So I’m going to admit that I’m a lazy cook. I don’t really measure anything, I see ingredient lists as suggestions, and I hate anything that takes longer than 30 minutes to prepare AND cook! So I’m making it a mission to become the queen of 30 minute meals, and if that 30 minutes is actually 5 minutes prep with 25 minutes cooking in a rice cooker where I don’t have to ‘baby’ it, then Yay!

One Pot Cooking: Chik’n Pasta
This dish was born last Friday. I’d been at Gold’s Gym and just spent an hour kicking butt in spin class and as always came home sweaty and starving. A lethal combination, because you know you need a shower… but you also want to fill your belly. So, I head straight to the kitchen (because Pixel doesn’t mind if I’m sweaty) and decided that I’d get lunch cooking while I showered. After scouring the refrigerator I decided on one pot cooking or ‘one pot concoction’ as I like to call it. Which is basically just throw random items in a pot and see if it turns out good. It did!
Ingredients:
- Pasta
- Marinara Sauce
- Frozen sweetcorn, green beans, mixed bell peppers
- Trader Joe’s Chickn strips
- water
Directions:
Throw everything in a rice cooker, add enough water to cover and cook. Mine took around 25 minutes to be cooked piping hot, mostly because I threw in two portions of pasta because… I’d been spinning and needed to eat ALL the carbs.
Serve.

Seriously that’s it! One pot cooking is the bomb! So easy and it tasted great. If you’ve never cooked pasta in a rice cooker before you’ll wonder why you haven’t, because it’s so freakin easy! Plus why cook things separately when you can get all the flavor throughout the dish by combining the food while cooking [keep telling yourself this is the reason for one pot cooking: extra flavor!!! Not because you’re a lazy ass that doesn’t like washing up!]

I’m definitely doing this again! Plus I may branch out and see what other things I can throw together in a one pot concoction. Like could I use one pot cooking for my indian style quinoa recipe? This will be my easy meal on the weekly menu I think as it literally took 5 minutes to throw together and 20 minutes ‘wait’. But as it was in the rice cooker I didn’t have to watch it, and could go do other things, like shower, walk the dog, or prepare blog posts… You know, using the time wisely *cough.listening.to.Disturbed.while.showering.cough*
What’s your go-to quick and easy meal?
amytreasure0
I think this looks amazing, it’s simple and doesn’t make a mess and tastes divine I expect
Di Hickman
You had me at doesn’t make a mess 😉
Kirsten Maxwell (@kidsareatrip)
I love one pot meals. Great idea to just throw together some pasta and veggies. I bet it’s delicious!
Di Hickman
it was delicious!
CourtneyLynne
Omg this pasta sounds delicious!!!! Pasta is always a hit in this household so I will have to give this a try 🙂
Di Hickman
definitely! I’ve tried it a couple of times now and it’s great!
Jaime
I am obsessed with one pot recipes. This sounds and looks amazing!
Di Hickman
thanks!
Erin (@SugarCrumbs)
One pot??? Thats awesome and my kind of recipe! I love anything that saves me from having to clean a bunch of cookware!
Di Hickman
yup! Just throw it in a rice cooker and BOOM!
livingoffloveandcoffee
That looks so delicious! I love one pot meals, so much easier for me to clean up.
Di Hickman
well that’s MY reason for it lol!
Primp and Prime Beauty
Anything that has pasta or chicken is a home run! Delicious 🙂
Di Hickman
pasta is my spirit food I think!
ohnikkashae
I like this one pot meal!! Great idea!!!!
Di Hickman
I need a blog: one pot chef 😉
Bonnie @ Living a Fit and Full Life
This looks yummy! I need new pasta dishes!
Di Hickman
Definitely yummy!
Shelly's Cabaret
That looks really good! And simple enough to make too 🙂
Di Hickman
heheheh well I made it so it has to be lol!
Susannah
Yummy!!! I’m a TOTAL pasta fan!
Di Hickman
me too!
beccadorr
Looks good! I need more ways to use our rice cooker.
Di Hickman
Oh girl I use ours a lot! Definitely a throw it in and forget it chef 😉
April Golightly (@april_golightly)
I love one pot recipes. Super easy.
Di Hickman
heck yes!
cuteheads
Looks so good and so easy! I almost never make pasta for dinner and I have no idea why… Need to get back on that bandwagon.
Esther
The Cuteness
Di Hickman
My either! Mostly because only me likes it. That’s why I like using the one pot method!
Mykidsguide
I love one pot meals because they are so easy to make. This looks so tasty!
Di Hickman
Yup simple, quick and easy!
Debra
This sounds amazing! I love one pot meals!
Di Hickman
they rock!!!
logancan
This looks delicious and very easy to make! I am always looking for simple dinner recipes!
Di Hickman
Oh super simple is my go-to! Rarely do I make anything that requires real skill lol!
laura londergan
this is my kind of meal – in one pot! And chicken anything sounds good to me!
Di Hickman
One pot is definitely appealing!