Arroz con Pollo y Gandules

Photo: © Alanna Hale

A Puerto Rican Take on the Chicken-and-Rice Classic
Even if you don't have a Puerto Rican grandmother like Natalie Morales does, you'll love this comforting one-pot dinner, which Morales grew up eating. In the Today show anchor's new book, At Home with Natalie, she explains how to make this Caribbean version of a well-known dinner. The secret is a packet of Goya Sazón Culantro y Achiote, which you can find in most supermarkets—it's a seasoning made with salt, black pepper, garlic, coriander, cumin, oregano and annatto (which gives the dish a yellow tint)—aka the fast track to mega-flavor.

Get the recipe: Arroz con Pollo y Gandules
Southwest Spaghetti Squash

Photo: Courtesy of Time Inc. Books/Jennifer Causey

The Vegetarian Bake for When You're Craving Burritos
This savory casserole has all the elements of a rich, hearty Southwestern meal but tastes and feels much lighter thanks to its spaghetti squash base. The recipe, from Siri Daly's new book, Siriously Delicious, has a smart trick too, wherein you roast the squash in a baking dish and, when it's tender, shred it and mix it with tomatoes, beans, scallions, seasonings and cheese—right in the very same dish (hello, easy cleanup). Slide it into the oven until the top is bubbly and the cheese is melted, and serve with sour cream for a meal that tastes way more indulgent than it really is.

Get the recipe: Southwest Spaghetti Squash
Spiced Lamb with Potatoes and Apricots

Photo: Copyright © 2018 by Jonathan Lovekin

A Stew You May Not Have Tried Yet
In her new cookbook, At My Table: A Celebration of Home Cooking, Nigella Lawson calls this spiced lamb stew "just the sort of one-pot cooking that makes life easy when you have friends over," and we heartily agree with that description. Unlike the usual beef stew, this one uses lamb, which pairs so well with spicy and sweet flavors such as cinnamon, ginger, cumin, coriander, allspice and dried apricots. It's just as easy as traditional versions, though, and makes for a low-effort but so satisfying weekend supper.

Get the recipe: Spiced Lamb with Potatoes and Apricots
Lemon-Pesto Chicken

Photo: Kari Peters

The Casserole That's Incidentally Healthy
Can a cheesy, bubbling casserole still be outrageously delicious without noodles, rice or potatoes? You bet. Rachel Hollis' new book, Real Life Dinners, demonstrates how. She relies on prepared pesto and grated mozzarella to deliver a rich taste and the requisite cheesiness; then, the other ingredients are simply pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breast; green beans; and lemon juice. And you can easily swap in asparagus, kale or another green vegetable for the green beans, if you'd like.

Get the recipe: Lemon-Pesto Chicken
Asparagus and Prosciutto Hash

Photo: Alison Gootee

A Reinvention of a Diner Favorite
Corned-beef hash gets a fresh makeover with this foolproof recipe. It keeps the potatoes and onion but swaps in prosciutto for corned beef, and adds asparagus for a bit of green. Once they're well-cooked, you use a spoon to form four nests in the hash and crack an egg into each. Cook them to your liking: whether that means until the whites are firm and the yolks are still runny, or until they're fully set.

Get the recipe: Asparagus and Prosciutto Hash