8 one-pan dinners with almost no washing up

The washing up is often the real reason people skip cooking. One-pan dinners solve that: everything cooks together, the oven does most of the work, and there's one tray to clean at the end.

The basic formula

Pick a protein, add vegetables cut to sizes that cook in the same time, toss everything in oil and seasoning, and roast at around 200°C (400°F). Harder vegetables like potatoes go in first; quick ones like peppers and green beans join later.

Eight dinners to try

1. Lemon and herb chicken thighs with new potatoes and green beans
2. Harissa chickpeas with sweet potato, red onion and spinach
3. Salmon with broccoli, cherry tomatoes and a soy-honey glaze
4. Sausage, pepper and onion traybake with crusty bread
5. Halloumi, courgette and couscous bake
6. Fajita chicken and peppers, served in tortillas
7. Gnocchi with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and pesto
8. Tofu with sesame, broccoli and baby corn over rice

Tips for the best results

• Don't overcrowd the tray. Use two if you need to, or vegetables steam instead of roasting
• Cut everything into similar sizes so it cooks evenly
• Season generously, and add a squeeze of lemon or fresh herbs at the end
• Make extra; most traybakes make great next-day lunches

Plan your traybakes

One-pan dinners are perfect for busy weeknights. In Mealful, you can sort recipes by quickest, drop a couple of traybakes into your week, and adjust servings so there's enough left over for lunch.