Cooking for One or Two

Cooking for One or Two

If you’re now cooking for one or two with the same recipes you used for a larger family, you may struggle with eating the leftovers. They may still taste great by the second day, but by the third or fourth day, perhaps, not so much. The good news is many recipes can be cut in half or thirds. Here are some guidelines to help you adapt a larger recipe to a smaller one.

• It may be easier to make the entire recipe for baked goods and freeze half.
• When reducing recipes, you may need to use smaller sauce­pans, skillets and baking pans. The time for baking smaller amounts of food may be less.
• The standard size egg for recipes is the large egg. To halve an egg, break it, mix it together with a fork and use 2 table­spoons. Refrigerate the rest and use in an omelet or scrambled eggs within two days.
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  A 9 x 13 x 2-inch pan holds 14–15 cups; when halving a recipe use a square 8 x 8 x 2-inch pan or a round 9 x 2-inch pan. When using a different pan size, try and keep the depth of food the same. Reduce the oven temperature by 25°F when substituting a glass pan for a metal one.
  
  Source:  Alice Henneman, MS, RDN Extension Educator, Lancaster County Extension, Lincoln, NE