If I had a pound of chicken I had to use up because for some unknown reason I was opposed to freezing each piece separately and using it at my convenience, I would cook it in a fairly neutral fashion and use it in different dishes during the week.

Alright, I was and remain sympathetic to the single cook: it isn't as much fun, it takes more thought, etc. But really? Chicken comes in 1 pound packages? Well, a decent butcher will sell you just one breast, but if you don't have a butcher at your grocery store take the 1 lb home, take out what you want, separate the others into single serve sizes, and freeze. You cannot tell the difference between fresh and frozen - all those fancy-pants local, organic etc. eateries buy their meat frozen, because meat is harvested in seasons, just like veggies when you raise it right.

Really, the key is learning how to cook really well. Toss the cookbooks. Cook those things that can be cooked wonderfully for one, and enjoy them! Life isn't all about lazagna.

I don't like the taste of frozen leftovers. Chicken comes in 1 lb packages, which is too much for 1.

I have to say, I agree with OP. Most of the "problems" that PPs mention aren't problems at all - at least if you can cook. Practically every dish can easily be scaled to one or two portions, and some are much quicker smaller, i.e. stir fry or "main-course" salads or any other dishes where a lot of chopping is required (not much in the way of economies of scale there). Tips:
(1) Buy meat in bulk and freeze in smaller portions. I.e. buy 2 lbs ground lamb then quarter and freeze in 1/2 lbs portions. And FYI, there is usually no "difference" between "fresh" and frozen meat - practically all the meat, chicken breasts, fish, etc. - has been frozen in transit to the supermarket where it is defrosted to look "fresh." (Ha. Fresh!)
(2) Many sauces and pureed soup freezes well. No need to worry about making too much spaghetti sauce.
(3) If you love casseroles - Use a loaf pan. Works well for baked ziti (I have also made mini lasagnas) holding about 2-3 portions.
(4) Most cookie/muffin recipes can be halved easily (watch out for those that call for only one egg though - unless you're up for the not-particularly-tricky-but-still-needs-some-effort job of beating one egg together then dividing).

Of course, I now also have a husband and a picky toddler so single cooking looks pretty damn easy from this vantage point!

I love cooking just for myself!!! I find it very easy, I have no idea what people are talking about. I have quite a few recipes that are sauce type recipes (like chicken curry) and soups that actually taste better as leftovers or after being frozen. I tend to buy vegetables that last a long time in the fridge...broccoli, Kale, cabbage, carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips...ect.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, you must not have grown up in a big family OP. I grew up with 8 kids in my family. So, we always made big meals. It's hard to make any kind of a dish for 1. Example...what if I want lasagna? I don't want to make a whole pan for one serving and then have to eat it several times after that. What if I want a burger? I don't want to eat that again either.

I don't get why it would be hard for you to fathom why it's hard to cook for one? It's too much effort for one little serving if you don't like leftovers.

I mean, you wouldn't have to cook ALL the beef. You can freeze it into burger-sized portions so that you don't have an oddly-sized lump of ground beef just hanging around. But I get not wanting to make a huge casserole -- I cannot stand pasta that's been frozen and reheated. Chili, soup, stew or whatever are usually OK.

You still should use it reasonably soon. Ground beef gets freezer burn fairly easily. And unless you are doing something with a good masking sauce, you can taste the difference between frozen beef vs fresh beef. I have no problem using old beef in a spaghetti sauce, but for meatballs/burgers/meatloaf? Not as much. You'll definitely taste the difference.

Anonymous wrote:Well, you must not have grown up in a big family OP. I grew up with 8 kids in my family. So, we always made big meals. It's hard to make any kind of a dish for 1. Example...what if I want lasagna? I don't want to make a whole pan for one serving and then have to eat it several times after that. What if I want a burger? I don't want to eat that again either.

I don't get why it would be hard for you to fathom why it's hard to cook for one? It's too much effort for one little serving if you don't like leftovers.

I mean, you wouldn't have to cook ALL the beef. You can freeze it into burger-sized portions so that you don't have an oddly-sized lump of ground beef just hanging around. But I get not wanting to make a huge casserole -- I cannot stand pasta that's been frozen and reheated. Chili, soup, stew or whatever are usually OK.

Are there cook books for cooking for 1, or blogs? I can see how it is hard, because recipes aren't scaled for 1 serving, but if you could rewrite the recipes and drop things that just won't scale...I dunno what, but there must be things...then you'd have a great book!

I adore cooking for myself when my husband and son are out of town, but that is because I have no one's taste to consult but my own, and I don't use recipes. You can indeed buy a quarter pound of lamb - just ask the butcher behind the counter.

Not at Safeway, their ground lamb comes in packets that are 1.25 pounds or more and they don't opened them. Theya are sent from the supplier. So, no it is not easy to scale down recipes. You can't just drop stuff out of the recipe. I don't want to eat 12 cup cakes either. Cooking for one is a pain in the ass.

Anonymous wrote:Are there cook books for cooking for 1, or blogs? I can see how it is hard, because recipes aren't scaled for 1 serving, but if you could rewrite the recipes and drop things that just won't scale...I dunno what, but there must be things...then you'd have a great book!

Yes, there are a slew of options of cookbooks for the single diner. Just go to Amazon and search and you'll get a lot of choices.

Perhaps it would be better to rephrase: "It's so hard to cook cost-effectively for one without wasting a lot of food."

I love cooking just for myself! I know exactly how hungry I am, and rarely have leftovers. Also, stuff goes a long way. You can actually have just half a red pepper, some cheese and pasta at hand and you've got dinner.

Well, you must not have grown up in a big family OP. I grew up with 8 kids in my family. So, we always made big meals. It's hard to make any kind of a dish for 1. Example...what if I want lasagna? I don't want to make a whole pan for one serving and then have to eat it several times after that. What if I want a burger? I don't want to eat that again either.

I don't get why it would be hard for you to fathom why it's hard to cook for one? It's too much effort for one little serving if you don't like leftovers.

Are there cook books for cooking for 1, or blogs? I can see how it is hard, because recipes aren't scaled for 1 serving, but if you could rewrite the recipes and drop things that just won't scale...I dunno what, but there must be things...then you'd have a great book!

I adore cooking for myself when my husband and son are out of town, but that is because I have no one's taste to consult but my own, and I don't use recipes. You can indeed buy a quarter pound of lamb - just ask the butcher behind the counter.

Also, cutting the recipe in 1/4 is hard to do, cooking times change, measuring an 1/8 of a teaspoon, a quarter of an egg, buy a 1/4 pound of lamb at safe(can't), etc.