The 15-Minute One-Pan Dinner I Make When I Don’t Feel Like Cooking (Every Single Week)

I’m rarely ever organized enough to make a meal plan for the whole week. It’s Monday! How on earth should I know what I’ll want to eat three days from now? Does this lead to multiple rushed grocery trips before school pickup? Yup. But I also have a couple of back-pocket recipes that help me to avoid it. 

I have strict criteria for such recipes. The ingredients should already be in my pantry (or fridge or freezer), there should be a historical track record of everyone in my family liking it (even though, on some nights, this doesn’t matter at all) and, most importantly, it should be easy. Which is why I make Christine Gallary’s 15-minute egg roll skillet on a weekly basis. 

Get the recipe: Egg Roll Skillet

Thanks to a bag of coleslaw mix (sometimes I use Trader Joe’s broccoli slaw), there’s very minimal prep. I have two onion-hating daughters at my dinner table, so this usually means I just need to mince some garlic and ginger. (And I don’t bother peeling the ginger.) I also often skip the scallions. Partly because of my children, but also because it’s not always in my fridge. But you know what? It still tastes incredibly flavorful, thanks to the trifecta of soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar (plus the aromatics).

Ground meat makes this stir-fry super simple. The recipe calls for pork, but I often swap in ground turkey or chicken. Once the pan is hot, I add the meat and let it sit (without touching it!) for a few minutes to get a nice sear. While I wait for that, I keep myself busy by prepping the garlic and ginger. After you get a nice crust, you’ll break up the meat with a wooden spoon and cook until no pink remains. 

From there, it’s a breeze. Add the garlic and ginger and cook it until you smell their deliciousness. Add the coleslaw mix and soy sauce cook until the veg is to your liking, then remove from heat and add the sesame oil and vinegar. And voila! Dinner is ready in less than 15 minutes. 

1. Make a spicy mayo. A creamy drizzle of Sriracha mayo (as pictured above from Christine’s other egg roll bowl) adds a nice kick. 
2. Serve over rice. About an hour before dinner, I’ll let my Zojrushi rice cooker work its magic then time the stir-fry around the rice. While it’d still be delicious without the extra carbs, we’re a rice family.