Cooking for 2-3 People? 6 Tips to Help!
We met Kaitlin, a Minnesota medical mama, in her Meet a Reader post.
Since then, she's been thrown into single mom life, and she left this comment on a recent post.
I'm curious how you cook for 2-3 people. I am either making way too much or not enough for my little group. Any tips?
-Kaitlin
Funny enough, the vast majority of my cooking life has been the sort where I'm feeding six people; I cooked most of the meals for my family as a teen, and there were six of us then.
And of course, I got married and had four kids, so I spent a lot of time feeding six people then as well.
So, this cooking-for-two thing is pretty new to me, BUT I have been cooking for a three-person household for the last year.
I'll share a few of my strategies, but then I also want to ask readers for their advice because I know there are a number of people here who are cooking for even just one person!
1. Choose recipes that work well as leftovers
With a small household, most recipes are going to produce leftovers.
And not every recipe makes for great leftovers!
So, when I pick meals now, I really, really try to think about whether or not we will want to eat the extras as leftovers, and I use that as a guide in planning.
2. Make a whole recipe, freeze half for later
I used to make a big pan of stuffed shells, but there's no way Zoe and I will get through a whole pan of those now.
The same goes for a big batch of burgers or meatballs.
But for things that freeze well, it can still make sense to make a whole batch. For instance, when I mix up the meat for these burgers, I've been freezing a couple for a future meal.
Or if I make a batch of pulled pork, I divvy it up and freeze a couple of meals' worth of meat.
I've also been doing the same thing for baked goods; Zoe and I won't eat a dozen muffins quickly enough, so I freeze half of them after I bake them.
3. If a recipe is easy enough, just halve it
I don't know if this is logical, but for a very labor-intensive recipe or something with a long cooking time, it feels sort of annoying to go through all that work just to make a few servings.
(I would not halve a pulled pork recipe, for example!)
But for really simple recipes, like the baked ziti I made for Sonia and me last week, I don't mind halving the recipe.
4. Prepare a whole recipe but cook only half
When I made chicken katsu last week with Sonia, I pounded and breaded a whole batch of chicken, but I only fried what we would eat that night. I put the rest in the fridge to fry up another night.
That's a way to make leftovers feel a little bit less like leftovers; I'd much rather eat fresh-fried chicken than reheated cooked chicken. And it's not that hard to fry the chicken and reheat some rice on a future night.
I do this if I'm making fried cornmeal mush too; I fry up only what we will eat that meal and then leave the rest in the fridge to cook up later.
When I make whole wheat pancakes for myself at breakfast, I cook half the batter and then I refrigerate the rest to cook the next morning. Fresh-cooked pancakes are way better than leftover pancakes!
5. Fill out the meal with something flexible
If you're feeling iffy about how much food you're going to need, and you want to err on the side of caution with the more expensive parts of the meal (like the meat), you can add insurance by making extras of flexible sides.
For instance, you can make one burger per person, and then everyone can eat potato salad/chips/watermelon until they are full.
Or you could plan for a certain amount of chicken per person, and if someone is still hungry, they could have extra servings of sweet potatoes or rolls.
That could help you as you're in the midst of learning. Speaking of:
6. Give yourself grace for the learning curve
If your household has suddenly shrunk, then you're going to have an adjustment period where you will not get this right.
But it's ok. You don't have to be good at this right away; over time, you will figure it out!
Every time you make too much or too little, that's just helpful data that you can file away for the future.
Also: I know this is not the case for everyone, but if your household is suddenly small for a hard/sad/traumatic reason, that's all the more cause for giving yourself grace. Some nights might just call for sandwiches or cereal, and that's ok.
Kaitlin, I know that all the changes you are experiencing right now probably feel overwhelming, and the cooking is just one piece of that.
I really struggled with making dinner for a while over this last year and a half, so if you are struggling, just know you aren't alone.
But the super hard days are temporary; you will adjust and get to a new normal with time.
______________
Ok, readers, I'd love to hear your advice for Kaitlin (and I'll be taking notes too!)
Interesting post!
I usually cook for one person. If the recipe is complicated/requires many ingredients/cannot be halved (like a quiche), I prepare a whole recipe. I eat one serving, put one in the fridge, and freeze the rest (one or two servings, depending on the size of the recipe).
Sometimes I just freeze the main dish and vary the side dishes. For example, I cook and freeze several portions of chili con carne and eat the individual portions with rice or bread.
If a recipe is simple or doesn't call for many ingredients, I prepare one or two servings.
I know I've touted BudgetBytes.com multiple times, but I really can't overemphasize how great this site is if you're cooking on a budget. Not only can recipes be organized by cost per serving, diet, etc., but each and every one features a RECIPE CALCULATOR!!! I cook for just my husband and I 99% of the time. While I've become great at kitchen math (i.e. how to turn a Viking feast into a meal for two), it's nice to have the work done for me.
Re: tips, I find it useful to part things out ahead of time and freeze them in the needed proportions. A package of chicken thighs gets parted out into 2-3 per Ziploc, burger is frozen in either one or 1/2 pound portions, etc. (Pro tip: If you flatten the burger in the Ziploc, it will store more easily in the freezer and thaw faster when you need it!) My eyes are very sensitive to onions even with onion goggles, so I'll put myself through chopping a whole bag at once to get the crying over with, then freeze everything. When I'm cooking, I then just shake the portion I need out of the bag vs. chopping a new onion every time.
Fun cookbooks that encourage you to cook and/or try new things are a bonus. This can be expanded to just trying a new recipe or spice once in a while, without being hard on yourself if it doesn't turn out. Maybe you'll find a gateway recipe that expands your options! Thanks to BudgetBytes' Chicken Tikka, we're currently on an Indian food kick.
Like Kristen said, cut yourself some slack and embrace the occasional lazy meal. We jokingly call them "Apathy Nights" at our house, where neither of us feel like cooking. After I've run a long day of errands in the next city over, I will not cook; those are nights for brie, bread, strawberries and chocolate whipped cream, or a rare wing order to a nearby restaurant. Know thyself, know they limits. So long as everyone gets fed, you're doing just fine.
@N, I was thinking the same thing about using the scaling tool built into a lot of online recipes, if they scale down and not up.
Also, once I’ve scaled a recipe I know I’ll use repeatedly, I write the modified measurements in the margin next to the original recipe in my cookbook, or in the binder where I keep the recipes I’ve printed off.
@N, Onions bother my eyes a lot too. I've found that storing them in the fridge and cutting them when they're cold helps greatly. I've always read that onions shouldn't stored in the fridge but they've been fine. I just don't buy large quantities so it's only for a few weeks.
Great post. I think you've pretty much covered it all.
We only had one child, so I've been cooking for 2-3 for all of my married life. Recently my husband and I started intermittent fasting and I've found that I have to adjust the amounts of food I make because we're eating less/less often.
I like to eat leftovers from dinner for lunch the next day. If we have other plans, and I have enough leftovers for another meal, I try to freeze them and work it into another dinner within the next few months. Almost anything can be frozen. Thriving Home blog is a great resource for both recipes and knowing what can be frozen.
I also like quick meals that only make what we're eating for dinner, that way we don't have leftovers filling up the fridge. Things like pancakes/breakfast for dinner, bean burritos, or leftovers reimagined.
Another thing I like to do is cook meat and freeze it in meal-sized portions. Last night I thawed cooked, seasoned taco meat and threw together taco salad with things in my fridge. Not having to cook the meat saved me a lot of time in the kitchen.
I love all of these suggestions- when I was single, I used to make one dish and eat it all week. It was terrible! I would get so bored of it by the end. I figured I deserved variety just as much as anyone, so I did e-Meals (I think it was something like $40 for a year, but I bet they have similar free versions of this now). They sent meal plans with recipes adjusted for servings of 1-2 people.
@Katie, and I love eating one thing all week!
I'm currently cooking for 10, so I don't think I have a lot of experience here....but sometimes it's hard to judge for 10, too. One thing I do when I'm iffy about something like hamburgers is to make smaller ones-- and call them sliders. Then the little kids or those who aren't feeling as hungry and there's more for those who need a little more.
@Jody S., I’m cooking for 7, but as my crew gets older it feels like 10! Almost every week I find a meal that used to feed us with leftovers is only just enough for a meal. My next hurdle is buying a bigger cast iron skillet.
@Tiffany, Yes. I have so many sizes for different things. What I used to call "the scrambled egg pan" is too small. So I now have "the old scrambled egg pan" and "the new scrambled egg pan."
I really struggled with cooking for 2 when I went from 4 to 2. I tend to make as little as possible because I am the only one who will eat leftovers. It is easier to grab a roll, fruit, or veggies to go with the meal.
I portion out what I freeze, mine are pre-packed for 2 people so I only need to grab 1 package of chicken for dinner. With hamburg I cook it when I buy it and portion it into serving sizes.
@Mar, I have a friend who won't eat leftovers, why do you suppose that is?
@Jean, leftovers have higher histamine levels, I believe. It might make your friend feel crummy.
@Jean, My mom no longer eats leftovers. She says that they taste different, even with using leftover meat in a different dish. It has definitely been more so as she has gotten older. Maybe taste buds change? My dad still really enjoys leftovers, so he frequently has them for lunch the next day.
@Jean, when I was growing up, we had to eat every leftover until it was completely gone. Whether you liked the meal or not. When I became an adult, I chose (and often still choose) not to eat left overs because I was forced to eat them as a child. There are some things I will eat leftover, however, 9 times out of 10 I won't. My son is a champion leftover eater (by choice) so I don't usually have to worry about waste.
@Jean, I don't love most leftovers because it smells different and tastes different. There are some exceptions, primarily soups and non-protein heavy dishes. When I was a kid with 5 siblings to help eat leftovers, I generally didn't have to eat stuff I didn't like a ton, but now as the grown up with only two kids to eat leftovers with me, I have to do more of it.
@Heather, huh? Could you link to an article or something?
Check back with me in ten years or so. 🙂
I think all your tips are great!
One more idea is to consider if you know anyone who would like some food if you want to make a recipe that will be too large for your family's needs. I have a neighbor/friend who is an older woman who lives by herself. She is always delighted to have a meal or a few muffins or cookies. I'll just send her a text and one of my daughters will bring it over.
@Ann, I do meal-sharing too, especially with my next-door neighbor (another older lady who tends not to cook for herself) and with the Bestest Neighbors (who, in turn, invite me over for casual dinners frequently).
And all of Kristen's advice is excellent, particularly her #6 and especially the part about giving yourself grace during hard times. That's why I wasn't too hard on myself when I ruined the one dinner I tried to make last week.
@Ann,
that's what I often do - not so much with my immediately neighbours but with friends of mine. And often enough I get invite spontanously by this/those friend/friends.
@Ann, Yes, that's a good idea. I share meals with a co-worker. I will text her the night before not to bring lunch. She lives alone and sometimes doesn't feel like cooking for herself, or preparing a lunch for the next day if it's been a tough day at work.
@A. Marie, I think meal-sharing is important because, especially if you're cooking for one. I've known so many people who, for various reasons but especially because they are older, just stop eating in a healthy way because they have nobody to eat with. I know that's not exactly what was meant, but sharing a meal together is important, too.
@Jody S., I know older people who eat poorly because they don't have the physical energy to shop or order groceries, then stand to prepare a meal, then clean up. So they skip the whole effort. They have great appetites tho!;)
@Ann, I have a friend who is 30 years younger and she is always bringing by leftovers. I finally told her that I am not too decrepit to cook and she said that was not why she brought by leftovers. It is because her husband refuses to eat them and the two boys now ape their father and refuse, too. She sees our house as the step between her kitchen and the compost heap because if we didn't take the food she would just throw it in her compost. That is what I consider my dog and chickens to be, a final resting place for food or organic remains before they hit the compost!!
@Kristina, That's my dad, and that's a big part of why he moved in with us. His back can do some things....but a whole meal plus the clean up is too much. PLUS he was lonely.
@Ann, That is such a delightful idea to share some of your leftovers with neighbor if you make too much. Really helps build neighborhood connections too! I love that.
@Ann, I hadn't thought about meal sharing! I do cookie/bread/cinnamon roll sharing because I love to bake to clear my head but I don't have enough mouths to eat the quantity!
I had to make the adjustment from cooking for a large family to cooking for myself and sometimes my husband. Kristen and other readers have shared wonderful ideas for food waste management. I also must agree with the reader above Budget Bytes is a great resource.
I found that planning was the key for me and I made many mid-week adjustments. Now that I cook for just one or two, my meals have become much simpler. For example, last night we ate roast chicken and salad. My husband is home this week so I also made a pot of rice.
Now that I’ve made this adjustment, I find that I have difficulty cooking for my family and house guests. Two weeks ago, my daughter was home for a visit. She is a vegetarian. It was an off week for my husband so he was also home. He thinks a meal isn’t complete without meat. I have some food allergies including wheat. Meal time was very taxing!
I cooked for a family of six, then gradually down to two, then one until my son moved back in temporarily. So I've had to roll with it! What I did before my son came back was make a meal for two and use any leftovers as a lunch for work. I keep meals very simple. I buy chicken thighs and freeze them two to a bag. Tilapia comes frozen, individually packaged and thaws/cooks fast so that makes for an easy meal. And a roast in the crock for pulled pork can always be portioned out and frozen to use later as a topping for freshly baked potatoes! I also buy just enough fresh veg for the week and keep frozen veggies on hand. In fact, most of what I cook is freezer friendly to begin with. Extra taco meat filling or sloppy joes can be frozen in containers and you can make plenty all at once. Same with spaghetti or most pasta dishes. Leftovers are crucial to me on weekends when I work a 12 hour shift and don't want to spend a fortune in the hospital cafeteria.
What I have found that works best for me? Trial and error. (:
I know this won't help many, but dh and often have the #same thing for dinner. I lost most of my taste and smell with COVID, so tuna is my go to meal 3 or 4 nights a week. It's one of the few things that I can taste. Dh LOVES a ham sandwich with fresh tomato, so often he gets that with fruit and a few crackers. We are past needing a big meal most nights. It is quick and easy, relatively inexpensive and we are happy. Can't ask for much more. Now, our college senior is still at home, so 2 or 3 nights a week I'll fix A big meal and we'll eat it until it's gone. Last night, Chicken Bog. Tomorrow will be the spaghetti everyone on TikTok is talking about, if I can find the recipe.
I have always cooked for two people. Cooking is not my favorite household chore (I would SO much rather do laundry! That's my hands-down favorite chore!), but we still need to eat.
I do a lot of batch cooking. So, I'll make Italian lasagna, or Mexican lasagna, or a soup, and I make a giant batch of it. But I freeze it in meal-size portions, so my husband can take some to work, or we can eat a homemade pasta bake one night after a busy day. This works better if I have a day or a half day where I can spend time cooking big meals, but it pays off later. It also helps to have finally figured out what a serving size is for us, so I don't keep putting 1.5 servings in a container because that's what fits, instead of 1 serving that is the appropriate amount.
I also do a lot of serial meals. So last night I roasted a lot of veggies and tofu. We ate them fresh last night, and then tonight we'll eat the leftovers on salad or rice. If there's more tomorrow night, I'll add an egg and more salad or rice. If there's not, I'll move on to the next meal on my meal plan. I don't meal plan per day, I make a list of meals I can make with what I have, and I just cook through them as we go. I do start with the fresh/more perishable items, and then towards the end of a meal planning phase, we're having more beans and rice with frozen veggies, but that's ok with us.
For a while, I made batches of "protein, carb, veggie" and just rotated which one. As we ate the veggie, I made a new one. When we finished the carb, make a new one. And each night that combo, plus whatever sauces/condiments/cheese/toppings we had, made dinner. I liked that method because it helped use up a lot of random pantry items.
Other notes: the glass ikea food storage containers have served us well for 9 years. They go in the oven, freezer, fridge, microwave. A few have broken and chipped, but most of them are still in good service.
We embrace leftovers. I love leftovers. I like simple meals (see above that cooking is not my favorite household chore). I do have a list of "single" meals that will serve us one meal with no leftovers - mac and cheese, frozen pizza, omelets. I pull those out if my serial meals don't last as long as I expected them to.
I don't know if any of my ramblings are useful, but I hope maybe they spark an idea for you and your needs. Good luck!
@Molly, I also read the goodcheapeats blog and buy her meal plans when I really need some easy ideas. There tends to be a meal plan on sale per month, and recently that one was a meal plan for dinner for one. They have been worth the money for me.
@Molly, I remembered some more tips:
- Not everybody's plate has to look the same. My husband will eat one leftover, I'll eat another, everybody's fed, good enough.
- Another resource for simple meals (although she's feeding way more than 2-3) is Heavenly Homemakers.
- Ask for help. I'd make you a Mexican lasagna if you were close.
@Molly, your first paragraph made me smile, because it brought up another funny memory of my DH. We always used to joke that he moved me in with him a week after our first and only date for two reasons: I can spell (he was always an atrocious speller, despite the degrees in English lit), and I love to do laundry!
@A. Marie, was DH the cook in your family? My husband was for a number of years, but then our jobs changed and it makes more sense for me to cook right now.
(I am also a great speller and my husband is a terrible one! So that made ME laugh!)
@Molly, DH was the grillmeister back when we had a grill and he still knew how to use it safely. But in general, I was the cook and he did the KP duty. I've been doing my own dishes for the last 5 years or so (ever since he really started going downhill), and I hate doing dishes as much as I love doing laundry.
I went from cooking for four to three to two to one. I'll endorse everything Kristen says.
I'm big on leftovers, since I pack a lunch five days a week, so sometimes, I still cook for four but eat it over one or two evenings and two or three noontimes, not necessarily in a row. I also may split dishes after making them and freeze some to thaw and eat later.
Like Sarah K, I write the scaled down amounts in the margins of the recipe - not having to figure fractions each time makes it a breeze to cook a favorite recipe in a smaller amount.
I usually make things that are easier to cook in smaller amounts, too: two chops, burgers, steaks, chicken breasts, salads, whatever, instead of four and things like pasta and homemade stir-fry are easy to scale back. And I think ahead; when I open a package of ground beef, for instance, I plan multiple meals. I might plan to cook a burger, then a pan of sloppy joe, a meatloaf, or a meat sauce for pasta out of that one package. I might freeze whatever else I cooked for later or eat it in the same week as the burger, however I happen to feel. I make casseroles, stews and soups and automatically cool and freeze about half or more of it by the pint for later. I debone and cut up the leftover ham or pull the meat off of a cooked turkey or chicken and vacuum seal it in small batches to use later.
(Here's where I plug the idea from the Tightwad Gazette to list the contents of your freezer. It makes meal planning, prep and shopping soooo much easier. I use a slightly warped chalkboard that I hang on the side of my freezer, with an old sock as an eraser. I am nothing if not fancy.)
It takes a bit of practice, but I'm so used to it now, I don't even think about it.
@JD, I started keeping a list of my freezer contents several months ago and I am AMAZED at how much easier it makes grocery shopping and meal planning. I use a spreadsheet for my freezer inventory (and also list of recipes). I'm thinking your chalkboard would work well for the week's meal plan.
@Elaine N,
Keeping track of the inventory is truly amazing, isn't it? I hate menu planning, but at least this makes it much easier to do.
@JD, in case this never occurred to you (because it was a game changer for my freezer inventory): I list the items in my freezer. Then I put an open circle next to the item for the quantity (like butter, I always have many pounds of butter in the freezer). As you use them, fill in the circle. As you buy food, make a new circle. I learned this from Jessica at good cheap eats.
How many years did I try and fail at freezer inventory before this incredibly simple trick made it work? At least 8.
@JD, "...and homemade stir-fry [is] easy to scale back."
WHAT?
I cannot for the life of me make small stirfrys. I JUST CANNOT. They grow and grow and grow as I chop with glee, and suddenly I have the mound-o-veggies staring at me from the counter and overflowing bowls.
I am learning (sometimes) to then pack at least half away for another day/purpose, but my inherent love of sharp knives and "The Tassajara Cooking" method of cutting vegetables seems to bring out the inner chopping demon, and my "Scale-it-back-o-meter" is totally busted. I can only do this if I limit myself to three vegetables. as soon as I move to 4, the sky is the limit...
@Ecoteri,
Same here. We go to make stir-fry for 2 and end up with 4 huge or 6 normal portions after the veggies are in there.
@JD,
I have tried to do freezer inventory. I have gone thru and made a list at least 3 times and never looked at it again. 3 months later...make a new list and same thing.
Maybe some day it will finally stick.
I agree with all of your points. I try to now ( empty nest two people) cook once and eat twice or more. I do a lot of freezing and reheating later.
On the occasions that I'm just feeding myself and my toddler, I make very simple dinners. Scrambled eggs and cut up cucumbers, pasta and broccoli, peanut butter sandwiches and fruit, etc. My personal view is that any food is dinner if we serve it at dinner time. I try to serve a variety of foods across the week, but I don't sweat it if every meal isn't exactly magazine-ready.
When I lived alone and cooked for one, my biggest challenge was not getting sick of what I made--especially since I was eating mostly vegetarian and really cheap (i.e. lots of beans and rice.) I had rules that I wouldn't make two dishes in the same category or based on the same flavours two weeks in a row. So if I made tomato-lentil soup one week, I wouldn't make leek-and-potato soup (too much soup) or lasagna (too many tomatoes) the next week. I'd make something like tofu-and-rice bowls with peanut sauce. In my mind, the pattern went wet-dry-wet-dry i.e. soup or stew one week, something like a rice bowl or stir-fry the next week.
@Meira@meirathebear, Breakfast for dinner is one of my favorite meals! I used to love when my mom decided to make waffles for dinner, seemed decadent for some reason.
There are three of us that I cook for and I do what you do! Make things that freeze well, if I am taking time time to make burgers / meatballs / lasagna, make full recipe and freeze portions. I do that with desserts too - cookies / cakes / brownies (kid is nut allergic, so easier for me to bake then worry about store bought).
I struggle with the opposite. I can just barely feed my family of 4, but can’t figure out how to physically find the space to cook for more people on a standard 4-burner & single oven unit.
@JenRR, salads are your friend, as are dishes that include a veggie!
@gina, We do love our veggies. Thanksgiving always includes a big green salad because I run out of room to cook things! I think I need to figure out how to better utilize my cooking space. I do a lot of “separates” instead of combined dishes (like casseroles and such), due to both food allergies and preferences.
@JenRR, A rice cooker! Get a 6 cup+ and it becomes a staple for meals- and you can make so many different kinds- add cilantro & lime for a Mexican dish, add tomatoes for Spanish rice, add peppers one night and nothing but butter the next. Plus it's cheap and easy to make leftovers into fried rice (or stuff into Kongs for the dog! for cheap treats!) I think an Instapot could probably also be useful- I just have ventured there yet.
Cooked rice and spaghetti freeze great! Sometimes I'll make a big batch and freeze for serving later.
We are a household of two and hubby does most of the cooking since he works from home. His schedule is more flexible and sometimes he does not have time to cook if a gig suddenly comes up. We will plan a "big cook" on the weekends to make something we can have as leftovers for the work-week and/or freeze the rest for another meal. For example, we will cook a large roast chicken on Sunday and have it for various meals during the week with whatever vegetables/rice/potatoes we have on hand. We can shred the smaller bits of chicken for tacos or chicken salad.
Also, when we eat out/order in we usually have leftovers and work those into the weekly meals as well. We often choose what to order based on the possibility of leftovers for another meal, which saves time and some money. Restaurants can be expensive, but if I get more than one meal out of it then it's less per serving. Today I am having leftover pizza (restaurant made) with a simple salad (I'll be making myself) for lunch.
Another option is quick-fix foods that are already portioned like hamburgers or frozen tamales. Makes it easy to just take out the amount you need per person for the main dish and we will serve veggies that we have already cut up for the week on the side.
When our household size shrunk I went to the library and picked up some "cooking for 2" types of cookbooks. I found some recipes that I was excited to try and each cookbook had a little "how to cook for two people" section at the front that I found helpful. It was a stressful time and I just wanted someone to give me the answers. I ended up finding a cookbook I loved and asked for it for Christmas.
I also have a meal prep cookbook that makes individual serving that can be frozen. I find this super helpful to stash dinner in the freezer for nights I need flexibility with the number of people eating at home.
@Geneva, I always checked novels out of the library - realizing that they also had cookbooks was awesome! My mom always says that if you buy a cookbook and get one good recipe out of it, it was probably worth the price. That's extra true if it was free! 😀
@Ronni, Geneva- I agree with your library tip! I’m a good flexible menu planner/cook for any number, any meal, any price range. That comes from reading cookbooks from the library. If I was new to this, I’d buy a big basic cookbook, and get a few “cooking for two”-type cookbooks from the library every few weeks, and probably something in the frugal cooking category. Fun and done!
@Geneva, @Ronni, @Jenny. I am a lover of reading and reading a cookbook from front to back has occurred very often. thank you Ronni's mom for her thoughts on cookbook purchases - she has just removed all guilt for my 5 shelf cookbook bookshelf... and honestly, having purged that selection several times over, what is there has something of value to me. I have taken cookbooks out at the library and occasionally decided that I wanted to have that book for good, as I won't cook directly from a book I don't own (splashes, you know....)
I have, currently, become very good at printing recipes I find online that appeal. I have a bit of a process where I clean the recipes up to a format that works for me and so they fit on one page, so often the online recipes are formatted to print on multiple pages (what a waste) so I just edit them down until they fit on one - and the system I am using means the recipes are easier for me to peruse. I need to do a couple of hours of sorting of recipes, though.... a few too many of the printed ones were try-once and discards...
I have mostly cooked for two and my husband won't eat most leftovers. I have a different approach than most of the commenters in that I don't make full batches. I have found recipes for just enough pancakes for two, just enough muffins for two and most baking recipes are divisible by the eggs, meaning that it can't go smaller than a whole egg.
I make lasagna in a loaf pan with 3-4 lasagna noodles rather than the whole big pan. Soup can be easily adjusted to a smaller size as can salad. Pasta is also adjustable, cook only the right amount.
Make a casserole in an 8x8 pan or a loaf pan. Looke for recipes that are in muffin cups for individual servings. I agree that making one big batch and eating it all week is boring and leads to food waste and overspending to get something different.
Substituting common things for specialty items is also useful. I will never be able to use buttermilk when a recipe will call for it but I can use half yogurt half water and that works fine.
@Big City Ann,
I, too, have learned from my culinary-oriented son to use yogurt for buttermilk. Great sub!
YES. I do this all the time and oh, it's so much easier than keeping buttermilk on hand!
@Erika JS,
I keep powdered buttermilk for times I need a little and don't have any fresh. I also freeze fresh buttermilk in one-cup portions for cooking. But I've subbed yogurt in when I have plain yogurt on hand.
@Big City Ann, I have found there is dried buttermilk, works great.
@Big City Ann, I love your tip for making lasagna in a loaf pan!
Our family is small, just the three of us, and cooking has always been challenging because my husband and our son both have Asperger's syndrome and the food particularities that go along with it. I am the happy omnivore and dealt with their issues by cooking small amounts of a lot of dishes that they could choose from. Then I'd put leftovers together for my lunches. It worked but I got very tired of my own cooking.
We are retirement age now and eat less than we used to. I am adjusting to this by cooking less and making sure there's fresh fruit, veggies, cheese and nuts available.
@Ruby, I feel you on food particularities! My kids are not on the spectrum, but deal with sensory issues, and when they get stressed food is one of the triggers. I've moved toward having lots of options for whenever they're hungry so even if they're too worked up to eat at lunchtime, there will be nutritious snacks for them later.
A year or so ago I started reading the food Friday posts here. I was way overbuying food after kids moved out. I had no idea what I needed to buy for just me since everything I ever brought home got eaten up by someone else. What everyone here bought and ate each week helped me figure out what to do. I remember one post Kristen said one of her kids probably had popcorn for dinner. I was intrigued. So now I know. Eat whatever you want. You’re not going to get scurvy or rickets if you eat an unconventional meal now and then.
What I learned from Michael Pollan- eat food, mostly plants, not too much.
What I learned from health food advocates- eat unprocessed foods.
What I learned here- eat what you want.
Kaitlin wishing you a joyous future! If your kids are young (adorable pic) life will only get more confusing meal wise so these changes will suit you well in all the stages! They’ll start having activities and a social life and not all will be home - mine are young adults and live on and off with me while they’re between semesters or seasons of their young adulthood - it never stays the same! So the list above is great - I use all those ideas and also just have grace for myself and use leftovers like a boss for packed or home lunches - embrace the use it up buffet as needed and planning mains and starches that can be used for other meals is my most useful tactic - I made a ton of chicken last night - it will be served as is with salad and side- leftovers will go into stir fries that strike my fancy or be buffalo chicken or enchilada filling. The rice I made with it will be a basis for rice bowls later for chicken. Or whatever I cook next because the chicken got eaten first. I am sort of a serial chef LOL. Truthfully I rarely have the ‘right’ amount - even my biggest eaters have varying appetites
Since there are cookbooks designed for "Cooking for Two," I'm sure there are also recipes/me plans online for this. Remember the government recommends at least half your plate be green vegetables, and one-fourth each be starches and protein (meat, fish, poultry, beans, etc.) Our H-E-B (supermarket) has containers of potato salads, cole slaw, etc. that you can keep in the fridge and then just dish out a scoop for a side dish to go with a meal. I often make a large salad with everything except the dressing and tomatoes (unless I use uncut cherry tomatoes) and keep covered in the large salad bowl in the fridge; then I just dish out some either in a small bowl or on the side of the dinner plate, along with the protein and another veg. I add the cut tomatoes and dressing at the last minute. In summer, a good side dish is to marinate french-cut green beans in some Italian dressing overnight....you don't cook the beans, just drain the can and let them soak in the Italian dressing....comes out nice and flavorful as a side entree. In winter, if we have too many leftovers, I made a veggie soup using either a large can of tomato juice or Blood Mary mix (spicier) as the base. Serve with a large biscuit, roll or chunk of homemade bread from your bread machine. And don't forget all your crockpot tricks: you can get smaller sized crockpots, often at thrift stores or Walmart, and/or prepare smaller quantities of stews and such in your regular slow cooker. An old Weight Watchers trick I learned years ago: 2/3 cup cottage cheese plus fruit or a tomato (if you want to be fancy, get a large garden tomato and scoop it out, adding the cottage cheese in there). You can use sugar-free fruit cocktail, or cantaloupe slices. This makes an easy but filling lunch (or supper, if lunch is your big meal of the day).
This is all really great advice Kristen! As someone who has been cooking for 1 since about 2012 my best piece of advice is do what works for you. I honestly use all these methods except #4 but that is because personally cooking something even just on the stove is a hurdle and so I’ll cook it up all on the same night so the only thing I have to do is reheat in the microwave. I know it can affect taste/texture sometimes so it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I have to do it this way because burnout/anxiety. It makes it easier if I cook when I have the energy/less anxiety and so then when I’m having a hard day it makes it easier to feed myself as I can just put the leftovers in the microwave.
By no means the expert, but having lived alone for more than forty years, I applaud the tips Kristin has given. Three blogs I have bookmarked have great variety and already scaled down recipes.
http://www.dessertfortwo.com/
https://www.chocolatemoosey.com/
https://onedishkitchen.com/
The ATK Cookbook for Two is good also.
We are empty nesters with kids coming and going at different cadences. When we are 2, I plan for less cooking nights (planned leftovers) and plan to eat some leftovers for lunch since I wfh. When we flex up with more people I sometimes double the recipe to have leftovers since I count on them for lunch. Also sometimes I repeat the main and add new sides to make it more “fresh”.
Even though I'm now a household of just me, I will still buy the family pack chicken/porkchops etc, cook them either unseasoned or very plainly seasoned, then freeze in individual portions. It is easy to thaw a single chop or a few chicken tenderloins, dice, and add to whatever main dish I make (rice and beans, roasted sweet pototoes and onions, stir fry veggies, pasta sauce). Saves me money at purchase, and I wind up with little or no food waste.
@Denise, that's a brilliant plan
Hello all, my name is Patricia and I’m a widow of 2 1/2 yrs. I grew up cooking for 8, 6 kids 2 parents. Then got married and couldn’t cook for 2. It was a lot if trial and error and learning. Later with 3 children and many of their friends I was cooking for a group again. As with life and many changes, kids married,had children and still all came for Sunday dinner. Some stayed married, others not so much and moved home. Thankfully, she is eldest and has been home for years with her only child (now 26). Since my husband passed of Covid, we are all making it each day, and still have birthday, and holiday dinners here for 14 to 17 family members. We are close and that is my salvation.
With the changes in life food is always something that binds us together. So struggling with amounts is something that still happens. I have learned to take it all in stride. Leftovers get frozen if possible, and not much gets tossed. This sight is new to me and instantly enjoyable.
Thanks for the time and sharing,
Patricia
@Patricia, welcome! This is a friendly place! 🙂 I like your take on this slice of the internet..."instantly enjoyable". I'm sorry to hear of your husband's passing; my Dad passed from Covid as well. It was awful. So glad you are close with your family and are able to gather for special occasions!
I cook for one. It's helpful to think in terms of what to buy at the grocer for a smaller household to use without waste or too much effort or repetition. Even a small cabbage is usually too much for me, so I'll buy a bag of the shredded coleslaw mix (usually green and red cabbage and some carrot.) That works for additions to a soup/stew/curry, a salad, or a stir-fry. I only buy baby carrots rather than whole carrots. They're easy snacks or sides (either raw or cooked) and easy to chop up for soup etc (or slice into coins and freeze for any cooked dish in the future. Works for celery too). I buy fruit that will last a couple weeks, like apples. If I'm buying some with a short lifespan, like berries, I only get one, the smallest quantity, and prioritize eating it. And, like others have said, I make sure to have components that can constitute an easy meal or sides (hardboiled eggs, cheese, crackers, nuts/trail mix, frozen veg, a sliced loaf of bread in the freezer). Adding a those to a small bowl of dinner leftovers changes it up nicely. Good luck!
@Ringo,
As you have said, it is helpful to shop at grocery stores that allow you to buy some items in small quantities - 1 sweet potato, 1 apple and so forth.
If I buy a fresh ingredient like cabbage, I might serve fish tacos on Tuesday and egg roll in a bowl on Thursday to use it up.
@Ringo, I often buy the bagged cabbage or broccoli slaw mix too. I wanted to note that I often ask a produce person to cut a small head of cabbage in half for me. They have always been gracious and readily done so. I especially like a half of a purple cabbage for example.
I just noticed the Publix commercial about Juneteenth that had cycled in on my screen here. It shows a Publix employee that I know! I used to wait on him and his wife when I worked at a bank. His oldest son went to school with my daughter. That was unexpected.
Pardon the interruption. Carry on.
Good suggestions. Love the budgetbytes website that some other commenters mentioned.
The freezer can be your greatest kitchen appliance! I make a huge batch of simple meatballs and freeze them in thirds -- then you have spaghetti and meatballs, swedish meatball, and sweet and sour with rice. I;m cooking for myself, so when I decide to make a stir-fry, I bring home the beef, slice it for the recipe, and freeze serving size containers. THen you can make a stir-fry with whatever veggies you have in the kitchen. Also soup. I make a very veggie chicken soup with clear broth and freeze it in flat freezer containers. However carbs don't freeze as well, so when I'm going to serve it, I cook noodles or potatoes separately and add them to the thawed soup. I had two boys, so we ate a LOT of hamburger/noodle casseroles, we'd eat one dinner and the boys would scarf up the rest the next day for a snack or lunch. Also, use eggs to make all kinds of things, soft tacos, fritata, stuffed omelets. I always had one celebration-type meal. I used to cut up a whole chicken (back when it was more frugal to do that) but sometimes I bought chicken breasts without bones, and I can remember my son coming to the table and saying, "Yum, boneless chicken!"
Question for the experienced cooks: We are now empty nesters...so cooking for two
If I am making a pan of enchiladas, do you cook the whole pan and freeze the leftovers or do you cook half of it and freeze the uncooked enchiladas to cook later on? I was planning on making a pan of meatloaf tonight. Cook the whole thing & freeze leftovers or cook half of it and freeze the uncooked meatloaf to bake later? Is it food-safe to freeze uncooked meatloaf??? Thanks!
@Susan, I freeze the enchiladas uncooked so the tortillas don’t get too dry. I have frozen meat loaf cooked and uncooked. However, I think if I used frozen meat to make the meat loaf. I would freeze it again. I would be concerned it would impact taste.
Serve fewer side dishes. I grew up with meat, starch and 3 vegetables. I now know that was because vegetables were cheaper and the budget needed stretching.
Yes love making extras when there’s only 2 of us. Makes other nights easy peasy.
I am very very curious about the high number, well to me at least, of comments saying that they or family members do not eat leftovers. This is breaking my brain, because this is not part of my culture, we just eat what is there until it's... gone? I mean... it's food? and in the fridge so not gone bad? So, I would just really appreciate if someone would help me understand, why would people not eat food that is already cooked and available?
This is a real question, and apologise if it seems snarky it really is not. I'm just really trying to understand.
I will eat leftovers. But some things are just not that tasty left over, which is why I will sometimes just cook part of what I've prepared so that I can cook the rest fresh the next night!
I definitely grew up in a home where eating leftovers was normal, so it would be odd to me to just throw them away.
@Carla, I struggle with leftover meat because it smells weird. It sounds silly, but it makes it really hard for me to eat without gagging. If it's something like lasagna where the meat is covered in sauce or somthing else, that's fine. That said, I don't like throwing out food so I make sure to cook stuff that I can tolerate leftover, or cut down on the meat part so I don't have to deal with leftovers.
I came from a house of three people growing up to just cooking for me and my husband now, so this is def in my wheelhouse.
- if you are going to make something that is best in a batch (like hummus or tomato sauce), and you lack the freezer space for storage; I have of luck in using it up by planning different meals/snacks that require it. Made hummus for gyro night? Now veggie dip for the rest of week and homemade Cava bowls go on the menu
- Don't be afraid to play with seasoning after something has been made. I have turned many a pasta sauce into chili by adding cumin, chili powder and beans.
-Give yourself a break. Especially if you are trying a new recipe, there is going to be leftovers and/or waste. I'm lucky that I work with a bunch of guys that can't cook and will eat anything, so worst case I give a co-worker a free meal. Try and find the silver lining.
@Heather, that reminds me of a time many years ago that I asked a friend for her chili recipe. Her reply was “who uses a recipe for chili?”. Lol. My mother always made her chili with Campbell’s tomato soup. Now I use whatever I have in the pantry (rarely would I start with soup) and it turns out well every time. I credit some of that to using Penzey’s Chili 3000 or 9000 blend which really adds some complex seasonings.
TL, DNR: freeze lots of servings. Well labeled, naturally.
I plan my meals for what I called "planned-overs". If I have BBQ one night, I will make slaw, knowing that I can then serve that same slaw later in the week with some fish. Same thing with most of my sides: mac n cheese and most veggies goes well with so many things. If I cook a typical meat and 2 sides, it is pretty easy to mix and match. It's when I cook something ethnic like tacos, or spaghetti that it can get tricky. Nobody wants refried beans with their pasta! LOL
I love Kristen's comment on having flexible sides! I am known to make corn bread, heat a can of beans or corn or set out cold veggies if I need to stretch a meal. All easily can be thrown into fried rice, potato scramble or a pot pie (yes, even beans) the following night. Plus, there's always apples or PB&J if anyone is still hungry.
Lots of things freeze well. Except noodles in soup. Sometimes I make two small pans of lasagna and freeze one or a huge pan and then freeze pieces for later (any casserole, really). I'll often freeze cookie dough or soups flat in a freezer bag (I swear they maximize freezer space).
If I just make waaaay too much of something (who can make two servings of potato salad or eat an entire fruit salad) I'm happy to bring some to my newly widowed neighbor.
Overall, I've go of the notion that we are supposed to have three meals and that those meals need to look a certain way. I've had baked beans for breakfast and egg on English muffins for dinner or "pizzas" on English Muffins.
And, sometimes, I just have leftover night. No one complains and it can always be paired with something fun, like a board game or movie afterwards.
My 3 kids grew up with what we fondly refer to as “Tour de la Frigo”night. I pull out all the leftovers, frozen bits, and food that needs to be used up and someone gets to choose first and down the line it goes. We make it fun.
Also, I make tacos at least once a week. Easy way to use up leftover meat to make a new meal. Tacos are great for picky eaters because they can assemble their own.
Sometimes I’m hungry for something that’s harder to downsize- beef stew maybe. That’s when my daughter’s family gets dinner that night, too. Not exactly frugal, but I love to cook and it gives her a break.
Even without a change in family size, I have run into the same scenario! It can be tricky to right-size your cooking. One thing that has helped me a lot is to have easy vegetable sides always at hand. Things like carrots and hummus, celery and peanut butter, or veggies with ranch dressing helps to round out a meal that is not quite enough on its own. On the freezer side, corn, peas, green beans all take only minutes to cook. Exciting? Maybe not, but it gets the job done!
something that would be fun and easy - get enuf pizza dough, divide it up for 3 children
and yourself (if you choose) let the kids make their own small pizzas, put happy faces on them or their names - whatever they want. just make sure you have enuf dough for several pizzas for each child - it can be healthy and enjoyable!
One joy of cooking for fewer people is that you may not need to cook as often! Cook ingredients that will work over multiple nights in different combos: Chicken breasts or thighs eaten with sauce the first night, as enchiladas or tacos, then in a green salad or chopped as chicken salad. Chickpeas soaked and cooked as a side dish, then for hummus then in salad. OR if you're grilling dinner one night, toss on a few of something to save for later in the week: beets, eggplants, potatoes, whatever.
I’m sure many of us grew up having regular weeknight meals, meaning a meat, “starch” and veggie/ salad. It’s hard to break away from this. I cook for myself, my husband, and my 87-year old mom, who lives down the block. We raised four kids, so I cooked for 6 for many years as well. I still meal-plan, and cook pretty much the same as always, but I’ve become proficient in halving recipes for meals AND baking. It’s really pretty simple. And if I goof up and there’s too much— no problem, leftovers for lunch. Sometimes we go out without my mom and I need to do a single meal for her. I’ve made chicken and rice for one, a hamburger, a chef salad with crackers, pork chop and sweet potato, chicken salad sandwich, etc.
Thank you sooooo much, Kristen---I really need these tips! And thank you to all the Readers for their comments, once I have time to read them. Thank you, too, Kristen, for all the grace mentioned for those going through a hard/sad/traumatic reason for needing to change the number they cook for. After 24 years, it is for just one for me. Huge learning curve. Haven't gotten it down yet after months.
What I try to do, though, is what I did with our toddlers and preschoolers when they were "living on air" for awhile---which the pediatrician said was OK:
Now I make sure that whatever I DO eat, when I feel like eating, is as healthy as possible.
There are so many different hard reasons to have a smaller household; sending you love.
@Kristen, thank you so much. Means a lot!
For the past couple of years, my husband and I have lived about 100 miles apart so we could attend different schools. So, I've been cooking for one for most of those nights.
To make things easier and less stressful with my school schedule (sometimes involves early mornings and/or late nights), I prep all of my meals for the week on Sunday and Monday.
I eat overnight oats almost every morning, so I pre-mix the oats and protein powder once a week, then add milk to a few of them at a time before putting them in the fridge.
I prep lunches for the week on Sundays. It's often turkey burgers, some sort of burrito or wrap, crockpot pork or chicken with rice and veggies or beans, or pasta with meat sauce.
When it's time for dinner on Monday, I make enough to get me through the whole week (or at least through Friday). I'll often cook a meat in the crockpot during the workday, then make sides that evening.
I know some people aren't fans of leftovers, but I don't mind them at all! Prepping this way also helps us save money, as I'm not tempted to eat out during the week when I have food ready for me in the fridge.
A FB "friend" (I have never met this woman personally even though she lives in my town) on a local home cooking page cooks and displays beautifully. Her husband died a little over a year ago I think. Initially she was having a hard time making her beautiful dinner creations for herself alone; but she has come a long way and will display what she has created for herself (or possibly a lunch with a friend). Today popped up a recipe call Pasta alla gricia. I found a recipe for two at Bon Appetite April 21, 2015. Seems simple enough, light for a summer supper with a salad or fruit.--See below. I also have a simple recipe from America's Test Kitchen for lasagna rolls for 2. It makes about 6-8 rolls. I freeze half.
Both guanciale and Pecorino are quite salty; Leonardo Vignoli, the chef at Da Cesare al Casaletto, recommends undersalting the pasta water to give you more control.
Ingredients
2 Servings
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces guanciale (salt-cured pork jowl), cut into ¾-inch pieces (Giada's recipe used bacon)
8 ounces rigatoni
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper, preferably ground with a mortar and pestle
3 ounces Pecorino Romano, finely grated on the small holes of a box grater (about 3 cups)
Preparation
Step 1 Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low. Cook guanciale, stirring often, until it starts to brown and crisp, 10–15 minutes; it will shrink dramatically as the fat renders. Transfer to a small bowl with a slotted spoon; reserve skillet (do not wipe out).
Step 2 Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling lightly salted water, stirring occasionally, until pasta is about halfway cooked (not quite al dente); drain, reserving 1 ½ cups pasta cooking liquid.
Step 3 Add ¾ cup pasta cooking liquid to reserved skillet and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, swirling often to encourage drippings and liquid to emulsify, about 1 minute. Add pasta and cook, tossing often and adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until pasta is al dente and a thick, glossy sauce forms, 5–7 minutes (this second cooking is why you undercook the pasta initially).
Step 4 Increase heat to medium-high. Add guanciale, pepper, and two-thirds of Pecorino; toss well to combine and melt cheese. Serve pasta topped with remaining Pecorino.
Nutrition Per Serving
Calories (kcal) 1290 Fat (g) 90 Saturated Fat (g) 35 Cholesterol (mg) 105 Carbohydrates (g) 86 Dietary Fiber (g) 4 Total Sugars (g) 5 Protein (g) 29 Sodium (mg) 3270