10 Cheap One Pot Dinners Seniors Living Alone Will Love (Nothing to Wash)

My cookbook, The Appalachian Kitchen with Ritsy Jean: https://ritsyjean.com Ten cheap one-pot suppers for cooking alone: one pot, one spoon, your bowl. About $1 to $2 a plate, with enough for tomorrow. I'm Ritsy Jean Anderson from East Tennessee; every recipe is below. Use a heavy 5-quart pot with a lid that fits. Ground beef is done at 160°F, chicken at 165°F. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. THE RECIPES 1. MAMAW'S HAMBURGER STEW (4 bowls, about $1.40 a plate) 1/2 lb ground beef, 1 onion, 3 potatoes, 2 carrots, 1 can diced tomatoes, about 3 cups water or beef broth, pepper, garlic powder. Brown beef and onion, drain. Add the rest. Simmer covered on low 25 min. Mash a few potatoes (or add instant potato flakes) to thicken. No tomatoes? Use all broth. Freezes. 2. MONDAY SOUP BEANS (8 bowls, about 70¢ a plate) 1 lb dried pinto beans, 1 smoked ham hock, 1/2 onion. Soak beans overnight, drain. Cover with fresh water by 2 inches, add ham hock and onion. Boil, then simmer low with lid cracked 2 to 3 hours. Salt only at the end. Stir in the ham meat. Freezes very well. 3. GOULASH (about $1.20 a plate) 1/2 lb ground beef, 1 onion, 1 cup dry elbow macaroni, 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce, 1 can diced tomatoes, 2 cups water, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, pepper, shredded cheese. Brown beef and onion, drain. Add everything but cheese. Simmer covered on low 15 min, stirring twice. Add hot water if dry. Stir in cheese. Optional: a drained can of kidney beans. Fridge 4 days; don't freeze. 4. CABBAGE, SAUSAGE AND POTATOES (about $1.50 a plate) 1 link smoked sausage, 1/2 head cabbage (or a bag of coleslaw mix), 2 potatoes, 1/2 onion, 1 cup water, pepper. Brown sliced sausage, add the rest. Cover, low, 30 min. No added salt. Fridge 3 days; doesn't freeze well. 5. CHICKEN THIGHS AND RICE (about $1.75 a plate) 4 bone-in chicken thighs, pepper, garlic powder, 1 onion, 1 cup long grain rice, 2 cups chicken broth. Brown thighs 5 min, remove. Soften onion, stir in rice, add broth. Thighs on top, lid on, lowest heat 30 min. Don't peek. Check 165°F, rest 5 min. 6. POTATO SOUP (about 90¢ a plate) 2 tbsp butter, 1 onion, 4 potatoes, water to cover, 1 can evaporated milk. Cheese or a boiled egg for protein. Soften onion in butter. Add potatoes and water, simmer covered 20 min. Mash half. Low heat, stir in milk; don't boil. Doesn't freeze. 7. CHILI (about $1.50 a plate) 1/2 lb ground beef (or none, with a 3rd can of beans), 1 onion, 2 cans kidney or pinto beans, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 small can tomato sauce, 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 cup water. Brown beef and onion, drain. Add the rest. Simmer lid cracked 30 min, stirring the bottom every 10 min. Best freezer meal on the list. 8. SALMON PATTIES AND MILK GRAVY (about $2 a plate) 1 can (about 14 oz) salmon, 1 egg, about 10 crushed crackers, 2 tbsp onion, oil, 2 tbsp flour, 1 1/2 cups milk, pepper. Mash salmon (bones too) with egg, crackers, onion; make 4 patties. Fry 4 min a side, set aside. Stir flour into drippings, whisk in milk till thick. Patties back in, low 5 min. Patties freeze; gravy doesn't. 9. CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS (about $1.60 a plate) 4 bone-in chicken thighs, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 1 rib celery, water, pepper, 1 can refrigerated biscuits. Simmer chicken and vegetables covered 45 min. Pull the meat; put half back, save half (see below). Simmer broth, drop in biscuit quarters, lid on low 15 min. Don't lift the lid. Doesn't freeze. 10. THE CUPBOARD SUPPER (about $2 a plate) 1 cup long grain rice, 1 can chicken, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 2 1/2 cups water, frozen peas. Stir all but peas together, bring to a bubble, lid on, lowest heat 20 min. Peas in the last 5. ONE PACK, THREE SUPPERS Buy a family pack of 8 bone-in thighs (about $6). Night 1: chicken and rice (4 thighs). Night 2: chicken and dumplings (4 thighs). Freeze the saved meat with 2 cups broth. Night 3: thaw, boil, add egg noodles, 10 min. 00:00 Introduction to One-Pot Dinners & Key Principles 01:29 Mama's Hamburger Stew & Mountain Pinto Beans 04:02 Ritzy Jean's Cookbook & One-Pot Goulash 06:46 Cabbage, Chicken & Potato Soup One-Pot Meals 10:00 Hearty Chili & Salmon Patties with Gravy 12:02 Chicken & Dumplings, Pantry Supper