One-pot meals are an excellent vehicle for hiding foods that you wouldn't normally eat

in their original presentations

Red Peas with Beef and Chicken Soups with pumpkin hearty soups

Beef & Chicken Soups. Photo courtesy of Juici Patties

A one-pot meal is one in which all ingredients are cooked in the same pot all at once, it usually contains foods from three or more food groups, making it easier to consume more nutrients. One-pot meals are very convenient to the cooks as they use fewer utensils in the kitchen, as well as being very delicious.

A very common one-pot meal is the casserole. Although technically, the container is called a casserole, any food cooked in said container is classified as a casserole. A casserole typically has protein, starch, and cheese, with vegetables added as well. These foods are sometimes pre-cooked and then layered in the casserole dish and baked so all the ingredients can melt together. Because of this, a Lasagna is also technically a casserole, but the starch in question is the pasta.

In the context of Jamaica, we eat a variety of root tubers and other starchy vegetables e.g. green bananas, yam, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes so these can be cooked and mashed, and layered with meat, cheese, and a vegetable like callaloo. My mouth waters just thinking of it. This is a good way to get picky eaters to try some of these foods in a different presentation.

Tinned foods can also be used in casseroles to break the monotony of consuming and preparing them in the more traditional ways. I have had a green banana and sardine casserole well seasoned with herbs and spices, and it was delicious.

Casseroles are fun and ingenious ways of getting young children and picky eaters to increase their food intake. With children, the secret is cheddar cheese. Melted cheese gets them every time. I was able to get my younger sister to eat yams and dasheens by incorporating them into a casserole. Using pasta, (lasagna) is another fun way of getting children to eat and explore the world of food while keeping things nutritious. Adding some brightly colored vegetables such as carrots or bok-choi adds to the visual appeal of the casserole as well as adding to the nutritional value.

Another popular one-pot meal in Jamaica is our hearty soup. We put everything into our soups, foods from animals (chicken, beef, pork), staples (yam, green bananas, dumplings), Legumes ( gungo, red peas), Vegetables (carrots, callaloo) you name it, it is there.

Recipes can be found all over so go ahead do your research and get creative, make use of all your local foods.