Whether you’re a beginner or a bona find master in the kitchen, if you’re single or simply live by yourself cooking delicious meals can be a major challenge—at least if you’re averse to left-overs or wasting food. The majority of recipes out there are tailored to feeding an entire family, or at least for two individuals. But cooking for just yourself is not only essential for well, survival (at least if you’re looking to avoid spending your savings on nightly takeout orders) but it can also be a fun way to channel your creativity, learn new skills, and experiment with new flavors and food groups.

In fact, when you get to cook for you—and only you—you don’t have to worry about other people’s culinary preferences, dietary restrictions, or the task of having to figure out what to do with a massive amount of leftovers (and likely, wasted ingredients). I mean, it’s kind of the best. Fortunately, there are plenty of single-serving cookbooks designed just for one-person meals, with recipes that cater to small batch servings and minimal ingredients. Ahead, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorites.

This article was originally published on April 22, 2020.

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