Easy One Pot Meals to Cook in Your InTown Suites Kitchen

Many of our guests love that each InTown Suites room comes with a complete kitchen, as dining out for every meal can get expensive, quickly. We know you may not have a lot of time, or want to put a lot of effort into cooking a meal and cleaning up. That’s why we’re sharing two of our favorite meals that you can whip up using only one pot. The meals come together quickly, are healthy and have minimal clean-up!

Semi-Homemade Chicken and Rice Soup

This classic, comforting soup recipe comes together fast with the help of a cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store! Leftovers can be quickly heated up in the microwave for a grab and go meal.

Ingredients

1 onion
1 stalk of celery
1 carrot
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 box of low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp turmeric
1 cup of rice
Fresh Parsley (optional)

Directions

1. Peel and dice the carrot, onion and celery and set aside for a moment.
2. Add olive oil or butter to a large pot and set the burner to medium.
3. While waiting for pot with oil to heat up, mince the garlic cloves.
4. When the oil/butter is hot and starts to shimmer, add the garlic and let it cook for about 30 seconds, until it turns golden brown and starts to smell delicious.
5. Add in the diced carrot, onion and celery, tossing to coat everything evenly in the oil. Let cook until softened, about 5-10 minutes, depending on how finely you’ve diced the vegetables.
6. Add the chicken stock, salt, pepper and turmeric to the pot and bring to a boil.
7. While waiting for the stock to boil, with two forks, shred the rotisserie chicken into bite-sized pieced.
8. When the stock comes to a full rolling boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and add the shredded chicken and rice.
9. Let simmer until the rice is fully cooked, about 20 minutes.
10. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add the parsley, if using.
11. Serve and enjoy!

Spicy Shrimp and Broccoli Pasta

Like the simplicity of pasta, but don’t feel like opening another jar of pasta sauce? This light pasta dish makes for a nice change from your typical tomato ragout, but can still be made fast! This recipe serves two, but can easily be double to feed a larger group. If you don’t want it to be spicy, simply omit the red pepper flakes – the dish still tastes great!

Ingredients

½ a head of broccoli
½ box of spaghetti or other long pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
½ pound of thawed, cooked shrimp
Salt

Directions

1. Bring a pot salted of water to a boil.
2. While waiting for the water to boil, chop the broccoli into small florets and thinly slice the garlic.
3. When the water has come to a full boil, add the spaghetti, stirring with a fork to make sure the pasta doesn’t clump together.
4. When there is 5 minutes left before the pasta will be fully cooked, add the broccoli to the pot.
5. When the pasta is al-dente, take the pot off of the burner (turning down the heat to medium) and strain the pasta and broccoli, saving ¼ cup of the pasta water.
6. While the pasta is draining, add the olive oil and red pepper flakes.
7. When the pan is hot and the olive oil shimmers, add the garlic and cook for 15 seconds, then add the thawed shrimp.
8. Let the shrimp heat through, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Add the pasta and shrimp back into the pot and mix everything together.
10. Season and serve!

Both of these meals will be ready in about 30 minutes, giving you lots of time to get back to what’s important. Even if “important” is simply watching TV on the flat screens in our newly renovated rooms!

Looking for more easy recipes? Check out Part II in our One Pot dinner series.

What’s your favorite one pot meal? Share your answer with us in the comments.

Semi-Homemade Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients

1 onion 1 stalk of celery 1 carrot 2 garlic cloves 1 tbsp olive oil or butter 1 box of low sodium chicken broth 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 2 tsp turmeric 1 cup of rice Fresh Parsley (optional)

Directions

1. Peel and dice the carrot, onion and celery and set aside for a moment. 2. Add olive oil or butter to a large pot and set the burner to medium. 3. While waiting for pot with oil to heat up, mince the garlic cloves. 4. When the oil/butter is hot and starts to shimmer, add the garlic and let it cook for about 30 seconds, until it turns golden brown and starts to smell delicious. 5. Add in the diced carrot, onion and celery, tossing to coat everything evenly in the oil. Let cook until softened, about 5-10 minutes, depending on how finely you’ve diced the vegetables. 6. Add the chicken stock, salt, pepper and turmeric to the pot and bring to a boil. 7. While waiting for the stock to boil, with two forks, shred the rotisserie chicken into bite-sized pieced. 8. When the stock comes to a full rolling boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and add the shredded chicken and rice. 9. Let simmer until the rice is fully cooked, about 20 minutes. 10. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add the parsley, if using. 11. Serve and enjoy!

Spicy Shrimp and Broccoli Pasta

Ingredients

½ a head of broccoli ½ box of spaghetti or other long pasta 2 tbsp olive oil 2 cloves garlic ¼ tsp red pepper flakes ½ pound of thawed, cooked shrimp Salt

Directions

1. Bring a pot salted of water to a boil. 2. While waiting for the water to boil, chop the broccoli into small florets and thinly slice the garlic. 3. When the water has come to a full boil, add the spaghetti, stirring with a fork to make sure the pasta doesn’t clump together. 4. When there is 5 minutes left before the pasta will be fully cooked, add the broccoli to the pot. 5. When the pasta is al-dente, take the pot off of the burner (turning down the heat to medium) and strain the pasta and broccoli, saving ¼ cup of the pasta water. 6. While the pasta is draining, add the olive oil and red pepper flakes. 7. When the pan is hot and the olive oil shimmers, add the garlic and cook for 15 seconds, then add the thawed shrimp. 8. Let the shrimp heat through, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. 9. Add the pasta and shrimp back into the pot and mix everything together. 10. Season and serve! Both of these meals will be ready in about 30 minutes, giving you lots of time to get back to what’s important. Even if “important” is simply watching TV on the flat screens in our newly renovated rooms! Looking for more easy recipes? Check out Part II in our One Pot dinner series. What’s your favorite one pot meal? Share your answer with us in the comments.