Betty Crocker The Big Book of One-Pot Dinners

As all Betty Crocker cookbooks I reviewed, The Big Book of One-Pot Dinners is excellent. This edition is a trade paperback but if you have a busy kitchen, a hardcover edition is a better choice for longevity. You will find a huge choice of recipes of one-pot dinners in six categories: Casseroles, Pot Pies, Oven-Roasted Dinners, Stovetop Dishes, Slow Cookers, and Soups/Stews/Chilis. Each recipe is conveniently placed on a single page many with full-page photographs. The recipes have prep and start-to-finish times and nutritional information per serving. Unlike many cookbooks’ prep times (much too short), these are reasonable for the average home cook. The recipes extensively use canned foods, mixes and other prepared ingredients (e.g. jars of chicken gravy, Bisquick Mix, dry mashed potatoes, deli rotisserie chicken). The instructions are clear, easy to follow and most ingredients are readily available. Many recipes have symbols indicating Crowd-Pleasing and Low-Calorie. And recipes also feature Quick Variations, Healthy Twist, Time Savers and some give substitutions. A few heirloom recipes (e.g. lasagna, chili) give alternate variations under New Twist title. For home cooks with little available kitchen time yet wanting home cooked meals, this cookbook is an excellent choice.