Finally! Dinners for 2 Without Tons of Leftovers
We offer simple recipes, ingredient lists that don't go on and on, and a promise that you won't be eating that noodle salad for days.
By Lynn Andriani
A Bayou Dinner in Less Than an Hour
It's possible to make jambalaya for fewer than 100 people—and to do it in less than 12 hours, to boot. This version of the traditional Southern one-pot meal, from Carla Snyder, author of
One Pan, Two Plates: More Than 70 Complete Weeknight Meals for Two, comes together in 35 minutes. And with just four chicken thighs, eight shrimp and three ounces of andouille sausage, it makes the perfect amount for two hungry eaters.
Get the recipe: Jambalaya with Chicken, Shrimp and Andouille Sausage
The Impossible-to-Screw-Up Pork
Tender pork cutlets are delicious, but because they're thin, it's easy to overcook them. If you only have to keep an eye on two, though, you're much more likely to take them off the heat at just the right moment. Snyder likes to brown the cutlets in sage-infused butter, which is as simple as throwing a few leaves of the herb into a skillet with a knob of butter.
Get the recipe: Crispy Sage Pork Cutlets with Couscous, Peas, Figs and Pistachios
The Not-So-Big Old-Fashioned Dinner
Goulash sounds like the type of meal that would feed an army (or at least a large family), but Snyder's take on the classic Hungarian dish is perfect for two. It calls for 12 ounces of sirloin or flat-iron steak cubes, three potatoes and all of the recipe's hallmarks: sweet paprika, sour cream and light, puffy dumplings (which cook in just 15 minutes).
Get the recipe: Hungarian Beef Goulash with Paprika and Dumplings
A Fresh-Tasting Burger Built from a Freezer Staple
Snyder adds so many flavorful ingredients to her tuna burgers (celery, bell pepper, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper and cayenne) that it's fine to use packaged frozen tuna steaks instead of fresh fish. And since you're not defrosting a huge amount of tuna (just 10 ounces for two burgers), the fish thaws quickly. Snyder tops the patties with even more goodies, including quick-pickled English cucumber, arugula, avocado and wasabi mayonnaise.
Get the recipe: Tuna Burgers with Wasabi Mayo and Quick Cucumber Pickle
The One-Skillet Steak
Flank steak is perfect for small suppers, since one 12-ounce piece is all you need, and it'll fit in a 12-inch skillet with no problem. Snyder serves the meat with Argentinean chimichurri sauce, a tart and spicy salsa of parsley, vinegar, onion, garlic and red pepper flakes.
Get the recipe: Flank Steak with Chimichurri and Summer Squash Hash
The Noodle Recipe That Makes Just Enough
The recipe for this fresh and simple Asian tuna-and-udon salad makes the ideal amount for two hearty servings. The dish's creator, Diane von Furstenberg's personal chef Jane Coxwell, whose new book is
Fresh Happy Tasty, uses a quarter of a package of udon noodles; small handfuls of scallions, mint and cilantro; and a half pound of fish.
Get the recipe: Tuna and Udon Noodle with Ginger Dressing
Next: 6 simple Italian dinners anyone can make
Published 03/26/2013
