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New to cooking for one?

This is One Dish Kitchen’s guide for anyone new to cooking for one, whether you’ve never cooked or just went from feeding a family to feeding yourself. Pick the path that fits you for the first recipes, tools and plans to try.

Pick your starting point

Which sounds most like you?

I've never really cooked Start from the very beginning I cooked for a family for years Now the portions are all wrong Life changed – it's just me now Finding a new rhythm

Path one

I’ve never really cooked

1 Read one recipe all the way through Our recipes list every step — here's how to read one before you start 2 Set up the minimal kitchen One small skillet, one small dish, one sharp knife — the starter kit guide 3 Cook your first recipe tonight Pick from the recipes below — each takes one pan and under 30 minutes ↓ 4 Keep going with beginner recipes Short ingredient lists, few steps, and nothing you have to guess at

Easy first recipes – nothing can go wrong

See More Basic Recipes

Path two

I cooked for a family for years

1 Re-learn the portions How to scale any recipe down — the math of thirds, and the egg problem 2 Use the right size cookware Your 9×13 pan is the enemy now — meet the 5-inch baking dish 3 Keep the recipes you love Most family favorites scale beautifully — start with these recipes below ↓

Family favorites, scaled down to one

Path three

Life changed – it’s just me now

1 Borrow a rhythm The free 6-week plan decides dinner for you while you find your footing 2 Start with comfort Familiar food, right-sized — no planning required, lots of ideas below ↓ 3 Let dinner come to you Three recipes a week by email — a small, steady nudge to cook

Comfort food, portioned for one

More single serving comfort food recipe ideas →

The essentials

Four guides that do the heavy lifting

How to scale any recipe down to one The math, the egg problem, the pan sizes Pantry staples for cooking for one Everything you need to make cooking for one easier Grocery shopping for one, without waste Bulk bins, butcher counters, smarter sizes The small kitchen starter kit What's worth owning – and what isn't