It's Family Recipes week on The Kitchn, but I thought it was important to take a moment and recognize all the different ways people define family. Our little family is just the two of us now (although we're looking to adopt a dog!). A lot of recipes make way more than two portions, and sometimes leftovers aren't fantastic to have around in this season of summer weddings and traveling. So I thought it was time to gather a good list of simple recipes that are perfect for two, recipes that are easy enough to tackle on a weeknight and varied enough that you won't get bored.
From great vegetarian fare to pork chops or seasonal pizza, there's something for every couple—every family—here.
Try a Recipe:
• Chili, Lemon and Basil Shrimp with Israeli Couscous, via The Kitchn
• French-Style Carbonara for Two, via Babble
• Bistro Roast Chicken, via Cooking Light
• Harissa Chickpeas with Spinach, via Not Without Salt
• Creamy Avocado Pasta, via Two Peas & Their Pod
• Crispy Baked Fish Nuggets and Tartar Sauce, via Simply Scratch
• Chicken Enchiladas, via Cooking for Two
• Beef and Eggplant Tagine, via Women's Health
• Artichoke Spinach Pizza with White Beans, via Good Life Eats
• Veggie Burgers (eat two, freeze a few for later!), via Martha Stewart
What's your favorite go-to recipe for two?
Related: Dinner Recipe for Two: Crispy Panko Pork Chops
(Image: Faith Durand)
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Thanks for this! Although I do admit that since I love leftovers, my partner and I often make normal-sized recipes and just save the rest.
How about when family is 1?
@selfmanic I cook for just me, too! There are a couple of cookbooks aimed at 1 person households; I feel like the most useful one is by Judith Jones. It's called "The Pleasures of Cooking for One" and she talks about what pans she uses as well as how to transform the leftovers from dishes to make a few days worth of new dinners.
I'll also make enough for 2 servings and take the second for lunch the next day.
How ironic I was just looking for a recipe to cook for my boyfriend and I tonight. I think I will try chicken enchiladas but make mine vegetarian. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you SO much for this! It's really hard to find recipes for two servings, and scaling down the larger recipes is often a pain and sometimes impossible.
I love leftovers but my husband doesn't so much, so this is often a balancing act. I just picked up a Cook's Illustrated special magazine/booklet called something like "Cooking for Two" of entirely recipes they'd tested and scaled down for two people--good stuff, I highly recommend it.
I think the easiest way to cook for two is not to use a recipe, per se - just techniques/flavor combos that I can size up or down.
Favorites lately: sauteed chicken sausage with peppers and onions, served over quinoa or a baked potato; veggie stir fry over quinoa
I cook for two, but I never thought about scaling down recipes and trying to avoid leftovers because they are so great for lunches. There are times when it gets a little intense, though--like trying to finish off a 9x13 casserole of something between two people. Oof.
You know what I've found- cooking for two is really rather simple if you can learn to not rely on recipes so much. You really only need an exact formula for baking. Cooking is so flexible. Often I'll browse recipes and use it as a guide, but I rarely measure. Cooking by intuition is a valuable skill, and it makes scaling back quantities effortless.
I absolutely love leftovers, and as much as I love to cook I don't want to do it every single day if I don't have to. I understand the need though. I bet if a recipe stinks you'd be glad you only had two servings of it. I actually prefer cooking meals that serve six for my husband and me, lunch and dinner-done and done!
Oh good heavens is my fiance picky - there are only 3 of those in the list that he might condsider eating.