Food Recipe Collections & Favorites Cooking for One? Here Are 12 Easy Meals With Minimal Prep and Cleanup These simple recipes for solo meals come together quickly and don’t leave you with a ton of food waste. By Carissa Chesanek Carissa Chesanek Carissa Chesanek is a food, spirits, and lifestyle writer with more than 13 years of experience in the industry. She loves researching new trends, chatting with chefs, mixologists, and home experts about their craft, and creating well-researched, fun copy for her readers. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on July 27, 2024 Close Photo: José Picayo Cooking for one can often feel like a challenge. While you want to make something tasty, you may not want to spend too much time doing it when its just for you. These easy meals help get dinner on the table without a lot of pots, pans, and appliances so you aren’t dealing with a ton of prep work or clean up. You can scale the recipes down if needed, or make the original number of servings and enjoy some incredible leftovers for those nights you’re not in the mood to make anything new, but still want a home-cooked meal. 01 of 12 Loaded Tuna Salad Tartines Jen Causey If you grew up with tuna salad sandwiches, this recipe is for you. While it’s a fancier version of the timeless classic, that doesn’t mean it requires a whole lot more effort. To make these open-faced sandwiches, simply mix your tuna with herbs and capers then layer sliced fresh avocado atop your toasted bread slices. GET THE RECIPE 02 of 12 Sheet Pan Gnocchi With Broccoli Jennifer Causey Dinner doesn’t get easier than a sheet pan meal (plus then you can have leftovers). This gnocchi showstopper will taste like you fussed without any actual fussing involved. Place potato gnocchi, broccoli florets, and onions on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with some creamy pesto. Then simply bake for up to 25 minutes and you have a delicious meal that won’t be a mess to clean up. GET THE RECIPE 03 of 12 Parm-Crusted Grilled Cheese There is nothing more comforting than a grilled cheese. While the classic version will surely do, this more grown-up option will give it a sweeter, more lavish feel when looking to treat yourself. Parmigiano-Reggiano is added to the butter so your bread comes out crispy and full of flavor before adding the filling of apple slices and Gruyère cheese. GET THE RECIPE 04 of 12 Salmon With Creamy Cucumber-Fennel Salad José Picayo This recipe will take your typical salmon plate to a new level without costing you more time in the kitchen. In just 20 minutes, you’ll enjoy an oven-roasted crispy salmon paired with a crunchy and cool cucumber salad made with Greek yogurt, so it’s not just tasty, but also good for you. GET THE RECIPE 05 of 12 Linguine With Cherry Tomato Sauce Greg DuPree Sure, a jar sauce can work in a pinch, but a pasta dish is so much better smothered in something homemade, especially when it's a super simple recipe with few ingredients. This sauce only requires pancetta, cherry tomatoes, and garlic to give a rich and savory addition to your linguine, and only takes about 30 minutes for it all to come together. GET THE RECIPE 06 of 12 Thai Peanut Butter Ramen Antonis Achilleos Elevate the typical ramen from your college days with this Thai-inspired version. It’s incredibly easy as it calls for those inexpensive ramen noodle packs and many items you likely already have on-hand, including peanut butter and soy sauce. Plus, you can customize it with your choice of protein. GET THE RECIPE 07 of 12 Japanese-Style Shrimp Salad Greg DuPree Some nights call for a salad. Whether it’s too hot to cook or you’re just craving something light and fresh, a dinnertime salad can offer a lot without too much cooking time (if any), as seen with this Japanese-style option. Made with cucumbers, romaine lettuce, and shrimp, put it all together with an easy-to-make soy-mayo dressing for ultimate flavor. GET THE RECIPE 08 of 12 Shawarma-Seasoned Cauliflower and Chickpea Pitas Fred Hardy Whether you’re looking for a vegetarian meal or not this simple sheet pan dinner (that only requires five ingredients) might become your go-to. Not only is it convenient, but flavorful, too. Cauliflower and chickpeas are roasted to perfection in a Shawarma spice blend and served over a pita topped with yogurt and red onion. GET THE RECIPE 09 of 12 Spring Minestrone Caitlin Bensel Sometimes life calls for a hearty, comforting soup. While a canned soup sounds like enough on a busy weeknight, this homemade minestrone is even better and doesn’t need a lot to get it on the table. Leeks, Swiss chard, and basil make for a flavorful spoonful while the ditalini pasta helps bulk it up. The parmesan you sprinkle overtop makes it all the better. GET THE RECIPE 10 of 12 Oven Baked Chicken Tenders Greg DuPree Even if you're cooking for one, that doesn't necessarily mean you can’t make more for a rainy day. This chicken tenders recipe allows just that as it makes about 36 tenders that you can enjoy as leftovers by simply freezing and using at a later date. These breaded tenders are roasted, not fried, and are paired with an easy-to-make honey mustard dipping sauce so you feel like you’re enjoying a treat from a fast food chain, but they taste so much better. GET THE RECIPE 11 of 12 Smash Burger With Wedge Fries and a Secret Sauce dinnerly.com A smash burger may sound elaborate, but it's not. You don’t even need a grill to make one—your regular ol’ skillet will do. This plate isn’t complete without wedge fries which you can create easily with oven-roasted russet potatoes that have been halved and cut into wedges. As for the secret sauce, that’s also an easy conquest made of chopped pickles, mayo, and ketchup. GET THE RECIPE 12 of 12 Beef and Cabbage Skillet Supper Victor Protasio If you want beef for dinner but cooking a steak seems like too much work, we have you covered. This beef skillet dinner is so much easier to make and you have a whole meal ready in just 25 minutes. Made with sautéed ground beef seasoned to perfection alongside tender green cabbage and tomato puree that’s served over white rice, you can't go wrong with this dish. GET THE RECIPE Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit