turn the heat down and cook slowly for 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently. Once you are happy the onions have caramelised, add two large cloves of sliced garlic and two tablespoons of flour. Stir well. Add one to two glasses of white wine and let some of the alcohol burn off before adding 1.5 litres beef stock. You can buy high quality readymade stocks, such as Kallo in a carton or Potts in a can, but a cube will do if that’s what you have. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Your soup is ready when the liquid has thickened and the flavours combined to give you a rich onion and beefy soup. Taste and add more salt if necessary, though the stock should have provided plenty of flavour. Serve with slices of baguette topped with your favourite strong, hard cheese, such as Cheddar or Gruyere.