13 Top Tips on Cooking For Two

Whether you are newly married or have recently found yourself with an empty nest, transitioning into cooking for two can be a challenge, mainly if you have been used to cooking for a family. Cooking too much food can lead to food waste, which isn’t good for the environment or your budget. Here are my 13 Top Tips on Cooking For Two with additional insights to cater to smaller households and those seeking healthy meals and new recipes.

1.) Use the Right Sized Pans

When cooking for two versus a crowd, you must have smaller pans. Instead of using a 13 x 9 casserole dish, you will need an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 size casserole dish. You don’t need a family-size skillet. A ten-inch one should be the perfect size when cooking for two. A ten-inch skillet has enough room to make a deep-dish pizza, cook a steak, or make a stir-fry dinner for two. A 4-quart saucepan is perfect for replacing a Dutch oven for soups and stews.

If you like making things like brownies, cornbread, or lasagna, ensure you have a loaf pan; it is perfect for baking in smaller portions. If you like to use a slow cooker for making dinner, the 4-quart size will take up much less room on your counter, and it’s a good choice for cooking smaller portions.

Most countertop appliances come in standard or mini sizes. Mini food processors, crock pots, griddles, and instant pots take up less space and cook the perfect amount for two.

2.) Buy in Bulk 

This might not make much sense when trying to cook smaller portions, but buying the larger packages of some items like chicken breasts, ground beef, or sandwich meat is more budget-friendly when purchased this way. Just portion your chicken breasts or other items appropriately for your needs. Then, you can freeze it for later use and still be able to take advantage of bulk prices. If you don’t have a food saver, they can be a very handy investment if you do a lot of portioning and freezing.

3.) Frozen over Fresh

Fruits and vegetables are essential to making healthy meals, but when you feed only a person or two, they can spoil before you can eat them all. That’s where frozen fruits and vegetables come in handy. You can take out the portion of broccoli you need for stir-fry or just enough fruit for your breakfast smoothie without worrying about it going bad before you can eat it. You can even buy chopped and frozen bell peppers and onions that you can toss in the pan for chili or spaghetti without worrying about using a whole onion or bell pepper.

4.) Convert Your Recipes

Don’t forget to convert your recipes; most recipes you find online are meant to serve 4 to 6 people, so if you don’t want too much leftover food, you will need to convert your recipe. You can find free apps available online to help you convert your favorite recipes to your desired portion size. Some online recipe cards, Oh, That's Good recipes included, have a handy adjustment tool to increase or decrease the servings you need.

5.) Make the Freezer Your Friend

When cooking for two, your freezer can become your most used kitchen appliance. When you have leftovers from recipes that can’t be converted, you can store them in the freezer for another time. You may also choose to cook some of your favorite meals in batches, so you have leftovers for the freezer to pull out for another meal.

This is great for planning when you have a busy schedule coming up and making dinner does not fit into your plan. Thaw out a meal, reheat, and eat! Your home-cooked freezer meals will be infinitely better than store-bought. Casseroles and soups are often a good choice for this. Freeze them in single or double portions to pull them out for a quick lunch or dinner on a night you don’t feel like cooking.

6.) Keep it Simple

When it comes to making meals for two, oftentimes simpler is better. You don’t have to make and serve a three-course dinner every night of the week. Skillet meals, one-pot dinners, and even foil pouch meals, where you put your meat, veggies, and seasonings in aluminum foil and cook it in the oven or on the grill, are simple, tasty, and filling options. Breakfast for dinner is the perfect way to keep it simple.

7.) Meal Plan

Just because you are only cooking for two doesn’t mean you shouldn’t plan your meals. Planning your meals can save you time and money, and when is that ever a bad thing? Planning can mean cooking once and having at least part of your meals done for the rest of the week.

For example, you can roast a chicken on Sunday to serve with a salad; on Monday, you can have BBQ sandwiches with your leftover chicken; on Tuesday, you can have a chicken stir fry; and on Wednesday, you can throw the remaining chicken in chicken pot pie or casserole. You aren’t eating the same meal all week but aren’t wasting any food either.

8.) Grocery List

Before you head out to the store or make your grocery order, ensure you have your grocery list. Check the sales, make your weekly meal plan, and then check your fridge and pantry before making your grocery list. There’s no need to buy multiple items you already have, especially perishable ones like produce or dairy, so having a plan and a list can save you money and reduce food waste.

9.) Keep a Well-stocked Pantry

Having a well-stocked pantry means you can make a delicious meal at any time without going to the store or worrying about anything going bad before you can use it. Some pantry staples you should have include canned meats like tuna or chicken, canned vegetables, chicken, beef, or vegetable broth, and a variety of rice and different kinds of pasta. You should also have soups and baking essentials like flour, sugar, salt, cooking oil, and your favorite spices. You might be surprised at all of the things that you can make right out of your pantry.

10.) Embrace Small Appliances for Big Flavors

Utilizing a toaster oven or an instant pot is an easy way to cook delicious meals without heating your entire kitchen. These appliances are perfect for small households, making them a great addition for preparing individual portions or meal prep. Try using a toaster oven for roasting vegetables or making French toast—it's a simple recipe that doesn't require a lot of time.

11.) Use Local and Seasonal Ingredients

Visiting local grocery stores and farmers' markets is a perfect recipe for discovering new recipes and ingredients. This is a great way to support your community and encourage healthier eating habits. Incorporate seasonal produce in your meal planning; it's often more affordable and tastier. Adding a fresh herb or an unusual vegetable to your shopping list can inspire easy recipes and transform your date nights into a culinary adventure.

12.) Plan for Leftovers with Creativity

Seeing leftovers as ingredients for future meals is an easy meal planning strategy that saves much money and reduces food waste. Transform yesterday's pork chops into a savory stir-fry or use leftover sour cream in a batch of French toast for a next day brunch. Storing extras in a freezer bag or meal prep containers ensures that good health and convenience go hand in hand. This approach not only makes meal prep a breeze but also ensures you're never out of meal ideas.

13.) Optimize Cooking with Simple Recipes

Moreover, cooking simpler dishes allows for greater flexibility. You can easily adjust these recipes to suit your tastes or whatever ingredients you have on hand, reducing food waste and encouraging creativity. For a small household, this adaptability means you can enjoy a diverse array of meals without the need for extensive planning or a lengthy ingredient list.

Incorporating simple recipes into your routine is a key strategy for making the most of cooking for a small household. It's about finding joy in the process, savoring the results, and doing so without overcomplicating meal preparation. Let these recipes be the foundation of your cooking repertoire, and discover the pleasure of creating delicious, straightforward meals that perfectly suit your lifestyle.

Get Cooking!

Cooking for two is slightly different from cooking for more, but with these 13 tips, you can make every meal a delightful experience. From favorite things like pasta dishes to easy recipes for busy nights, there's always room to explore, experiment, and enjoy the process. Meal planning, smart shopping, and creative use of leftovers can turn the challenge of cooking for two into a budget-friendly and delicious enjoyable routine.

Do you have other tips for people cooking just for two? Share your thoughts, and let's make cooking for two a joyful and rewarding adventure.

Do you have any other tips to share for people who are cooking just for two?