Cooking for one or two gets easier when ingredients have more than one job. Start with a couple of flexible meals, rather than a full week of ambitious recipes.
Build around shared ingredients
Try roasted vegetables with rice one evening, then use the same vegetables in eggs or a wrap the next day. A simple sauce or different seasoning can change the meal without another shopping trip.
Stock a practical little pantry
- A grain or pasta you enjoy and know how to cook.
- Canned beans or another convenient protein that suits your diet.
- A cooking oil, salt, and a few seasonings you use often.
- Frozen vegetables for the nights when fresh produce runs short.
Buy for your actual week
Check your fridge before shopping. Choose quantities that fit your plans, your appetite, and your storage. A larger package is only useful if you will use it or can portion and freeze it appropriately.
Plan a place for leftovers
Keep suitable containers ready, label food with its date, and follow food-specific storage and reheating guidance. Choose smaller cookware when it fits the meal, and check a recipe’s pan size before scaling it down.
Our picks for small-batch cooking
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Small Dutch oven
Soups, stews, braises, and bread for two. A 3-quart size goes from stovetop to oven and still fits in a small cupboard.
- 3 to 4 quart
- Enameled cast iron
- Oven-safe
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Mini rice cooker
Cooks rice, oats, or other grains for one or two while you make something else. Small enough to store in a cupboard.
- 3-cup capacity
- Keep-warm setting
- Removable pot
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8-inch skillet
The right size for two eggs, a grilled cheese, or warming leftovers. It heats quickly and washes in a minute.
- 8-inch
- Oven-safe
- Lightweight
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Quarter sheet pan
Half the size of a standard sheet pan, right for roasting vegetables or a small dinner. Many fit a toaster oven, too.
- About 9 × 13 in
- Rimmed
- Toaster-oven size
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Leftovers
Glass meal prep containers
Portion tonight’s leftovers into tomorrow’s lunch. Glass goes from the fridge to the microwave; check the lid’s care instructions.
- Single portions
- Microwave-safe glass
- Leak-resistant lids
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Prep
Digital kitchen scale
Makes scaling a recipe down simple: weigh half the flour instead of guessing at half a cup.
- Grams and ounces
- Tare button
- Slim to store