I am always mentioning how you can freeze part of your meals and save them for later. Last October I made some homemade marinara sauce and thought I would pull it out and make a quick meal with it. I also had some homemade meatballs that I froze and will just cook up some fettuccini pasta and heat up the sauce and meatballs for a quick easy and delicious meal. I have added the marinara sauce and the meatball instructions for your convenience. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 10 tomatoes, black pepper, oregano, Italian seasoning, dried basil (from my hydroponic garden), 3 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup red wine, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar

DIRECTIONS: Cut the top off the tomatoes. Place in a Vitamix or blender and puree. Pour the mix into a large pan. I used a generous amount of all the seasoning. Press the garlic into the sauce. Add the wine, balsamic vinegar, and sugar. Stir and simmer on low for an hour covered. I let it cool a little then pureed it once more. I poured the sauce into a container, labeled it, and placed it in the freezer. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1pd sausage mild or hot, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1 egg, basil, garlic powder, oregano, garlic herb seasoning. MARINARA SAUCE: 1 can tomato sauce, 1/4 cup red wine, 1 tsp sugar, 3 cloves garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic herb seasoning, basil. Pasta of your choice. There are some pretty fall-colored ones available now.

DIRECTIONS: In a large bowl add the sausage, egg, bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese and sprinkle generously with the seasoning. Before getting your hands dirty, preheat the oven to 475 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Then mix everything together using your hands. Once all mixed in start forming meatballs. I made 12 meatballs out of the pound so three meatballs are a 1/4 pound serving. Place the meatballs in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. While the meatballs are cooking, make your marinara sauce. Pour the tomato sauce into a large skillet. Add the red wine, and sugar and season generously. Press in the 3 cloves of garlic and let simmer. Start your pasta water and once it comes to a boil add the pasta and cook. Add 6 meatballs into the sauce and stir. Once the pasta is ready, add that to the skillet and stir. This was a really fun dish to make. I took the other 6 meatballs sealed 3 each in one pouch and froze them. This will make for a quick grab-and-cook meal for later. Cooking for one can be fun.

Making stew is really easy and such a hearty meal, especially on cold winter nights. I had some carrots and celery at home so all I had to do was run to the store and pick up some red potatoes and I found these butternut squash zig-zags at Trader Joe’s. I had another pork loin in the refrigerator so instead of making beef stew I thought this would be amazing to try. It turned out to be the best stew I have ever had, even if I say so myself. I did make a big batch so I will freeze half of it, although I might just enjoy this all week. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1 pork loin, 2 stalks celery, 1 large carrot, 6 red potatoes, 3/4 cup butternut squash zig-zags, 1 shallot, 2 cloves garlic, 4 cups organic vegetable broth.

DIRECTIONS: Pour some olive oil into a large pot. I used a Pampered Chef garlic slicer sliced the garlic into the pot and saute. Slice your pork into bite-size pieces and add them to the pot. Season generously with garlic and herb seasoning, Trader Joe’s 21 seasoning salute, thyme, sage, and black pepper. My sage was dried from my hydroponic garden. Add your shallots to the pot and stir. Cook till the pork is brown. While the pork is cooking slice your carrots and celery. Quarter the red potatoes. Measure or just use a handful of the butternut squash. Add all the vegetables to the pot. Cover with the vegetable broth. Stir this all together. Make a rue with 2 tablespoons of flour and enough olive oil to make a paste. Add this paste to the stew. Cover and let it simmer on low for two hours. Enjoy. Cooking for one can be fun.

I started this blog to show solo cooks how fun it can be to cook for one because cooking for one can be fun. You don’t have to be creative, you can just use items you might have around or buy items that are easy to make. I try to avoid packaged foods because they usually have tons of sodium or preservatives. If I buy packaged foods I look at the ingredients and make sure they are low in sodium and preservatives. I bought a yam the other day and I had a pork loin in my freezer. I could have come up with a fun recipe for the yam, but I wanted to whip up something quick so I just microwaved the yam. Using just these two items, I made a quick and easy meal. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1 pork loin, 1 yam, butter, chicken broth, Wonder flour, smoked bourbon sugar, allspice, Trader Joe’s 21 seasoning salute, garlic powder, thyme, black pepper, olive oil

DIRECTIONS: The pork loin was very thick, so I cut mine in half so it would cook faster. Pour some olive oil into a frying pan. Season the pork with your spices on both sides. Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Pierce your yam with a knife all around the potato then microwave on the potato setting or for 15 minutes. When the yam is done, scoop out the inside into a bowl. Season with allspice, smoked bourbon sugar, and butter. Mash this all together. Make a quick gravy using the drippings from the pork. Pour 1/4 cup of chicken broth into the pan, sprinkle some of the Wonder flour till it comes to a boil and thickens. Serve and enjoy. Cooking for one can be fun.

Sometimes you just want something really quick and hearty. I took a pound of Mary’s organic ground chicken out of the freezer and I had in my pantry a can of organic black beans, a can of Rotel diced tomatoes and peppers, and even found a can of smoked jalapeno peppers and made a quick chicken chili. This will take you less than 30 minutes to make and will give you leftovers for lunch or dinner. You can always freeze half too and save for a quick thaw and heat meal. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1 pound Mary’s organic ground chicken, 1 can organic black beans, 1 can Rotel tomatoes and peppers, 1 can smoked jalapeno peppers, 1 shallot, chili powder, cayenne pepper, Tajin, ground cumin, black pepper, pepper jack cheese, sour cream

DIRECTIONS: Brown your ground chicken in a large pot. Break up the ground chicken while it is browning. Slice your shallot and add that to the ground chicken. Season with Tajin, cayenne pepper, chili pepper, ground cumin. While the chicken is cooking, drain your black beans. Once the chicken is browned, add your black beans and Rotel tomatoes and peppers. Stir all together. Add a few jalapenos for an extra spice. Add a little more seasoning to taste if needed. Cook this all together and serve with some grated pepper jack cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Cooking for one can be fun.

Now that it is getting cold outside, a nice warm soup sounds like a splendid idea. Cream of asparagus soup takes only 5 ingredients. So grab a bunch of fresh asparagus and a large pot and let’s make this delicious soup. It does make a large batch, so put individual servings in small containers and freeze them for a quick and easy meal on those busy cold days. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1 bunch of fresh asparagus, 2 cups chicken broth, 1/4 cup butter, 1 small container half and half or heavy cream, 2 cloves garlic, lemon pepper, tarragon, black pepper

DIRECTIONS: Rinse your asparagus, then break off the ends. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large pot. Press in two cloves of garlic and saute. Chop your asparagus and add to the pot. Season generously with lemon pepper, tarragon, and black pepper. Stir and saute till soft. Add 2 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Pour the mixture into your Vitamix or blender. Puree till smooth. Pour the mixture back into the pot. Add the cream. Heat it all together and serve. Cooking for one can be fun.

The last meal I will make with my pound of Mary’s organic ground chicken will be a chicken burger. If you have been keeping up with my four ideas for dinner using a quarter pound each meal, you will know that I have made chicken wraps, chicken fritters, chicken tacos, and now a chicken burger. To go along with my chicken burger I used a yellow squash and made crispy squash rounds. These were very easy to make. The other nice thing about this dinner is that the cleanup was easy. I love easy cleanups. Placing the squash on a lined parchment paper cookie sheet made the cleanup a quick wrap and throw away. I barbecued the chicken burger, which will probably be the last barbecue till next spring. My backyard gets very icy and the barbecue is not covered. However, cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1/4 pd Mary’s organic ground chicken, 1 yellow squash, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, garlic powder, Trader Joe 21 seasoning salute, lemon pepper, sweet paprika

DIRECTIONS: Slice your yellow squash into circles. Place in a bowl and pour olive oil over them and toss. Add your breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and seasonings, and toss again. Place your squash on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees till crisp, about 20 minutes. You could use your air fryer instead of baking if you want. While they are cooking, shape your ground chicken into a burger patty. Season to taste. I used garlic powder and black pepper. Start your grill. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side and top with your favorite cheese. I opted not to use a hamburger bun and topped the burger with the homemade salsa I had on hand. Serve with your squash rounds. Cooking for one can be fun.

One of my very dear friends brought me a sack full of homegrown tomatoes. Cooking for one can be fun, however, that is a lot of tomatoes for one person, even though I really appreciated all the delicious tomatoes. I thought I would make some homemade marinara sauce. I looked up several ideas from different recipes and made one that included some excellent advice and added them to make my own. I just made the sauce, then froze it, and will enjoy it later. I did try it and it is delicious and will be so good down the road. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 10 tomatoes, black pepper, oregano, Italian seasoning, dried basil (from my hydroponic garden), 3 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup red wine, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar

DIRECTIONS: Cut the top off the tomatoes. Place in a Vitamix or blender and puree. Pour the mix into a large pan. I used a generous amount of all the seasoning. Press the garlic into the sauce. Add the wine, balsamic vinegar, and sugar. Stir and simmer on low for an hour covered. I let it cool a little then pureed it once more. I poured the sauce into a container, labeled it, and placed it in the freezer. Cooking for one can be fun.

I made some fritters using just 1/4 pound of Mary’s organic ground chicken. These are perfect for one because cooking for one can be fun. I modified a fritter recipe by adding the ground chicken and the veggies. I also made a nice dip using just mayo and hot pepper sauce. They were effortless and quick to make and delicious. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1/4 pound of Mary’s organic ground chicken, 1 egg, 1 slice onion, 1 slice red bell pepper, 2 jalapenos, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup grated gouda cheese, 2 tablespoons flour, lemon pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, grapeseed oil

DIRECTIONS: Chop your onion, your red bell pepper, and your jalapenos. Place these in a small bowl. Add your ground chicken, egg, and flour. Season to taste. Mix thoroughly. Once all mixed together, heat some grapeseed oil in a frying pan. Put enough just to cover the bottom of your frying pan. Using a large spoon place them in the heated oil. Let them cook through and brown on both sides. Mix a spoonful of mayonnaise with some shakes of hot pepper sauce together as a dip for your fritters. Cooking for one can be fun.

Costco had a four-pack of Mary’s organic ground chicken on sale so of course I had to buy it. I took one of the one-pound packages and divided it into four sections. This will make four meals for one perfect. The first meal I will make is Chinese chicken lettuce wraps. These are delicious and low in sodium, fat, and calories. This took less than 30 minutes to make. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 1/4 pound Mary’s organic ground chicken, lettuce, 2 cloves garlic, onion, red bell pepper, celery, jalapenos. For the sauce: 2 tablespoons each of rice vinegar, Braggs coconut aminos, teriyaki sauce. 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon ground ginger.

DIRECTIONS: Pour a little avocado oil into a frying pan. Press 2 cloves garlic into the pan and saute. Dice one slice of onion and add it to the pan. Dice one stalk celery and one small piece of red bell pepper and add them to the pan. Add your ground chicken. Keep stirring and breaking up your ground chicken till brown. Slice a few jalapeno peppers and add them to the pan. Whisk all the ingredients for your sauce together. Add the sauce to the chicken mixture and cook till reduced. Once the sauce is reduced place the chicken mixture into a small bowl, then add a small amount into a lettuce leaf, roll, and enjoy. Cooking for one can be fun.

https://amzn.to/3ZLQB2E Check out this great meat chopper. Perfect for ground chicken!

https://amzn.to/3LV8mqB These kitchen scissors are an amazing price.

The summer season is ending and now fall is upon us. So for a last summer salad, I thought this corn salad would be a delicious ending and a new beginning of the season. Roasting the corn gives the corn that smokey taste that adds so much to this salad. This is quick and easy to throw together and enjoy all week long. Serve it with chicken or salmon or just enjoy it by itself. Cooking for one can be fun.

INGREDIENTS: 2 ears of corn, 1 can organic black beans, 1 avocado, 10-12 cherry tomatoes, onion, 2 limes, Tajin spice.

DIRECTIONS: Sprinkle your corn with Tajin spice and wrap it in foil. Grill on medium heat for 20 minutes turning every 5 minutes. Once the corn is done, open the foil and let the corn cool. Meanwhile, slice your cherry tomatoes in half and add them to a bowl. Cut one slice of red onion and dice and add that to the bowl. Drain your black beans and rinse then add them to the bowl. Cut the corn off the cob and add that to the bowl. Dice your avocado and add to the bowl. Then squeeze 2 limes and stir. Mix it all together and enjoy it with your favorite meat or fish or just by itself. This salad tastes like a veggie ceviche. Cooking for one can be fun.

https://amzn.to/3rCPzte Look at this adorable retro apron. So darn cute!

https://amzn.to/3LJJstM Here is a great gift idea for your favorite cook!