\n<\/p>\n
Every day on our Hotline<\/a>\u2014one of Food52\u2019s oldest, coolest features\u2014curious cooks ask questions that the experts in our community answer. Often the questions relate to a specific recipe, but we get open-ended queries, too, like this one from Katie McDonald:<\/p>\n We are two college students who don\u2019t know how to cook and meal plan. Any easy recipes or advice<\/a>?<\/strong><\/p>\n Katie, your days of ramen may not be over just yet, but we can help you add more home-cooked meals to your week. Let\u2019s start with the tips from the three Food52ers who offered their advice on our community-fueled forum.<\/p>\n Nancy<\/a>, who often lends her expertise on the Hotline, suggested adding a few cookbooks to your library including Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubb\u2019s A New Way to Dinner<\/a>, which includes grocery lists and meal plans for up to 16 weeks of menus.<\/p>\n She also recommends mastering just a few key recipes in the beginning, which will help you develop your techniques and make grocery shopping easy. Some of these basics might include:<\/p>\n As Miss_Karen<\/a> points out, \u201cit helps to think of leftovers as ‘planned overs’ since cooking for just two can be tricky.\u201d In other words: Think in advance about how you can turn your dinner into tomorrow\u2019s lunch\u2014that roast chicken could become a chicken salad<\/a> or simple chicken fried rice<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you don’t already have one, put a crockpot on your wishlist,\u201d says Mcter1<\/a>. \u201cMy favorite [slow-cooker recipe] is inexpensive pork loin with BBQ sauce for pulled pork<\/a>.\u201d Put it in before you go to class, and dinner will be ready when you get home for dinner with leftovers or “planned overs.”<\/p>\nStart Small<\/h3>\n
Make Planned Overs, Not Leftovers<\/h3>\n
Invest in a Slow Cooker<\/h3>\n
Prep Your Vegetables<\/h3>\n