Tag: #CookingForOneOrTwo

Posted in Soups & Stews

Pantry Chili for Two

Posted on by simplegoodfood

There’s something about a pot of chili that makes a cool October evening feel just a little cozier. But if you’re cooking for one or two people, traditional chili recipes can create a problem of their own: enough leftovers to keep you eating chili for the better part of a week.

This Pantry Chili for Two is different.

It’s a small-batch chili built around ingredients that are practical to keep on hand—ground turkey, canned tomatoes, beans, onion, broth, and a few basic spices. There’s no seasoning packet required, and there’s no giant pot involved.

Just enough for two generous bowls of hearty, comforting chili.

And that’s really the point of this month’s Pantry to Table theme: a well-stocked pantry isn’t about filling every shelf with food. It’s about having enough useful ingredients on hand to put a good meal on the table without starting from scratch every single time.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • It makes just two generous servings. No enormous pot of leftovers.
  • It relies on ordinary pantry staples. Nothing particularly exotic is required.
  • Ground turkey keeps it budget-friendly. You can also substitute another ground meat you already have.
  • The seasoning comes from your pantry. No packaged chili seasoning needed.
  • It’s flexible. Change the beans, add vegetables, or adjust the heat to suit what you have.
  • It freezes well. One serving can go into the freezer for another chilly evening.
simplegoodfood's avatarsimplegoodfood

Pantry Chili for Two

There’ssomething about a pot of chili that makes a cool October evening feel just alittle cozier.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ½ pound ground turkey
  • ½ cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 small garlic clove minced, or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 can 14–15 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 can 15 ounces kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup chicken or turkey broth
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil if needed
Optional: A pinch of cayenne pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce if you like more heat.
Optional Toppings
  • Choose just what you have on hand:
  • Shredded cheese
  • A spoonful of Greek yogurt
  • Chopped green onion
  • Diced avocado
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Crushed tortilla chips

Method
 

Brown the turkey.
  1. Heat a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it into small pieces, until no longer pink.
  2. If the turkey is very lean and begins sticking, add the teaspoon of olive oil.
Add the onion.
  1. Stir in the chopped onion and cook for about 3–4 minutes, until it begins to soften.
  2. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Build the chili base.
  1. Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
  2. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. This gives the spices a chance to bloom and the tomato paste a chance to caramelize slightly.
Add the tomatoes, beans, and broth.
  1. Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices. Add the drained beans and broth.
  2. Stir everything together and bring the chili to a gentle simmer.
Simmer.
  1. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. If the chili becomes thicker than you like, add another splash of broth.
Taste and adjust.
  1. Taste before serving and adjust the salt or seasonings as needed.
  2. If you like more heat, add a pinch of cayenne or a little hot sauce.
Serve.
  1. Ladle into two bowls and add whatever toppings you have available.
  2. A little shredded cheese or a spoonful of Greek yogurt is enough to turn a simple bowl of chili into a very satisfying supper.

Notes

Kitchen Confidence
Don’t worry about making chili exactly the same way every time.
That’s one of the best things about chili.
If you have a little extra onion, use it. If you have half a bell pepper that needs to be used, dice it and add it with the onion. If you have black beans instead of kidney beans, use those.
The important thing is the basic structure:
protein + tomatoes + beans or vegetables + broth + seasoning
Once you understand that formula, you can make a good pot of chili from what you already have.
About the seasoning
This recipe uses a modest amount of chili powder for a flavorful but not overly spicy chili. If your chili powder is particularly hot, start with less and add more after tasting.
Remember: chili powder and cayenne pepper aren’t the same thing. Chili powder is generally a seasoning blend, while cayenne is much hotter.

Stretch Every Grocery Dollar

Ground turkey is particularly useful for small-household cooking because a relatively small amount can make a hearty meal when combined with beans, tomatoes, and vegetables.

The beans aren’t just filler, either. They add protein, fiber, texture, and staying power while helping stretch the meat.

And there’s no reason to use a large can of everything just because that’s what the recipe happens to call for. Once you get comfortable with small-batch cooking, you’ll start noticing ways to use the rest of an ingredient somewhere else during the week.

That’s one of the real advantages of pantry cooking.

You’re not trying to buy ingredients for one recipe. You’re stocking ingredients that can become several meals.

Waste Not, Want Not

Don’t throw away that little bit of tomato paste left in the can.

If you don’t expect to use it within a few days, portion the extra tomato paste by tablespoon onto a small piece of parchment or wax paper and freeze it. Once frozen, transfer the portions to a freezer container.

Then the next time a recipe calls for a tablespoon of tomato paste, you’ve already got one.

The same idea works for leftover broth. Freeze it in small portions so you’re not opening a carton every time a small recipe calls for a splash.

Cooking for One or Two

This recipe makes two generous servings, but it’s easy to make it work for one.

Simply refrigerate half for another meal within the next few days, or freeze it for later.

And don’t think of the second serving as having to be “leftover chili.”

Tomorrow it can become:

  • Chili over a baked potato
  • Chili stuffed into a small tortilla
  • Chili topped with an egg
  • Chili over a small serving of rice
  • Chili with a little cheese and tortilla chips

That’s where small-batch cooking becomes really useful.

You’re not making a giant pot of one meal. You’re making a small building block for several meals.

Meal Prep Note

Chili is one of those dishes that often tastes even better after a night in the refrigerator.

For planned leftovers, cool the chili promptly, refrigerate it in a covered container, and use within 3–4 days.

For longer storage, freeze individual portions in freezer-safe containers.

A single serving is especially handy on a night when you don’t feel like cooking.

Storage & Freezing

Refrigerator: Store in a covered container for up to 3–4 days.

Freezer: Freeze in individual portions for up to 3 months for best quality.

Thaw refrigerated overnight when possible, then reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until steaming hot throughout.

If the chili thickens during storage, add a tablespoon or two of broth or water while reheating.

A Pantry Meal Is More Than a Recipe

This little pot of chili is a good example of what I mean by Pantry to Table.

You don’t need a pantry packed with specialty foods. You need useful ingredients that work together.

A can of tomatoes can become soup, sauce, or chili. Beans can become part of a bowl, soup, salad, or skillet meal. Broth can turn leftover ingredients into dinner. A few basic spices can change the personality of an otherwise ordinary combination of foods.

The goal isn’t to have a perfect pantry.

The goal is to have a pantry that helps you feed yourself well.

And for a household of one or two, that means learning how to make smaller meals, use what you have, and turn a handful of ordinary ingredients into something that feels like real comfort food.

That’s a pretty good place to start.

Posted in Cookbooks

Cast Iron for Two: 50 Healthy Two-Serving Cast Iron Recipes (Small Batch Recipe Books)

Posted on by simplegoodfood

Cooking for two can be challenging, but with a cast iron skillet, you can prepare healthy meals in no time!
Make cooking for two fun and delicious with these 50 creative and memorable recipes for two-servings designed for cast iron cookware.

The cast iron skillet is a perfect cooking companion for a household of two. And as it’s also one of the sturdiest of man’s kitchen inventions, the one you have now could be with you through your whole life and hand down to your children!

With cast iron’s strong heat retention and ability to distribute this heat evenly, you get ultimate flavors. It’s healthier, too: A well-seasoned cast iron skillet has a protective film that makes it naturally non-stick, which means you’ll need less oil to prepare your dishes. It does without the chemical linings used on modern non-stick pans and can supply the iron you need, without reaching dangerous levels.

You can sauté, sear, braise, fry, and bake in a cast iron skillet. Your cast iron pan can actually take the place of a Dutch oven, clay pot, baking pan or casserole dish. It’s especially convenient because you can go from the stovetop to the oven without needing a separate frying pan or saucepan and a baking pan. That will save you time and reduce cleanup afterward.

Inside, you’ll find 50 healthy and delicious two-serving recipes for all the meals of a day:
• Breakfast, snacks, sides & appetizers recipes such as the Garlic-Pepperoni Knots and the Unsweetened Skillet Cornbread
• Bountiful chicken and poultry recipes such as the Honey-Dijon Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and the Cornish Hens with Apples
• Wholesome beef, pork, lamb, & veal recipes like the Skillet Beef Burrito and the Thai-Style Pork Chops
• Traditional pasta recipes like the Baked Pasta with Parmesan Cream and the Chicken Alfredo Pasta
• Satisfying seafood recipes such as the Spicy Shrimp with White Beans and Tomatoes and the Easy Paella
• Tasty vegetarian recipes like the Moussaka with Mushrooms and Zucchini and the Eggplant, Chickpeas and Spinach Curry

All recipes come with a detailed list of ingredients, cooking and preparation times, number of servings, easy to follow step-by-step instructions, and nutritional information per serving.

Posted in One-Pot Meals

Dutch Oven Favorites

Posted on by simplegoodfood

There’s something wonderfully satisfying about cooking dinner in a Dutch oven.

Maybe it’s the way a stew slowly simmers until the meat is tender. Maybe it’s the crisp edges on a small batch of cornbread. Or maybe it’s simply knowing that dinner can happen in one sturdy pot instead of filling the kitchen sink with dishes.

For a small household, that last part matters.

A Dutch oven isn’t just a piece of specialty cookware reserved for Sunday roasts or elaborate recipes. A smaller Dutch oven can be one of the most useful tools in the kitchen when you’re cooking for one or two.

This collection brings together Dutch oven recipes and practical one-pot meals from Good Food Good Meat, with an emphasis on simple ingredients, reasonable portions, and meals that make your grocery dollars work harder.

Our Dutch Oven Favorites

Here are the Dutch oven recipes featured in this week’s Weekend Suppers collection.

Dutch Oven Beef Stew
There are some meals that just seem to belong to October, and a good beef stew is one of them.
Check out this recipe
The Pantry-to-Pot Formula: Building a One-Pot Meal
Read the Article!
Dutch Oven Chicken & Rice
There is something wonderfully practical about a pot of chicken and rice.
Check out this recipe
Pantry Beans: More Than a Side Dish
Read the Article!
Dutch Oven Cornbread for Two
A pot of soup or stew has a way of asking for cornbread.
Check out this recipe
How to Stretch a Dutch Oven Meal Into Two Suppers
Read the Article!

Why Dutch Oven Cooking Works for Small Households

A good Dutch oven can brown, sauté, simmer, braise, and bake.

That means you can build an entire meal in one pot.

And because Dutch ovens hold heat so well, they’re particularly good for the kinds of meals we tend to crave when the weather gets cooler:

  • Soups
  • Stews
  • Chili
  • Braised meats
  • Chicken and rice
  • Beans
  • One-pot meals
  • Small-batch breads and cornbread

The recipes don’t have to be complicated.

In fact, some of the best Dutch oven meals are built from the simplest ingredients.

Don’t Forget the Second Supper

One of the best things about Dutch oven cooking is that many of these meals can do double duty.

A little planning can turn one cooking session into two suppers.

Try:

  • Beef stew → beef pot pie
  • Chicken and rice → chicken soup
  • Chili → chili baked potatoes
  • Braised chicken → chicken sandwiches or wraps
  • Beans → bean and rice bowls

The goal isn’t to eat the exact same leftovers two nights in a row.

It’s to cook once and make tomorrow easier.

That’s especially valuable when you’re cooking for one or two.

Cooking for One or Two

If you’re used to recipes written for families, Dutch oven cooking may initially seem like a recipe for too much food.

It doesn’t have to be.

Look for smaller Dutch ovens and smaller recipes.

A meal that makes two or four servings can be exactly what you need:

Dinner tonight + lunch tomorrow.

Or:

Dinner tonight + a freezer meal for later.

That’s a much more useful way to think about leftovers than simply trying to avoid them.

And if a recipe makes more than you need, that’s not necessarily a problem. With a little planning, the extra portion can become the starting point for another meal.

A Dutch Oven Is a Pantry Tool

There’s another reason Dutch ovens fit so well with the October Pantry to Table theme.

They make pantry staples useful.

Rice.

Beans.

Potatoes.

Pasta.

Broth.

Canned tomatoes.

Frozen vegetables.

Cornmeal.

A little meat.

These aren’t necessarily exciting ingredients sitting individually on a pantry shelf.

But put them together in a Dutch oven, and they can become dinner.

That’s what a well-stocked pantry is supposed to do.

Build a Meal From What You Have

You don’t always need a recipe to get started.

Remember the Pantry-to-Pot Formula:

Protein + Vegetables + Starch + Liquid + Flavor = One-Pot Meal

Choose a protein.

Add one or two vegetables.

Pick a starch.

Add enough liquid to cook everything properly.

Then season it in a direction you enjoy.

The Dutch oven takes care of the rest.

Once you get comfortable with this way of thinking, you may find yourself looking at the pantry differently.

A can of beans isn’t just a side dish.

A little leftover chicken isn’t necessarily the end of a meal.

And that half bag of rice isn’t just something waiting for a special recipe.

They’re building blocks.

Stretch Every Grocery Dollar

Dutch oven meals are particularly good for budget-conscious cooking because they allow you to use smaller amounts of meat alongside inexpensive ingredients.

A little beef can flavor a stew.

A few ounces of chicken can make a pot of rice more substantial.

Beans can become the main protein or stretch a smaller amount of meat.

Potatoes and grains can turn a modest amount of protein into a satisfying meal.

And because many Dutch oven meals reheat well, one cooking session can take care of more than one meal.

That’s a win for both your grocery budget and your time.

Waste Not, Want Not

Dutch oven cooking also gives you plenty of opportunities to use ingredients before they go to waste.

That extra carrot?

Put it in the stew.

The half onion left from another recipe?

Into the pot.

A handful of frozen peas?

Perfect.

Leftover cooked chicken?

It can become the protein in a completely different one-pot meal.

You don’t have to use every leftover ingredient in every meal. But keeping an eye on what needs to be used first is one of the simplest ways to make your grocery budget work harder.

A Dutch Oven Doesn’t Have to Mean a Giant Meal

This is worth repeating because it’s an easy assumption to make.

Dutch oven recipes don’t have to feed a crowd.

A small Dutch oven is perfectly capable of making:

  • Two servings of stew
  • A small chicken and rice dinner
  • A couple of servings of beans
  • A small batch of cornbread
  • A small casserole
  • A simple fruit crisp

That’s one of the reasons Dutch oven cooking works so well for a small household.

You’re still getting all the benefits of one-pot cooking without committing yourself to leftovers for an entire week.

Weekend Supper

Set the Dutch oven on the stove.

Pull a few things from the pantry.

Use up a couple of vegetables from the refrigerator.

Add a little protein.

Let the pot do the work.

Then sit down and enjoy dinner.

That’s a pretty good weekend supper.

And that’s Pantry to Table.

Posted in Kitchen Tips

How to Stretch a Dutch Oven Meal Into Two Suppers

Posted on by simplegoodfood

One of the easiest ways to stretch your grocery budget isn’t necessarily buying cheaper food.

It’s cooking once and getting more than one meal from it.

That’s one of the reasons I love Dutch oven cooking.

A Dutch oven is perfectly suited to meals that can be made in a slightly larger batch, portioned, refrigerated or frozen, and then turned into something different the next day.

And for a household of one or two, that doesn’t mean making a giant pot of food and eating the same leftovers for four days.

It means thinking ahead just a little.

Dinner tonight can become the starting point for dinner tomorrow.

The Goal Isn’t More Leftovers

There’s an important distinction here.

We’re not talking about making a six-serving recipe because the original recipe says it serves six.

We’re talking about making a meal intentionally large enough to give you two useful meals.

For two people, that might mean four servings.

For one person, it might mean two or three.

The trick is to stop thinking of the second serving as a leftover and start thinking of it as an ingredient for another meal.

That’s where things get interesting.

Start With a Meal That Can Change

Some meals are naturally better candidates for stretching than others.

Good choices include:

  • Beef stew
  • Chicken and rice
  • Chili
  • Pulled pork
  • Shredded chicken
  • Bean stew
  • Braised chicken
  • Meatballs
  • Pot roast
  • Cooked ground meat
  • Roasted or braised vegetables

The best candidates are foods that can be reheated without losing their texture and can be incorporated into something new.

Example #1: Beef Stew → Beef Pot Pie

Sunday’s Dutch Oven Beef Stew is a perfect example.

Serve the first portion as stew.

Then save enough for another meal.

The next day, add a little extra cooked vegetable if needed, place the stew in a small baking dish, top it with biscuits or a little pie crust, and bake until golden.

Same basic food.

Completely different dinner.

You didn’t need another pound of beef.

You simply changed the presentation.

Example #2: Chicken & Rice → Chicken Soup

Tuesday’s Dutch Oven Chicken & Rice can take another direction.

Add some additional chicken broth.

Toss in a handful of frozen vegetables.

Add a little more seasoning.

Now your leftover chicken and rice has become a simple chicken soup.

And if the rice has absorbed most of the original broth overnight, that’s actually helpful. It gives the soup some body.

Example #3: Chili → Chili Baked Potato

Make chili one night.

The next day, spoon it over a baked potato.

Add a little shredded cheese, green onion, or plain Greek yogurt if you like.

Suddenly the leftovers aren’t leftovers anymore.

They’re the topping for another meal.

Example #4: Pulled Chicken → Sandwiches

Cook extra chicken in the Dutch oven.

Use the first portion with vegetables and a starch.

Shred the remaining chicken and refrigerate it.

The next day, turn it into:

  • A sandwich
  • A wrap
  • A rice bowl
  • Chicken salad
  • Quesadillas
  • A small casserole

The original cooking session did most of the work.

The Three-Part Stretch

When I’m planning a meal that needs to go further, I like to think in three steps:

1. Cook a useful amount.

Not an enormous amount.

Just enough to create another meal.

2. Store the extra separately.

Don’t automatically mix everything together.

If you have extra chicken, keep the chicken separate when practical.

If you’re making stew, keep the stew together.

If you’re cooking rice, consider storing some separately.

This gives you more choices later.

3. Change the second meal.

This is the part that keeps you from getting tired of leftovers.

The second meal doesn’t have to be completely different.

It just needs to feel different.

Change the starch.

Change the sauce.

Change the seasonings.

Add a different vegetable.

Turn it into a sandwich, soup, bowl, or casserole.

Small changes can make a big difference.

Stretching Meat Without Making Dinner Feel Cheap

This is especially useful when meat prices are high.

Instead of thinking:

“I need enough meat for two dinners.”

Think:

“I need enough meat to contribute to two dinners.”

That’s a very different calculation.

A small amount of beef can flavor a stew.

A few ounces of chicken can become part of a rice bowl.

A modest amount of sausage can flavor beans and cabbage.

A little ground turkey can become the foundation of a skillet meal.

The vegetables, grains, beans, potatoes, and other ingredients aren’t just fillers.

They’re part of the meal.

Use the Pantry to Change the Leftovers

This is where having a useful pantry really pays off.

A few inexpensive staples can turn yesterday’s meal into something new.

Keep things like:

  • Rice
  • Pasta
  • Potatoes
  • Cornmeal
  • Tortillas
  • Canned tomatoes
  • Beans
  • Frozen vegetables
  • Broth
  • Canned corn
  • Crackers
  • Flour
  • Basic seasonings

You don’t need all of these.

Just keep the ingredients you actually use.

Then when you look at yesterday’s dinner, you can ask:

“What can I add to make this feel like a new meal?”

The Leftover Makeover Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated

Sometimes we make meal planning harder than it needs to be.

If you have leftover beef stew, you don’t need to create a complicated new recipe.

Serve it over mashed potatoes.

Put it in a small casserole.

Top it with biscuits.

Add a little broth and turn it into soup.

That’s enough.

If you have leftover chicken and rice:

Add broth.

Add vegetables.

Make soup.

Done.

The goal isn’t to impress anybody.

The goal is to feed yourself well without starting from scratch every night.

Cooking for One or Two

This strategy can be particularly helpful for small households.

When you’re cooking for a family, leftovers tend to disappear quickly.

When you’re cooking for one or two, a recipe that makes four servings can become a refrigerator problem.

That’s why I recommend thinking about planned leftovers rather than accidental leftovers.

Before you start cooking, decide:

What will we eat tonight?

And:

What will tomorrow’s version be?

Once you answer those two questions, you know how much to make.

A Simple Example

Suppose you’re cooking for two.

Instead of making enough beef stew for six people, make enough for four servings.

Tonight:
Beef stew + Dutch oven cornbread

Tomorrow:
Beef pot pie using the remaining stew

You’ve cooked once.

You’ve bought one set of ingredients.

You’ve cleaned the Dutch oven once.

But you’ve solved dinner twice.

That’s a pretty good return on your effort.

Don’t Save Everything

There’s another side to this strategy that’s worth mentioning.

Not everything needs to be saved.

If you’ve made enough food for two meals, great.

But if you have one tablespoon of vegetables left in the bottom of the pot, don’t feel obligated to create an elaborate plan for it.

Sometimes the most economical thing you can do is recognize that an ingredient has reached the end of its useful life.

Waste reduction should make life easier, not turn your refrigerator into a puzzle.

Food Safety Matters

Planned leftovers work best when you handle them properly.

Refrigerate cooked food promptly in shallow containers so it cools quickly.

Don’t leave a large Dutch oven of hot food sitting on the counter for hours.

For larger batches, dividing the food into smaller containers can help it cool more quickly.

Use refrigerated leftovers within about 3–4 days, or freeze them if you won’t use them in that time.

When reheating, heat food thoroughly and only reheat the portion you plan to eat whenever practical.

Freeze the Second Supper

If you know you won’t want the second meal for a few days, freeze it.

This can be especially helpful when cooking for one.

Make two servings.

Eat one.

Freeze the other.

Now you have a homemade freezer meal waiting for a day when cooking feels like too much work.

That’s a very different kind of leftover.

It’s future-you doing present-you a favor.

Stretch Every Grocery Dollar

The savings from this approach come from several places.

You’re:

  • Using the same ingredients twice.
  • Reducing the amount of meat needed per meal.
  • Reducing food waste.
  • Saving cooking time.
  • Saving cleanup time.
  • Making better use of pantry staples.
  • Creating convenience meals without buying convenience food.

And there’s another savings that doesn’t show up on the grocery receipt:

You are less likely to buy takeout because there’s already something useful waiting in the refrigerator.

That’s worth something, too.

Waste Not, Want Not

The best way to avoid wasting food is to have a plan for it before you cook it.

If you’re making chicken and rice tonight, decide whether tomorrow’s meal will be soup.

If you’re making chili, decide whether you’ll use the leftovers over potatoes.

If you’re making beef stew, decide whether you’re saving enough for a pot pie.

It doesn’t have to be complicated.

Just give tomorrow’s portion a job.

Kitchen Confidence

The more you practice this, the easier it becomes.

Eventually you’ll look at a pot of dinner and automatically start seeing possibilities.

This could become soup.

That would make a great sandwich.

I could put this over rice tomorrow.

A couple of eggs would turn this into breakfast.

That’s the real advantage of learning to cook rather than simply learning recipes.

You begin to understand what food can become.

Pantry to Table

This week’s Dutch oven meals have really been one long lesson.

Sunday showed us how to make a small-batch beef stew.

Monday gave us the Pantry-to-Pot formula.

Tuesday put that formula to work with chicken and rice.

Wednesday showed how beans can become a meal instead of merely a side dish.

Thursday gave us a small batch of cornbread to go alongside those meals.

And now we’re looking at what happens after dinner.

Because Pantry to Table isn’t only about getting tonight’s meal on the table.

It’s about making the food you buy work harder.

It’s about cooking realistically for one or two.

And sometimes, the smartest meal you can make tonight is the one that quietly takes care of tomorrow, too.

Posted in Side Dishes

Dutch Oven Cornbread for Two

Posted on by simplegoodfood

A pot of soup or stew has a way of asking for cornbread.

There’s just something about having a warm piece of cornbread alongside a bowl of chili, beef stew, or beans. But if you’re cooking for one or two people, a traditional pan of cornbread can leave you with far more than you want.

That’s why this Dutch Oven Cornbread for Two is intentionally small.

It makes just enough for two generous servings—or one serving tonight and another tomorrow—without requiring a full-size skillet or a big batch of leftovers.

And because we’re talking about Pantry to Table, most of the ingredients are simple pantry staples you can keep ready for exactly this kind of meal.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Makes a genuinely small batch.
  • Uses inexpensive pantry ingredients.
  • No special baking pan required.
  • Works beautifully with soups, stews, chili, and beans.
  • Slightly crisp around the edges while staying tender inside.
  • Easy to adapt for either sweet or savory preferences.
  • Makes good use of a small Dutch oven.

Recipe Information

Servings: 2
Serving size: 1 generous piece per serving
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15–18 minutes
Total time: About 25–30 minutes
Meal category: Side Dish / Dutch Oven Meals
Main protein: None
Estimated calories: Approximately 240–260 calories per serving

simplegoodfood's avatarsimplegoodfood

Dutch Oven Cornbread for Two

A pot of soup or stew has a way of asking for cornbread.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 260
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup yellow cornmeal
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar optional
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
  • 1 teaspoon butter or olive oil for the Dutch oven

Method
 

Prepare the Dutch oven
  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
  2. Place a small oven-safe Dutch oven—approximately 6 inches in diameter—in the oven while it preheats.
  3. The preheated pot helps create those lightly crisp edges that make cornbread so good.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar if using, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Mix the wet ingredients
  1. In another small bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and melted butter.
Combine
  1. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
  2. Stir just until everything is combined.
  3. Don’t overmix. A few small lumps are perfectly fine.
Add the batter to the Dutch oven
  1. Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven.
  2. Add the teaspoon of butter or olive oil and swirl carefully to coat the bottom.
  3. Pour in the cornbread batter.
  4. It should begin to sizzle gently when it hits the hot pot.
Bake
  1. Return the Dutch oven to the oven.
  2. Bake for 15–18 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  3. The exact time will depend on the size and material of your Dutch oven.
Rest and serve
  1. Let the cornbread cool for about 5 minutes before removing it from the pot.
  2. Cut into two pieces and serve warm.

Notes

Kitchen Confidence
Don’t overmix the batter.
Cornbread doesn’t need the same kind of mixing as a cake.
Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Overmixing can make the finished cornbread tougher.
Preheat the pot.
This is one of the little tricks that makes Dutch oven cornbread special.
The hot cooking surface helps the edges begin cooking immediately, giving you a lightly crisp exterior while the center stays tender.
Just remember that the pot will be very hot. Use oven mitts and keep the handle of the lid and pot turned away from the edge of the counter when possible.
Sweet or Savory?
This is one place where I don’t think there’s a single correct answer.
If you like a slightly sweet cornbread, keep the tablespoon of sugar.
If you prefer savory cornbread, leave it out.
You can also add a little extra flavor with:
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
  • 1 tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese
  • A few tablespoons of corn
  • A pinch of dried herbs
For this small batch, keep additions modest so they don’t weigh down the batter.

Stretch Every Grocery Dollar

Cornmeal is one of those pantry ingredients that can quietly earn its keep.

A bag lasts a long time, and a small amount can become cornbread, cornmeal coating, or part of a casserole or skillet meal.

You don’t need to buy a special cornbread mix every time you want a couple of servings.

Keeping cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and eggs on hand gives you the ability to make a small batch whenever you need it.

And because this recipe makes only two servings, you’re not spending money on ingredients for a large batch that may sit around until it goes stale.

Waste Not, Want Not

If you don’t use the entire container of buttermilk, don’t let it become a refrigerator science experiment.

You can freeze buttermilk in small portions for future baking, or use it in pancakes, waffles, biscuits, or another cornbread batch.

No buttermilk?

You can make a quick substitute by adding about ¾ teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar to ¼ cup milk. Let it stand for about 5 minutes before using.

The result won’t be exactly the same, but it works well for a small batch like this.

Cooking for One or Two

For two people, divide the cornbread in half and serve it alongside your main meal.

For one person, you can eat half today and refrigerate the other half for tomorrow.

Reheat gently before serving.

You can also cut the finished cornbread into small cubes and toast them lightly to make a simple addition to soups or salads.

Meal Prep Note

Cornbread is best fresh, but it holds up reasonably well for a day or two.

If you’re planning ahead, wrap the cooled cornbread tightly and refrigerate it.

Reheat briefly in the microwave or warm it in the oven.

For the best texture, don’t overheat it.

Storage & Freezing

Store cooled cornbread in an airtight container.

Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

For longer storage, wrap individual pieces well and freeze for up to 2 months.

Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator and warm before serving.

What to Serve With Dutch Oven Cornbread

This little cornbread is a natural partner for all kinds of Pantry to Table meals.

Try it with:

  • Beef stew
  • Chicken soup
  • Vegetable soup
  • Chili
  • Black-eyed peas
  • White bean soup
  • Pinto beans
  • Chicken and vegetable stew
  • Pulled pork
  • A simple skillet meal

And don’t overlook breakfast.

A leftover piece of cornbread warmed with a little butter can make a surprisingly good small breakfast or snack.

A Dutch Oven Isn’t Just for Dinner

When we think about Dutch ovens, it’s easy to picture a big pot of stew simmering away.

But they’re useful for much more than that.

A small Dutch oven can bake a small loaf of bread, a couple of servings of cornbread, a fruit crisp, or another small-batch dessert.

That’s part of what makes Dutch oven cooking so practical for a small household.

You don’t need a huge pot to get the benefits.

Pantry to Table

This little recipe is a good reminder that a practical pantry doesn’t have to contain complicated ingredients.

Cornmeal.

Flour.

Egg.

Buttermilk.

A little butter.

A few basic leaveners.

That’s enough to turn a few pantry staples into something warm and homemade to put beside dinner.

And sometimes that’s exactly what makes an ordinary bowl of soup feel like a meal.

Posted in Kitchen Tips

Pantry Beans: More Than a Side Dish

Posted on by simplegoodfood

Beans have a reputation for being a side dish.

Put a spoonful of beans next to a piece of chicken. Add them to a plate of barbecue. Maybe serve them alongside cornbread.

But beans can do a lot more than sit quietly at the edge of the plate.

For a small household, beans are one of the most useful foods you can keep in the pantry. They’re inexpensive, versatile, filling, and available in forms that make sense whether you’re cooking from scratch or trying to get dinner on the table quickly.

And when you’re trying to stretch the grocery dollar, beans can help you make a little meat go a lot further.

Beans Can Be Dinner

One of the biggest mistakes we make with pantry cooking is thinking that every meal needs a large piece of meat in the center of the plate.

It doesn’t.

Beans can be the main protein in a meal, or they can share the job with a smaller amount of meat.

Think of:

  • Beans with rice
  • White beans with chicken
  • Black beans with corn and rice
  • Beans in soup
  • Beans in chili
  • Beans with pasta
  • Beans folded into a skillet meal
  • Beans served with cornbread

A half-can of beans can turn a small amount of leftover chicken into another meal.

That’s not just convenient.

That’s smart grocery shopping.

Choosing the Right Beans for Your Pantry

You don’t need ten different kinds of beans.

Buy the ones you actually enjoy eating.

Some useful choices include:

  • Black beans
  • Kidney beans
  • Pinto beans
  • Great Northern beans
  • Cannellini beans
  • Navy beans
  • Chickpeas
  • Black-eyed peas
  • Lentils

And there’s no rule saying you have to like all of them.

Your pantry should reflect your tastes, not somebody else’s idea of a perfectly stocked pantry.

If you don’t enjoy a particular bean preparation, don’t buy it just because it’s cheap.

An inexpensive ingredient that never gets eaten isn’t a bargain.

Canned or Dried?

Both have a place in a practical pantry.

Canned Beans

Canned beans are hard to beat for convenience.

They’re already cooked, they don’t require soaking, and they’re ready to add to a meal.

For one or two people, smaller cans can also be useful because you aren’t committed to finding a use for a huge batch of cooked beans.

Drain and rinse canned beans before using them in most recipes. This removes some of the excess sodium and the liquid they are packed in.

Look for lower-sodium varieties when available, especially if you use beans frequently.

Dried Beans

Dried beans are usually economical when purchased in larger quantities, and they can be an excellent pantry staple if you have the time and inclination to cook them.

They’re particularly useful for soups, stews, and larger batches that can be portioned and frozen.

But don’t assume dried is automatically better.

For a small household, convenience has value, too.

If a can of beans means you’re willing to make dinner instead of reaching for takeout, that can be the better choice.

Beans + Rice = A Pantry Classic

There is a reason beans and rice show up in so many food traditions around the world.

They’re inexpensive, filling, and adaptable.

You can keep the combination simple:

Beans + rice + vegetables + seasoning

Or turn it into something more substantial with a little chicken, sausage, or ground turkey.

You can also change the flavor profile completely.

Southwestern

Black beans, rice, corn, cumin, garlic, and a little chili powder.

Mediterranean-Inspired

White beans, rice, garlic, oregano, spinach, and lemon.

Rustic

Great Northern beans, carrots, celery, onion, and herbs in a savory broth.

The basic ingredients don’t have to change much.

The seasonings can take dinner in a completely different direction.

Beans Are Excellent Meat Stretchers

This is where beans become particularly useful for budget-conscious cooking.

Suppose you have four ounces of cooked chicken.

That’s not necessarily enough for two complete meals.

But add a half-cup of beans, some vegetables, and a little rice, and suddenly that chicken can become the protein component of two satisfying servings.

The same idea works with:

  • Ground turkey
  • Ground beef
  • Sausage
  • Leftover pork
  • Shredded rotisserie chicken

You aren’t trying to disguise the beans.

You’re simply allowing the beans and meat to share the workload.

What About Black-Eyed Peas?

Black-eyed peas deserve special mention because they are often treated as a Southern side dish when they can easily become the foundation of a meal.

You can combine them with:

  • Rice
  • Greens
  • Corn
  • Onions
  • Peppers
  • Ham or leftover pork
  • Smoked turkey
  • A little sausage

And here’s another important pantry rule:

Cook beans the way you actually like them.

If you don’t enjoy black-eyed peas cooked with ketchup or stewed tomatoes, don’t put them in that combination simply because somebody’s recipe says you should.

There are plenty of other ways to season them.

Your pantry should serve you.

Pantry Bean Meal Ideas

Here are some easy combinations to keep in mind when you need dinner but don’t have a recipe planned.

White Bean & Chicken Skillet

White beans + leftover chicken + carrots + spinach + broth + garlic.

Black Bean Rice Bowl

Black beans + rice + corn + peppers + cumin + a little cheese.

Rustic Bean Soup

White beans + carrots + onion + celery + potatoes + broth + herbs.

Bean & Sausage Skillet

A small amount of sausage + white beans + cabbage + onion.

Black-Eyed Pea Supper

Black-eyed peas + rice + sautéed vegetables + a small amount of leftover pork.

Chickpea Pasta

Chickpeas + pasta + garlic + vegetables + broth or a light sauce.

The point isn’t to memorize these combinations.

It’s to start recognizing the possibilities.

Beans Don’t Have to Mean a Vegetarian Meal

There’s sometimes an assumption that adding beans means you’re making a meatless meal.

Not necessarily.

A small amount of meat combined with beans can make a particularly satisfying meal for a small household.

Think:

4 ounces chicken + ½ cup beans

instead of:

8 ounces chicken

The first combination can give you a meal that is every bit as satisfying while making the meat stretch farther.

Pantry Beans and the Dutch Oven

Beans fit beautifully into the Dutch oven theme we’re exploring this week.

They’re especially good in:

  • Soups
  • Stews
  • Chili
  • Casseroles
  • Slow-simmered skillet meals
  • Bean and vegetable dishes

And because cooked beans don’t require long cooking, canned beans can often be added toward the end of a recipe rather than simmered for an hour.

That’s useful when you’re cooking a small batch.

Stretch Every Grocery Dollar

Beans are one of those ingredients where the savings come from how you use them, not simply from their price.

A can of beans may not seem like a dramatic grocery savings by itself.

But if it allows you to:

  • Use less meat
  • Turn leftovers into another meal
  • Bulk up a soup
  • Make a small amount of protein feed two people
  • Create a meatless meal when you want one

the savings add up.

And because beans are shelf-stable, they can wait patiently in the pantry until you need them.

That’s exactly what we want from a pantry staple.

Waste Not, Want Not

Once you’ve opened a can of beans, you don’t have to use the whole thing in one recipe.

For one or two people, divide the beans between two meals.

Use some in today’s skillet.

Save the rest for tomorrow’s soup.

You can also freeze cooked beans if you know you won’t use them within a few days.

Small portions are particularly useful for small households.

Cooking for One or Two

Beans are almost tailor-made for small-batch cooking.

If a recipe calls for a whole can and you only need half, use half.

Don’t automatically double a recipe because that’s how the original recipe was written.

A half-cup of beans can be enough to change a single serving of leftovers into a completely different meal.

And if you cook dried beans, freeze them in small portions rather than one giant container.

That way you can pull out exactly what you need.

Kitchen Confidence: Learn to See Beans Differently

The next time you’re looking at a can of beans in the pantry, don’t automatically think:

“What side dish can I make?”

Ask:

“What meal can I build around these?”

That small change in perspective can make a big difference.

Beans can be the protein.

They can stretch the protein.

They can add substance to soup.

They can replace part of the meat.

They can turn leftovers into something new.

They can help you make dinner when the pantry is looking a little sparse.

That’s a pretty impressive little pantry staple.

Pantry to Table

A well-stocked pantry isn’t about having every ingredient imaginable.

It’s about having a collection of ingredients that can work together.

Beans are one of those ingredients.

Keep a few varieties you actually enjoy. Pair them with rice, potatoes, vegetables, broth, or a modest amount of meat, and you’ve got the foundation for dozens of practical meals.

That’s Pantry to Table at its best: simple ingredients, a little creativity, and dinner without a special grocery-store trip.