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Cooking for Two

Discover the test kitchen’s best tips, techniques, and recipes for feeding two people without the fuss.

Cooking for Two

About this Class

Cooking for two isn’t always as easy as simply cutting a recipe in half, but for many smaller households dishes that serve four to six aren’t practical and lead to food waste, or at the least tiresome amounts of leftovers. When you're cooking for fewer people, you need a new strategy. In this class, you'll find scaled-down, streamlined versions of what are usually big batch recipes—think lasagna, meatloaf, and hearty soup.

Meet Your Instructors

Author: Lawman Johnson

Lawman Johnson

Senior Editor, Cook's Country

Lawman Johnson is a senior editor of Cook’s Country magazine and has been an on-screen test cook for Cook’s Country since 2018. A Boston native, Lawman earned his BS in economics from Northeastern University. After a successful career serving as back office support at several area financial management companies, Lawman decided to switch careers to pursue his love of cooking. He graduated from the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts in 2010 and went on to work in some of the most well-respected restaurants in greater Boston, from Chiara in Westwood to 51 Lincoln in Newton. Lawman joined America’s Test Kitchen in 2014 as a test cook for the Books team. Over the course of his time at ATK, he’s contributed to nearly 20 cookbooks—his favorites being Cook It in Cast Iron (2016); Tasting Italy (2018); and Vegetables Illustrated (2019)—and has developed countless recipes. When he’s not cooking, Lawman enjoys snowboarding, reading fiction, answering ’80s trivia, playing video games, and discussing all things Marvel Comics with his son.

Lessons

Class Progress

1Smart Shopping and Substitutions

Ingredients for Two

Ingredients for Two

Equipment for Two

Equipment for Two

Substitutions that Work

Substitutions that Work

2Dealing with Leftovers

Storing Leftover Fruits and Vegetables

Storing Leftover Fruits and Vegetables

Utilize Your Freezer

Utilize Your Freezer

Putting Leftovers to Work

Technique4 min video

Putting Leftovers to Work

3Satisfying Meals for Two

Classic Lasagna for Two

Recipe1 hr 20 min

Classic Lasagna for Two

Cheese Quiche for Two

Cheese Quiche for Two

Pasta e Fagioli for Two

Pasta e Fagioli for Two

All-American Mini Meatloaves for Two

Recipe1 hr 5 min

All-American Mini Meatloaves for Two

Ask ATK

Have a Question?

We’d love to hear from you! Drop us a message anytime and we’ll get back to you. We’re here to help!

Class FAQs

What’s the best way to avoid food waste when shopping and cooking for a household of two?

Author: Lawman

Answered by Lawman

Senior Editor, Cook's Country

Shop smarter—and smaller! When it comes to produce, take advantage of the salad bar—it can be just the ticket when you only need a small amount of something, like chopped peppers or artichoke hearts. Look for individual serving sizes of things like yogurt or applesauce. And while it can be tempting to buy in bulk, sometimes it’s actually wiser to pay a little more per ounce or pound but buy less overall. Of course if you have plenty of pantry space bulk dried pasta, rice, and beans are a-ok.

What’s the point of learning to cook for two? Can’t I just have leftovers?

Author: Lawman

Answered by Lawman

Senior Editor, Cook's Country

You certainly can, and if you’re the type of person who doesn’t mind eating the same thing several nights in a row, have at it. But we heard from a lot of our students that they were tired of leftovers and in search of a better way to cook for fewer mouths. While occasional leftovers can be convenient, not every dish holds up to days in the fridge; quality can deteriorate and in extreme cases even become a food safety hazard. We’d wager that even the leftover-lovers among you will be glad to have the tips, techniques, and recipes in this class as as part of your arsenal.