cooking for one (and a half?)... HELP!

NatesLady1309

Hubby is going to be doing (another) super restrictive diet plan for the month of August (the Whole 30 one) and I will mostly be cooking dinners for Addy and I for the whole month. She is not a big eater, just average at best most of the time. What we do now for breakfast and lunch will be fine, it's dinner that I'm going to struggle with. I am used to making enough all 3 of us and we always have a good amount of leftovers. I need meals that won't have a crazy amount of leftovers! Yes, I could freeze things but I don't want to eat the same stuff over and over again within the month. The only idea I had that I'm diggin' right now is these- https://www.plainchicken.com/2012/03/sloppy-joe-biscuit-cups.html although I make them with cornbread mix instead of biscuits. I love that they are single serve and would be easy to freeze, plus it only makes a dozen. Anyone have ideas for smaller portioned meals? I am so used to my way of doing things after being married 4.5 years! 

ssimon621

Can't you just make the same meals and just do half of the recipe?  Like if you made spaghetti do half the amount of meat/pasta/sauce.  If you were doing chicken/veggie/side just do half the amounts.

2chatter

I do a baked parmesan tilapia (cooks quickly, super easy) because I can make as many or as few as I need.  Same for chicken recipes; I just make two to three breasts (favorite is a lemon caper chicken).  When it is me and one child I do soup (canned) some of the time because it is easy.  Also cook one package of chicken sausage; serve it as sausage one night then throw it ground in the crock pot with peppers, mushrooms, red sauce and serve over pasta another night.  I also love the gardein meatless products, and those are easy for me and one child or just me (if the kids have eaten something leftover I do not want to eat or there is not enough of for me - that happens a lot here - I have enough left overs for two - three kids and they all want it, but there is not enough for me or me and one child).  I also produce some things that will freeze well intentionally so it's a once a week leftover/already made item but not for all of us - things the kids don't like as much or only one child likes - like veggie stuffed shells, gnocchi and stuffed peppers.  I end up doing a lot of random cooking for two people, but it's only so we can eat everything and not waste food.  I also "repurpose" food.  For instance, I made garlic soy pork chops one night, then two nights later we had the leftovers shredded in wraps with lettuce served with BBQ sauce.  HTH!

NatesLady1309

ssimon621 said:

Can't you just make the same meals and just do half of the recipe?  Like if you made spaghetti do half the amount of meat/pasta/sauce.  If you were doing chicken/veggie/side just do half the amounts.

If it is "halfable", yes. Some things are harder to "half."

MrMrsandBaby

I just get a lot of meat and portion it out.  Allison and I would eat a slightly larger than normal chicken breast so I find those in bulk and put them in individual freezer bags.  Easy peasy!

Also, I hate cooking so dinner is a lot of sandwiches/cereal/breakfast foods in my house lately (DH works 2nd shift so we never eat together).