21 Mediterranean Diet Skillet Dinners for Winter

a collage of some of the recipes from 21 Mediterranean Diet Skillet Dinners for Winter

The Mediterranean diet can be easily followed all year long, and winter is no exception. These balanced dinners are well suited for one of the healthiest eating patterns around and feature seasonal ingredients like fennel, kale, onion and sweet potatoes. Recipes like our One-Pan Baked Chicken & Potatoes and Cauliflower & Kale Frittata are comforting and nutritious meals that are perfect for cooler nights.

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One-Pan Baked Chicken & Potatoes

One-Pan Baked Chicken & Potatoes
Photography / Antonis Achilleos, Styling / Christine Keely, Ali Ramee

With just one skillet, you can make baked chicken and potatoes with ease. The chicken cooks directly on top of the potatoes to add flavor while also cutting down on the number of dishes to clean.

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Adobo Chicken & Kale Enchiladas

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Put out your favorite toppings for these quick and healthy layered enchiladas. We like cilantro, sour cream, guacamole and jalapeños.

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One & Yum Squid

One & Yum Squid
Jacob Fox

When cooking squid, the golden rule is to cook it fast (like this method, shared by Irish chef Clodagh McKenna from her new book, In Minutes) or cook it slow. Otherwise, it can turn out too chewy. Paired with spicy chorizo, earthy chickpeas, peppery kale and crunchy almonds, this dish feels like an instant taste-escape to Spain.

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Skillet Chicken Potpie

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A store-bought pie crust, frozen veggies and precooked chicken simplify the prep for this easy potpie. This healthy dinner recipe is comfort food at its best.

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Black Bean Fajita Skillet

Black Bean Fajita Skillet

You can often find presliced and ready-to-cook fresh vegetables in your grocer's produce section. Use these to your advantage to cut down on dinnertime prep. Here, presliced fajita vegetables are sautéed with canned black beans and Southwest seasoning for a quick and easy Tex Mex-inspired meal. Plus, this recipe requires just three ingredients, not including basics like salt, pepper and oil. You can easily take your bowl up a notch by adding some cheese, sour cream or another tasty topping.

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Skillet Lemon Chicken & Potatoes with Kale

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This easy one-pan skillet-roasted lemon chicken is perfect for weeknight dinners. Juicy chicken thighs are cooked in the same pan as baby potatoes and kale for a satisfying meal with the added bonus of minimal cleanup.

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Brown Butter Seared Scallops

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Get perfectly cooked scallops every time with this easy method. Sea scallops (the large ones) are sautéed in butter that turns deliciously nutty as it cooks, to make a super-fast, special dinner. A splash of lemon juice and fresh herbs finish the dish. Round out the menu with sautéed spinach and brown rice or orzo.

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Cauliflower & Kale Frittata

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Inspired by traditional Spanish tortillas made with potatoes, this healthy frittata recipe swaps potatoes for low-carb cauliflower. Serve it along with kale (or your favorite greens) for brunch or an easy breakfast-for-dinner.

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Garlic Chicken Thighs with Olives & Potatoes

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Bright-green Castelvetrano olives hail from Sicily and have a buttery flavor and meaty texture that pair perfectly with the Italian seasoning and salty capers in this one-skillet chicken dinner. Look for them on your supermarket olive bar or in jars with Italian ingredients.

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Jackfruit Sloppy Joes

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Meaty jackfruit makes these vegan sloppy Joes rich and filling. Jackfruit, a starchy tropical fruit, is mildly nutty and sweet, a blank canvas for a warm and spicy sauce like the one for this quick meat-free sandwich.

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Ancho-Spiced Chicken Skillet with Grapefruit Salsa

Ancho-Spiced Chicken Skillet with Grapefruit Salsa

This easy chicken skillet recipe comes together in just 30 minutes to help you put a healthy meal on the table fast. Sweet red grapefruit is our favorite for this dish, but any variety will do. Serve this juicy recipe with rice to soak up the sauce.

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3-Ingredient Sweet Potato & Brussels Sprout Hash with Chicken Sausage

3-Ingredient Sweet Potato & Brussels Sprout Hash with Apple Chicken Sausage
Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Apple-flavored chicken sausage adds flavor and protein in this quick dinner hash that uses a bag of shaved Brussels sprouts as its hearty, high-fiber base. Steaming the cubed sweet potatoes in the microwave cuts way down on total cook time.

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Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Kale

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You can make these three-ingredient tomato-simmered eggs with things you probably already have on hand in your freezer and pantry. To make these baked eggs more like eggs in purgatory, look for a spicy tomato sauce and don't forget some whole-wheat bread for dipping.

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Quick King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Quick King Ranch Chicken Casserole
Christine Ma

Usually made by layering creamy chicken and tortillas (lasagna-style), this classic Tex-Mex-inspired chicken casserole gets speedier for an easy weeknight dinner when we mix everything together in a skillet, then pop the whole pan under the broiler to make the cheese topping gooey. Serve this healthy chicken casserole recipe with a side salad for a filling meal.

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One-Skillet Salmon with Fennel & Sun-Dried Tomato Couscous

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Sun-dried tomato pesto and lemon do double duty to season both the salmon and the couscous in this healthy one-pan dinner recipe. Serve the salmon with extra lemon wedges and a dollop of plain yogurt, if desired.

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Rosemary Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Rosemary Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Chicken and sweet potatoes unite with the delicious taste of rosemary in this easy, one-skillet meal. Because we use parcooked and unseasoned sweet potatoes, the cooking time is much shorter—making this recipe perfect for weeknight cooking.

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Green Shakshuka with Spinach, Chard & Feta

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The inspiration for this green shakshuka recipe comes from HaBasta, a popular restaurant on the edge of Carmel Market in Tel Aviv, where the shakshuka is packed with green chard and spinach and a little hot pepper provides just a touch of spice. Serve with pita or crusty bread to sop up the sauce for a quick dinner or for brunch.

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One-Skillet Chicken Paprikash with Mushrooms & Onions

One-Skillet Chicken Paprikash with Mushrooms & Onions

Try this quick and easy one-skillet version of the Hungarian classic chicken paprikash. Serve the chicken cutlets, mushrooms and creamy sauce over egg noodles with a green salad on the side.

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Cheesy Black Bean & Quinoa Skillet Casserole

Cheesy Black Bean & Quinoa Skillet Casserole
Rachel Marek

This Southwestern-inspired one-skillet casserole is stuffed with quinoa and plenty of fresh vegetables. Sharp Cheddar cheese flavors the filling and adds a layer of ooey-gooey melted cheese on top.

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Chicken & Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette

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The key to this chicken salad is the homemade bacon dressing, which is made directly in the pan used to cook the bacon. Brussels sprouts are tossed with the dressing in the warm pan, allowing the residual heat to gently wilt the shredded sprouts.

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Lemon-Thyme Roasted Chicken with Fingerlings

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Fingerling potatoes are small, long, knobby spuds that are shaped like fingers. Look for them in the produce department or at farmers' markets.

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