If the thought of sweating over several pots and pans and then having to wash up half of the cookware you own fills you with dread, a meal chucked in a single roasting tray or dish is the answer. And that has never been more relevant than now, when we have to cook pretty much all of our meals at home (and do all the washing up too). From elaborate special occasion dinners to speedy weeknight meals, you'll be surprised by the variety of dishes you can cook in your roasting tray.

The fragrant, spicy, sweet and sour flavours work brilliantly in this marinade. Excellent when served as a snacking bowl of wings or a more substantial meal of thighs and drumsticks with rice, the flavours and the moistness of the chicken will win you over instantly. The only thing you need to do is sit back, relax and wait for the timer to beep.

Get the recipe for chicken with lime, orange and jalapeño here

Easily made in a baking tray or dish, this quick recipe is sure to become a midweek dinner favourite. Bursting with delicious flavours, you can save some for lunch the next day too, if cooking for fewer people. It's great as a carb-free meal, but you could add rice or quick-cook noodles if you wanted.

Get the recipe for sticky soy and honey roasted salmon with greens here

Aubergines are really good at taking on flavours and here they’re mixed with chilli, cumin, chickpeas and red kidney beans, then topped with more aubergines to make a delicious traybake. A great example of how you could save time and on washing up by cooking the sauce in the tray itself, this filling veggie dish is finished with bubbling melted cheese.

Get the recipe for aubergine chilli traybake here

A simple dish to serve for a meat-free meal or an exciting side to any meat, this recipe couldn't be easier to make. The different textures and flavours complement each other well while the ready-made sauce makes cooking this dish even quicker. Don't forget to scatter freshly chopped herbs when serving to lighten up the hearty flavours.

Get the recipe for roasted spicy squash, nuts and beans here

Truly scrumptious, this is one of those dishes that you'll want to make again and again. Homemade pesto is best, but you can easily use a good quality pesto from a jar too. Serve carb-free with a light side salad or pop a few small potato wedges in among the chicken and tomatoes. The sauce also makes itself in this dish as the roasting chicken and tomato juices mix – just don't forget to spoon it over when serving.

Get the recipe for chicken with pesto, cheese and tomatoes here

These honey-roasted vegetables are an excellent side to serve with roasted meat or a vegetarian alternative, and are easy to cook (and wash up) as everything's roasted in one tray. You could jazz the dish up by serving it with some crumbled blue cheese or feta on top or a garlicky crème fraîche dressing.

Get the recipe for honey-roasted vegetables here

This simple recipe combines flavoursome venison sausages and earthy mushrooms with squash, kale and a rich sticky glaze into a delicious dish. Dried mushrooms will work for this recipe just fine and you could also substitute the sausages if you can't find venison. Ready in around an hour, it's the perfect recipe to capture autumn flavours on a plate.

Get the recipe for venison and wild mushroom traybake here

A frittata in a baking tray or dish might sound odd but it's the easiest breakfast, brunch, lunch or even dinner dish you could make. The idea is to cook it the same as you would in the pan – roast any combination of veg you like (tomatoes, peppers, asparagus, for example) until they're just cooked, then wilt spinach for a minute and finally pour over egg whisked with a touch of milk and seasoning, and bake until the frittata is set. You could add cheese to the egg mixture or top with crumbled blue cheese or feta and serve with a side salad for a more substantial meal. 

An indulgent recipe for special occasions at home, this stunning dish combines smoky roasted red peppers, creamy burrata and slightly spicy 'nduja that falls apart in the hot oven. Certainly not an everyday dish, this is great as a starter or side for a date night or a celebration at home.

Get the recipe for roasted red peppers with burrata here

Sometimes you simply can't bear cooking for hours and this roasted version of ratatouille is a recipe for those days. The vegetable bake practically makes itself as all vegetables are cooked together in one tray and topped with some melted, gooey cheese. Don't bother with meat, just sit back with a warm, crusty bread to mop up all the sauce and enjoy your evening.

Get the recipe for roasted vegetable bake here

Even the most accomplished and elaborate-looking dishes can be cooked in a single tray. For a special Sunday roast, the cooking of this impressive lamb leg and veg is all done in one tray. You might not have previously considered stuffing your lamb with cheese, but trust us, the combination is heavenly.

Get the recipe for roast leg of lamb with pecorino and garlic here

All the flavours of a classic Chinese takeaway are captured in this brilliant broccoli dish that can be eaten as a veggie meal or served as part of a bigger spread. The florets absorb the spicy, sweet and savoury sauce perfectly and are simply divine with rice or noodles.

Get the recipe for kung pao roasted broccoli here

The perfect Friday night treat, this one-tray nacho bake will quickly become a favourite. Scatter nachos all over the tray and spread refried beans throughout. Then scatter over cheese (generously), add tinned sweetcorn and black beans – if you've any leftover chicken to use up, feel free to add that in too. Finally, top with sliced jalapeños and bake until the cheese has melted. Serve with generous helpings of guacamole, sour cream and salsa.

A vegetarian take on a comfort food classic, this could not be easier to make when you don't have time or the will to watch over countless pots and pans. You will need two roasting trays if you're cooking the exact quantities in the recipe (it serves eight), however, if you halve it, you could get away with using just one. It's sure to become a weeknight staple in your home.

Get the recipe for vegetable toad in the hole here

It's hard not to fall in love with this dish: big on flavour, bold in colour, easy to prepare and, best of all, baked in one tray. You can use any hardy fish fillets here that'll take on the flavours, like cod or salmon, and feel free to mix up the vegetables, depending on what you have at home. To make this dish veggie, simply swap the fish for large portobello mushrooms and add to tray when you stir in the radishes.

Get the recipe for harissa and lemon baked fish with cous cous here

Red cabbage doesn't really get used in many ways other than braised or in coleslaw but there are lots of wonderful things you can do with this hardy vegetable, like this Japanese-inspired recipe. The cabbage is roasted and then drenched in an umami-rich sesame miso dressing that's then great as a side or on its own, served with brown rice.

Get the recipe for sesame miso roasted red cabbage here

A guaranteed crowd-pleaser, this spiced chicken traybake recipe draws on aromatic Indian flavours. Roasting the marinated chicken with the vegetables means that all the delicious roasting juices are absorbed rather than discarded. It's fantastic served with a dollop of natural yogurt and some sliced chilli.

Get the recipe for spiced chicken traybake here

The perfect dish for any meal of the day, a good quiche recipe should be in everyone's repertoire. In this version, broccoli and gorgonzola complement each other beautifully, with a slight kick from the chilli. The recipe uses shop-bought puff pastry for the base, so all you need to do is pile on the veg and cheese, and bake. It's great with a crunchy green salad on the side.

Get the recipe for broccoli and gorgonzola quiche here

There's something very beautiful about the simplicity of toasted open-top sandwiches and this – topped with mushrooms and thyme – is one of the best for a light lunch. A mixture of wild mushrooms will work best, if you can get them, but you could also make it work with large portobellos or shiitakes.

Get the recipe for mushroom and thyme tartines here

Let your oven do all the hard work by chucking everything into a tray in this excellent lamb chops recipe. The mixture of rhubarb and ginger is both tart and warming and, when married with earthy beetroot and starchy potato, is just delicious. There are bags of flavour in the finished dish, despite how simple it is to assemble and cook.

Get the recipe for rhubarb and ginger jam lamb chops here

A recipe full of exciting Indonesian flavours, this warm potato salad is known as gado gado. A combination of potatoes, green beans, beansprouts and peanut-coconut dressing, this one-tray dish will brighten up any meal. You could jazz things up with a jammy boiled egg, fried tofu, shredded Chinese leaf cabbage or some prawn crackers on the side.

Get the recipe for warm Indonesian potato salad here

Essentially a chicken dinner in one tray, this recipe is full of zingy Mediterranean flavours. It says to pre-cook the potatoes in the microwave, however, you can just cook them in the oven on their own before the rest of the ingredients go in. Finished off with slightly spicy and oily chorizo, salty olives and tomatoes bursting with flavours, a handful of chopped herbs will complement the dish perfectly.

Get the recipe for one-tray roast chicken, potatoes and peppers here

A lovely dish to cook for a picnic or lunch, this savoury tart combines creamy goats' cheese with earthy beetroot and peppery rocket. All arranged on a ready-made puff pastry base, it's a breeze to make and will taste especially good with some sourdough and balsamic oil for dipping.

Get the recipe for beetroot and goats' cheese tart here

Simple, easy and quick, this one-tray dish doesn't need a lot of attention as the flavours speak for themselves. A lovely combination of new potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and halloumi, the dish is spiked with the zingy flavours of lemon and basil. A plate full of sunshine, this is a great mid-week dinner for warmer days.

Get the recipe for Mediterranean roasted halloumi with basil dressing here

Another easy breezy tart to make, this recipe makes the most of new season courgettes. Feel free to play around with the veg and try asparagus, red onion or even sliced aubergines. The key here is to slather the base with sundried tomato or green pesto and add cheese, like grated Cheddar or mozzarella slices before piling on the veg.

Get the recipe for cheese and courgette tart here

Could it be any easier than piling two puff pastry sheets on top of one another with hot tomato sauce, bubbling cheese and slightly salty ham in between? Great for the whole family, this ham and cheese slice can be eaten hot or cold and will work for both breakfast and lunch.

Get the recipe for Italian ham and cheese pie here

Perfect for a weekend breakfast, while this recipe cooks in the oven, you'll have plenty of time to dress the table, prep coffee or tea and serve some toast. The roast potatoes, flavoured with the oil from the chorizo, will also work as a lunch or dinner meal – just add a green salad or some steamed green beans and you're good.

Get the recipe for Spanish potato and egg hash here

If you're after a quick snack or need a bite-sized canapé, these baked figs are great. All cooked on one tray, the sweet fig halves are topped with halloumi, refreshing basil and wrapped with salty prosciutto. Then simply arrange on a tray and bake until ready – it really is that easy.

Get the recipe for baked figs with halloumi, prosciutto and basil here

Nothing screams comfort more than creamy mashed potato and crispy spud skins. Simple, delicious and filling, you can easily adapt the flavours to use up whatever other ingredients you have lurking in your fridge. Although you will have to put in a bit of extra effort to mash up the cooked potatoes, you can reuse the same tray to bake the filled skins.

Get the recipe for feta and spring onion-stuffed potato skins here

A brilliant addition to any Sunday roast, these rainbow carrots brighten up a table with their purple and golden hues. The recipe combines them with a fresh, herby yogurt that's full of delicious flavours like garlic, dill and mint. If you can’t find any rainbow carrots fear not, regular carrots will do just fine.

Get the recipe for roast rainbow carrots with herbed yogurt here

Sometimes all you want is a simple meal ready quickly. This one-tray chicken with veg is just like that. Just arrange seasoned chicken breasts (you could also do thighs and drumsticks or sausages) and the vegetables of your choice – we like carrots, potatoes and red onion, courgette or mushrooms – and roast until ready. You might have to add things to the tray mid-cooking, depending on the cooking times, however, you'll save on washing up after. Finish off with adding cherry tomatoes for the last five minutes and scatter basil, once cooked.

Now discover the world's most popular lockdown recipes