This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Cooking For One? A weekly meal plan answers the question, “what am I going to have for dinner?” a week at a time. Meal planning and meal prep saves you money and best of all, no leftovers! This is the second of the series of weekly meal plans complete with a grocery list.

Welcome to week 2 of our new Meal Planning For One series. We received a lot of great feedback from our Meal Plans and hope you enjoy the recipes we have featured this week 2 installment.

A person cooking for meals for one may often find that it isn’t always easy to reduce a recipe. The thought of doing that every day or deciding what to cook each evening for dinner, without repetition can be a daunting task.

We hope to take some of the pressure off with our “Cooking For One Meal Plans”.  

Other Single Serving Meal Plans

Along with the meal plan, you will also find a grocery list (see link at the bottom of this page to download – pdf document) which will include all of the ingredients you will need to make the 5 or more recipes each week.

If you choose not to make all of the recipes on the meal plan, no worries. Just cross those items off of your grocery list.

These meals for one plans are designed for people who live on their own, a parent who wants to indulge themselves while their kids have their favorites, couples that can’t agree on what they want for dinner or caregivers providing meals to a parent or friend.

For now, the weekly meal plan will be posted every two weeks. It will feature a recipe for Monday through Friday, a detailed grocery list and a bonus recipe and cooking tips.

We get asked all the time for meal plans and I hope this new series fills that need. Have a look and please let us know what you think.

Meal Plan

Easy Dinner Ideas

baked pasta with vegetables in a red baking dish next to a brown napkin.

Baked Penne With Roasted Vegetables For One

5 from 11 votes
Indulge in a single serving Baked Penne loaded with roasted vegetables, a trio of cheeses, and rich marinara. Easy steps and totally customizable!
View Recipe
a white bowl filled with shrimp creole next to a blue napkin

Shrimp Creole For One

4.94 from 16 votes
Enjoy authentic Single Serve Shrimp Creole, capturing New Orleans' flavors with shrimp, tomato sauce, and spices. Easy recipe that is perfect for one or two.
View Recipe
two baked chicken legs with roasted vegetables on a plate.

Baked Chicken Legs For One

5 from 19 votes
Indulge in a hassle-free one-pan meal with Baked Chicken Legs, perfectly roasted over seasoned carrots, onions, and garlic. An easy, flavorful dinner ideal for those cooking for one.
View Recipe
a baked potato stuffed with beans and cheese and chili on a white plate

Chili Baked Potato For One

5 from 8 votes
Chili Cheese Baked Potato loaded with sautéed onions and garlic, red beans, tomatoes and spices then topped with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.
View Recipe
a cooked salmon fillet next to cooked zucchini on a white plate next to fresh basil.

Broiled Salmon For One

4.72 from 7 votes
Make a quick and healthy Broiled Salmon for one! This easy recipe, perfect in a toaster or regular oven, brings a restaurant-quality meal to your table in under 15 minutes.
View Recipe

Bonus Recipe

a mug of hot chocolate next to marshmallows in a container that have spilled onto the table

Hot Chocolate For One

5 from 13 votes
Savor a luxurious hot chocolate for one, perfect for cozy indulgence at home. Rich, creamy, and easy to make. Ideal treat paired with fresh baked goodies. This recipe will make enough for 1 large mug of hot chocolate or 2 small cups
View Recipe

Cooking Tips

  • I love the combination of the cheeses found in the Baked Pasta recipe, however, cheese can be expensive. Feel free to purchase just one type of cheese for the pasta. Singularly, the Smoked Gruyere, the Fontina or even the Cheddar would be quite delicious if used on their own. The recipe is best using the ingredients recommended, however it can also be quite tasty with the substitutions. Often, in the deli sections of some grocery stores, you can find very small quantities of pre-cut cheese. If not, don’t feel the need to purchase several different types of cheeses for the recipes.
  • You will need zucchini for two recipes this week, 1 medium to large zucchini will be enough for both recipes.
  • Friday’s Broiled Salmon with Roasted Vegetables calls for the dish to be made in a toaster oven, however it can also be baked in a regular oven at the same temperature called for in the recipe.
  • If you’re trying to reduce your salt intake, try a squeeze of lemon instead of using salt in savory recipes.

For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.

For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.

Red 5-inch square baking dish with One Dish Kitchen branded paper sleeve around it.

Make 80+ Recipes With This Dish!

Ideal for home chefs, this individual square ceramic baking dish is safe for oven, microwave, freezer, and dishwasher. Simple to use & easy to clean!

Welcome!

I’m Joanie and I’m incredibly happy you’re here! Our aim is to inspire individuals with access to single serving recipes, education, and a supportive community that will enable them to enjoy the preparation of a meal that will nourish both body and soul.

More Ideas

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

26 Comments

  1. What a fabulous meal plan, and such gorgeous images! I love all your tips, especially the one about substituting lemon juice for salt. I look forward to making the Hot Chocolate for One at lunchtime today!

  2. This is such a helpful resource for these delicious-looking dishes! Nice! I passed this along to a friend who was looking for just this thing!

  3. These meal plans are always for a full family, so I’m so excited to see a scaled-down version! Thanks!

  4. These recipes all look healthy and delicious! I know so many people that would benefit from this plan, thanks for sharing!

  5. These look so yummy!! This is the first year that I’ve had only myself to cook for and I can’t wait to try out these recipes!

  6. I am loving this. It is difficult to cook for one after decades have been spent cooking for a family. Love the recipes and especially the grocery lists. They are a good send. Thank you.

  7. thanks for coming up with these delicious recipes for one or two people love it and
    it helps me out when alone as Hubby is a Policeman and I eat often alone due to his crazy
    schedule . Keep Up the Good Work and Recipes they are Yummy

    Sonia