More Meals For One

Since we can't just eat lasagna all the time, I thought I would share few of my other favorite meals that I have found to be perfect for single living.

One-Pot/Skillet Pastas

When you think of a skillet and a mish-mash of ingredients do you immediately think stir-fry?  WeIll for me, it is all about what I like to call "skillet pastas."  Prepare your pasta as normal, then in a skillet or saute pan heat oil and whatever other ingredients you want mixed in with your pasta.  Combine, stir and eat!  To save on dishes, you can simply combine ingredients right in the same pan you boiled the noodles in (I simply pour the ingredients in to the pan while my noodles are in a colander then add the noodles back in and stir).  Some of my favorite ingredients to toss in include tomatoes (canned or fresh), olives, frozen spinach, and garlic.  If you are looking for a more unusual recipe check out this fun jewel pasta recipe from one my favorite food blogs, Budget Bytes.

Mini-Eggplant/Chicken Parmesans

I am in love with these yummy eggplant cutlets that I found at Trader Joe's. 

The whole box costs less than three dollars (more than a fresh eggplant, but way less per serving than a frozen eggplant parm entrée). I simply top the cutlet with sauce and some cheese, heat and voila eggplant parm.  If you're more of a meat eater the same approach can be taken with chicken patties or breaded chicken cutlets for a chicken parmesan version.

Omelets & Scrambles

Eggs are another great resource for single-living.  They keep awhile in the fridge, so you don't need to worry about a dozen going bad on you.  They also come to us already appropriately portioned straight from nature, simply take as many eggs as you like and cook.  Prepare them any way you like but my favorite is scrambling them up with salsa, veggies, or breakfast sausage.

Grilled Sandwiches & Panini

No one can argue that a simple sandwich is a perfect meal when you're crunched for time or money.  After a while though ham and cheese on whole wheat can get a little boring.  I have found that grilling my sandwiches or cooking them on my Panini press, makes them a lot more enjoyable!  Somehow the simple fact of heating the sandwich makes it feel less like a grade school sack lunch, and more like a meal.  I also try to elevate the sandwiches with some more unusual (but not necessarily expensive) ingredients, something which works very well when the sandwich gets heated and everything melts together!  Shredded cheese? Salsa?  Sliced avocado?  Chunky canned tomatoes?



This post is part of my "Frugal Food" series, be sure to check out:
Frugal, Hungry and Single - my intro to the challenges of cooking for one on a budget
Lasagna For One - how one simple hack, makes lasagna the perfect meal for a solo kitchen
What Is Your Rice and Beans? - Beyond rice and beans on a rice and beans budget

This post is linked up at:
Giving Up On Perfect, Sarah Titus' Frugal Friday