Anyone Can Make These 17 Easy One-Pot Vegetarian Recipes

You want your holiday meals to look good and taste great. But let's be honest, EASY is important too. Plus, vegetarian.

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Some people like to cook big fancy meals for the holidays. You are NOT that person.

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Not that you wouldn't mind one or two fancy dishes in any given meal, but every. single. one? Nope. Plus, every kitchen shrinks in size as soon as you start cooking multiple dishes, as tends to happen during holiday meals.

So to give you a break, we rounded up bunch of different recipes that each can be made in single pot. That's right. ONE, which means fewer dirty dishes. And these recipes don't have to be made in a pot on your stove per se —some are for your slow cooker, instant pot, or a sheet pan that can be popped in the oven. So fire up a bunch of these recipes in different parts of your kitchen for (relatively) easy holiday entertaining.

1. Maple Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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If you're not a fan of Brussel sprouts this recipe should change your mind. You roast your veggies with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a touch of garlic and maple syrup, which gives them a slightly sweeter taste. Toasted pecans add crunch, and you also get chewy goodness from dried cranberries, which you add just before tossing and serving.

Here's the recipe.

2. Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce With a Touch of Apple Brandy

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Who doesn't love fresh cranberry sauce? And this recipe delivers a more nuanced flavor because it includes apples, orange juice, orange zest, cardamom, cinnamon, sweetener (maple syrup is one option), and a bit of apple brandy, (although that's optional). And this juicy-tart dish is ready in JUST SIX MINUTES if you use your Instant Pot.

Here's the recipe.

3. Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

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It's not really a holiday meal without mashed potatoes is it? Well this year get your taters done in six minutes by using your Instant Pot. Although this recipe calls for chicken stock, use vegetable stock to make it vegetarian friendly.

Here's the recipe.

4. Sautéed Green Beans With Garlic

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This recipe couldn't be easier and calls for only a handful of ingredients including green beans, olive oil, garlic, sea salt, and the juice and zest of one lemon. With a prep time of 2 minutes and cook time of 8 minutes, you can get this delicious dish on the table in 10 minutes.

Here's the recipe.

5. Easy One Pan Cauliflower "Mac" & Cheese

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This one-pan "mac" and cheese will be a hit with both kids and adults. You'll need one head of cauliflower, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, grated Parmesan, and a bit of parsley. This creamy, delicious comfort food is ready in about 20 minutes -- it has a prep time of 10 minutes and cook time of 10 minutes.

Here's the recipe.

6. Brussel Sprout & Pear Salad With Dijon Vinaigrette

Wholesomedelicious / Via wholesomelicious.com

Who says you have to cook your Brussels sprouts? In this salad you shred them raw, and then combine with arugula, pear, and pecans for a delicious dish. Topped with a dressing of olive oil (or avocado oil), dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar) fresh lemon juice, and dried basil, you can't go wrong.

Here's the recipe.

7. Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Corn Casserole Recipe

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This is comfort food at it's old-fashioned finest. You'll need just 5 minutes of prep time to combine flour, butter, sugar, eggs, milk, and canned corn (did we mention it's old-school?) to make this casserole, and 75 minutes in the oven. But we practically guarantee that you'll be a hit at any meal if you're bringing this dish.

Here's the recipe.

8. Vegetarian Sheet Pan Stuffing

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We don't know about you, but we're completely on board with sheet-pan cooking, not to mention sheet pan cooking for STUFFING. This recipe has the added bonus of being dairy-free and vegan. You'll need one delicata squash, bread (you can make it gluten free if you like), Brussels sprouts, shallots, fresh thyme, garlic, olive oil, and dried tart cherries. This stuffing is topped with a vinaigrette containing maple syrup, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and roasted garlic.

Here's the recipe.

9. Avocado Pesto Zucchini Noodles

http://Yup...It's Vegan / Via yupitsvegan.com

This one-pot dish should make avocado and zucchini lovers happy. A simple recipe that can be ready in 30 minutes, it contains avocado, zucchini, fresh basil, extra-virgin olive oil, cherry tomatoes, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, miso, and garlic. (It's also no-cook and vegan.)

Here's the recipe.

10. Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts And Butternut Squash

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In this easy sheet-pan recipe, you combine cubed squash, Brussels sprouts, and pecans after tossing with olive oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. With a prep time of 10 minutes and a 25-minute cook time, you can have this dish on the table in just over half an hour.

Here's the recipe.

11. Homemade Apple Sauce

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Homemade apple sauce is simple to make, but never fails to impress because of its incredibly fresh and delicious flavor. This recipe calls for apples, lemon juice, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and takes about an hour to cook (but only 15 minutes to prep.)

Here's the recipe.

12. Kale Salad With Poppy Seed Dressing

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Do you need more kale? Yes. Yes you do. And added bonus — this recipe is a cruciferous vegetable extravaganza. It also contains chopped red and green cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli florets. Add in the Greek yogurt-based dressing, poppy seeds, pumpkins seeds, and dried cranberries and you have a delicious dish ready in 10 minutes.

Here's the recipe.

13. Whole Roasted Cauliflower With Butter Sauce

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This is another super-easy, but impressive looking dish. You'll need butter, fresh cracked pepper, some herbs (fresh thyme, bay leaves), and vegetable stock (if you want to keep it vegetarian). First you boil and simmer your cauliflower for 12 minutes, then roast for 10-15 minutes. Next step? Slice and serve.

Here's the recipe.

14. Herb-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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Sweet potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse, delivering potassium, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, and a bunch of other great stuff you really, really need. Plus, you know — they taste good. If you want to get them on your table with a minimum of effort, this recipe is for you. Chop up two medium potatoes, and coat them in a mixture of olive oil, garlic, fresh thyme, and Italian seasoning. They'll be crispy-delicious after 35-40 minutes of cooking; then you can top with parsley, Parmesan, and serve.

Here's the recipe.

15. Ginger and Turmeric Carrot Soup

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If you find soup recipes slightly intimidating, don't. Basically you just throw a bunch of ingredients in a pot and 30 minutes later? Delicious soup. Start by sauteeing onions for 5 minutes, then add garlic, ginger, turmeric, orange zest, salt and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the carrots, cook for 3 more minutes, and then add vegetable stock. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes and puree the soup in a blender.

Here's the recipe.

16. Slow Cooker Or Instant Pot Sweet Potato Curry Stew

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This recipe gives you two super-simple options to cook — slow cooker or Instant Pot. And it's got a more nuanced flavor than your average sweet potato dish. With ingredients like fresh ginger, curry powder, turmeric, Thai red curry paste, and coconut milk it's sure to be a hit. With a prep time of 15 minutes and cook time of 10 minutes, you'll have a delish dish in less than a half-hour.

Here's the recipe.

17. Avocado Kale Salad With Honey Lemon Dressing

Kristine's Kitchen / Via kristineskitchenblog.com

This avocado-kale salad is hearty enough for a holiday meal, but has a fresh taste thanks to the berries and lemon juice- and honey-based dressing. If you can't find fresh raspberries, it's fine to use any type of berry. And it's fine to have any nuts you have on hand, such as walnuts, instead of almonds. See? EASY.

Here's the recipe.