It’s easy to get in a cooking rut when you’re responsible for only yourself, but you deserve some delicious variety in your life. These 25 recipes provide that variety. With options like grilled cod with spinach and tomatoes and vegan garden tacos, these recipes are full of satisfying foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus one sweet treat. Treat yourself well and try a new dish today.
Six-Minute, Single-Serving “Spaghetti”
“Ideal for college dorm rooms, this recipe will satisfy a serious Italian food craving and takes just minutes to prepare using only a microwave. Can also be cooked on the stovetop. Add a variety of extra veggies for a healthier, more filling meal. Top with cheese and serve with crusty garlic bread, grilled chicken, or a fresh salad. And of course a big glass of wine!” —rebecalm89
Pancake Lasagna for One (or More)
“Until now if you wanted lasagna, you had to make a lot, but thanks to this easy technique, that’s all changed. This recipe makes 4 single-serve lasagnas, but you easily scale back and just make one, freezing the extra 3 pancakes for later use! The pancakes in this recipe are actually more like thick crepes that come out tasting like egg noodles. It’s almost impossible to tell you didn’t use pasta–since these pancakes taste like homemade lasagna noodles. Make it as-is or adapt it to your personal taste.” —John Mitzewich
Chicken Salad for One
“My fiance loves chicken salad, but it’s not for me, so i always end up throwing out extra servings that other recipes make. So, I made a single serving one day and am sharing my recipe so you don’t have to waste extra servings either! If you like your chicken salad crunchy, add some cashews! Serve as a sandwich or on top of lettuce!” —happywife
Tonkatsu Shoyu Ramen (Pork Cutlet Soy Sauce Ramen)
“If you have ever wanted to make Japanese noodle house ramen, this tonkatsu recipe is for you. This everyday meal is great for singles with some cooking experience; it may take longer than the overall time without cooking experience. To save time, I rarely measure each ingredient’s amount due to the large number of small measurements in the recipe.” —bvncbvnc
4-Ingredient Egg Avocado Toast
Yolanda Gutierrez
“This 4-ingredient egg avocado toast, topped with chopped hard boiled egg and sprinkled with everything bagel seasoning, makes a satisfying breakfast or lunch in just minutes.” —Yolanda Gutierrez
Break-Up Pasta
Robby Lozano / Food Styling: Julia Levy / Prop Styling: Abby Armstrong
“This creamy single serving break-up pasta is the perfect weeknight comfort dinner when you’re cooking just for yourself.” —Diana Moutsopoulos
Pizza Lava Toast
Sara Haas
“Gooey cheesy pizza flavors that’s as easy to make as toast? Yes please.” —Sara Haas, RDN, LDN
Garlic Chili Oil Noodles
“These easy garlic chili oil noodles are not for those with a mild palate! Wok-fried garlic chili oil takes ramen noodles to a new level.” —TheDailyGourmet
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“Learn how to make a grilled cheese sandwich in a nonstick pan with buttered bread and American Cheddar for a classic hot sandwich.” —Sara
Air Fryer Salmon for One
Chef Mo
“Learn how long to air fry salmon for amazing results! Did you know an air fryer can do more than just crisp and lend a healthier version of fried food? I decided to cook salmon in mine and was so pleased. Serve with vegetables and rice pilaf if desired.” —thedailygourmet
Baked Mac and Cheese for One
“Mac and cheese for one is quick and easy to prepare. Once you try this homemade mac and cheese, you’ll never want the boxed stuff again. I cook mine in a soup crock.” —amydoll
BLT
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This BLT is classic: bacon, lettuce, and tomato—nothing fancy, just delicious. (I use fake vegetarian bacon these days, and it’s still really good!)” —MOTTSBELA
Shakshuka for One
John Mitzewich
“This shakshuka for one is for those days when you need a break from breakfast cereal, and crave something that will sustain you for most of the day, while making you feel very happy and satisfied. By all means, serve this with bread so that you can mop up every bit of the tomato, pepper, and mushroom sauce, along with the delicious, hopefully somewhat runny, yolk.” —John Mitzewich
California Roll Cucumber Salad
Maura Rawlette
“This California roll cucumber salad is easy: mix sliced cucumber, diced crab, diced avocado, seaweed, rice vinegar, soy sauce, pickled ginger, and sesame seeds in a glass jar to make this TikTok viral salad.” —Chef Mo
Grilled Cod with Spinach and Tomatoes
“I came up with this grilled cod with spinach and tomatoes recipe because I could not find the one I was looking for. This is a very simple, easy, and quick dish to put together. I always make this for myself when I grill steaks for my family.” —tcasa
Fajita Cheeseburger
John Mitzewich
“Chef John describes his fajita cheeseburger as “spicy, hot and juicy, and pretty much perfect.” The spices and fajita vegetables go beautifully with the pan-fried burger and Monterey Jack cheese, and the gorgeous mayo-toasted bun is a signature touch.” —John Mitzewich
Gochujang Scrambled Eggs
Yolanda Gutierrez
“These gochujang scrambled eggs are both sweet and savory, and the Korean chile paste adds just the right amount of spice. I like to take it up a notch by adding deli ham.” —Yolanda Guttierrez
Berry Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bowl
France Cevallos
“This berry cottage cheese breakfast bowl is a simple, nourishing bowl that’s both refreshing and filling. Berries, pistachios, and flaxseed top low-fat cottage cheese for a nourishing, hearty breakfast that is also beautiful to look at.” —France Cevallos
Lazy Chicken Parm Sandwich
LaDonna Langwell
“This lazy chicken Parm sandwich is perfect for when you are craving chicken Parmesan but not all the fuss (and mess) it takes to make the full dish. Try this streamlined sandwich version. It comes together quickly and delivers all the flavor of the classic dish.” —LaDonna Langwell
Montreal Reuben Sandwich
Chef Mo
“My favorite sandwich is a corned beef Reuben, but finding one in a restaurant that’s done to perfection is challenging. The best one I ever had was in Montreal. This comes real close!” —canadian-brit
Berbere Spiced Chicken Breasts
“One of my favorite uses for berbere spice is this berbere spiced chicken breasts recipe. But you can also use pork chops or a piece of lamb; it’s so versatile.” —John Mitzewich
Easy Spinach and Arugula Chicken
“Arugula was on sale and I wanted to find new ways to use it. This became a quick favorite. I’ve found that there’s no need to preheat the oven; a little longer cooking time produces a juicy thigh with crispy skin.” —Christina
Keto Buffalo Chicken Omelette
“This makes for a substantial, hearty breakfast and is geared to serve one person.” —thedailygourmet
Roasted Pork Bánh Mì (Vietnamese Sandwich)
“I’ll never forget my first real bánh mì. I remember thinking to myself, this isn’t just one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had to eat, but one of the best things, period. Not only do we get amazing contrasts in flavor and texture, but also the temperature difference between the crisp, warm, meat-filled roll, and cool, crunchy vegetables makes this so much fun to eat.” —John Mitzewich