No matter what time of year it is it is always nice to have a few one dish meals in your bag of tricks to help you save time during those busy nights. After all wouldn’t it be nice to avoid the question of "What can we have for dinner tonight?" — without having to prepare several recipes to make a complete meal? Often it is helpful to have a ready made dish on hand or simply one dish that accomplishes the whole meal in one pot!

Tips for Preparing Meals Ahead:

Many families and busy working singles struggle with lifestyles that make cooking every night difficult and substantially more difficult when having to cook gluten-free. It would be great to have a list of gluten-free food that would freeze well and that one could be assured would taste great when re-heated. There are foods that generally freeze well such as rice dishes, pasta dishes, stews and soups.

When freezing cooked meats and poultry, prepare the recipe as usual, except undercook the meat. The meat will cook to some degree again when you warm it up and can get overdone if it is cooked all the way initially.

Here are some great one dish meals that freeze exceptionally well:

Arroz con Pollo w/Steamed Tortillas (Freeze the dish and steam the tortillas just before serving)
Enchiladas Verde
Puerco Verde
Beef Stroganoff
Louisiana Meatloaf
Asopao de Pollo (Chicken Stew)
Chicken & Meatball Fricassee
New Orleans Chicken Jambalaya

If you are in the mood to cook tonight but want a complete meal without making multiple sides here are some of our favorites:

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 4 chicken quarters
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 -6oz can green chilies
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 cup fresh salsa
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups white rice
• 1 cup gf chicken stock
• 1-1/4 cups water

Directions:

Salt and pepper chicken quarters. In large skillet with tall sides, sauté chicken in oil until golden on all sides, about 7-10 minutes.

Transfer chicken to platter.

Pour off excess oil, leaving 1 tablespoon in pan. Reduce heat to medium; sauté onion and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes.

Return chicken to pan; add cumin and chili powder; stir. Cook 1 minute and add salsa and green chilies. Increase heat to high, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add rice, chicken stock and water. (Make sure liquid covers rice) Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until rice is done and liquid is absorbed, about 35 minutes. If rice is done but soupy, remove cover and cook gently until liquid evaporates.

Toss rice and let sit 5 minutes before serving. (Serves 4)

Pasta with Pan Seared Tuna

Ingredients:

• One 12 ounce yellow fin tuna steak, about
• 1-1/2 inches thick
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil + 1 teaspoon, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 12 ounces gf spiral pasta
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 10 black olives, chopped
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain.

While pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon garlic, red bell pepper and hot red pepper flakes; sauté until pepper is just tender. Add peppers to pasta along with black olives, parsley, and basil. Adjust seasonings to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Rinse and pat tuna steak dry. Rub both sides with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and chill for 20 minutes.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil, tilting pan to coat bottom evenly. When olive oil is hot, add tuna to skillet and cook for
2-1/2 minutes per side. Transfer tuna to a plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm; let rest 5 minutes.

Slice tuna steak against grain into 1/2 inch thick slices. (The tuna should be pink in the center).

To serve, spoon pasta into individual pasta bowls and top with seared tuna.

Creamy Fettuccine with Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless, cut diagonally into 1"x1-1/2" strips
• 1 bunch of spinach, cleaned, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup drained canned Italian peeled tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 pound gf fettuccine
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Directions:

Cook gf fettuccine according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Increase heat to medium-high and add chicken strips; sauté until lightly browned all over and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.

Add spinach to skillet, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg; cook over medium-high heat until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 4 minutes. Stir in cream and simmer sauce until slightly thickened. Adjust seasonings to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Return chicken to pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally, until blended and heated through. Add cooked fettuccine and toss until noodles are coated. Add parmesan and continue to toss until cheese is blended in. To serve, place pasta on individual plates. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese. (Serves 4)

Here are some other favorite one-dish meals from our recipe archives that we think you will enjoy!

Chicken & Andouille Ragu
Paella
Jambalaya
Polenta with Sausage & Tomato Ragout
Chicken Lasagne with Pesto
Saffron Risotto with Fennel-Spiced Shrimp
Spring Roasted Salmon Salad
Spinach Salad w/Turkey Picadillo
Pasta w/Roasted Chicken & Hazelnuts

Enjoy!

- Glutenfreeda