Cooking for one sounds simple until you buy a whole bag of spinach for a recipe that calls for six leaves. Add a long day of classes, a sink full of dishes, and a fridge that contains half an onion, and suddenly toast feels like a dinner plan.
These seven recipes each make one serving and use ingredients that can pull double duty. The eggs you buy for breakfast can go into fried rice, and the tortillas you use for a quesadilla can become tomorrow’s lunch. Pick whatever fits your kitchen and the amount of effort you have left today.
Peanut butter and banana overnight oats
In a jar or bowl, stir together ½ cup rolled oats, ½ cup milk, and 1 tablespoon peanut butter. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, slice half a banana over the top and add a pinch of cinnamon if you have it. If the oats are thicker than you like, stir in a splash of milk.
Make this breakfast when you already know you’ll hit snooze tomorrow. If you’d rather eat it warm, transfer it to a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in short bursts, stirring in between.
Related: 10 Best Easy Dinner Recipes for Families
Crispy black bean quesadilla
Mash ⅓ cup of drained black beans with a pinch of salt and a little cumin or chili powder. Spread the beans over half a flour tortilla, add ¼ cup of shredded cheese, and fold it closed. Cook in a skillet over medium heat for two to three minutes per side, until the tortilla is golden and the cheese melts.
Cut it into wedges and dip them in salsa. Add a few slices of onion or a spoonful of leftover corn to the filling.
Tomato and chickpea pasta
Cook about 2 ounces of dried pasta according to the package directions. Before draining, scoop out a little of the cooking water. In the same pot, warm ½ cup of pasta sauce and ⅓ cup of drained chickpeas. Stir the pasta back in and add a splash of the reserved water if the sauce needs loosening.
The chickpeas add a little more bite to every forkful. Add black pepper, dried oregano, or a spoonful of grated cheese if you have any. You get a proper bowl of pasta and only one pot to wash.
Egg fried rice with frozen vegetables
Heat a teaspoon of oil in a skillet. Add ½ cup of frozen mixed vegetables and stir until hot. Push them to one side, crack in an egg, and scramble it until set. Add 1 cup of cooked rice, breaking up any clumps with your spoon. Stir everything together until steaming hot, then season with a teaspoon or two of soy sauce.
A microwave rice pouch works well here. Save a little soy sauce for the end so you can taste the rice before adding more.
Microwave baked potato with beans and cheese
Scrub a medium potato, prick it several times with a fork, and put it on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high for about five minutes, turning it halfway through. If a fork still meets resistance in the center, keep cooking in one-minute bursts.
Split the potato, fluff the inside with a fork, and add ½ cup of warmed canned beans and a handful of shredded cheese. Spoon salsa over the top, or use a little butter and black pepper if that’s what you have.
Tuna and crunchy carrot wrap
Drain a small can of tuna and mix it with a tablespoon of mayonnaise or plain yogurt, a squeeze of lemon, and a pinch of black pepper. Spoon the mixture onto a tortilla, add a small grated carrot, and roll it up. A chopped pickle adds tang if you don’t have lemon.
This one takes about five minutes and needs no stove. If you’re taking it to class, pack the filling separately and roll the wrap at lunchtime to keep the tortilla from getting soggy.
Garlicky white beans on toast
Warm a teaspoon of olive oil and one chopped garlic clove in a skillet over medium heat. Add ½ cup drained white beans and 2 tablespoons water. Mash a few beans with a fork to make the mixture creamy, then simmer for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then spoon over toast. If there’s a lemon in the fridge, a squeeze at the end brightens the whole thing.
