busyIf you stock the right staples, you can add on to them easily without getting overwhelmed. It's kind of like a capsule wardrobe, only for food. You're controlling the choices to give yourself easy options. Consider varying just one thing at a time (soups, sandwiches, etc.) so you've always got simple things in other categories.
Say you likes sandwiches. That means always stocking bread and spreads. But the meat, cheese, vegetables, etc. could vary with just a couple choices at a time of each.
Algorithms are another great approach. These are like recipes but with "one from row A, one from row B" options. You don't have to stock everything all at once. You can use the poster for reference. Not sure what to make? Just pick a column and go down it.
https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/mix-and-match-breakfast-bowls-1478575424.jpg
https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/chicken-soup-final-1445465702.jpg
https://miro.medium.com/max/3174/1*a2LkVcXJowryCBSe_iDG-Q.png
https://thumbnails-visually.netdna-ssl.com/guide-to-stirfrying_556f658a8b270.jpg
https://thumbnails-visually.netdna-ssl.com/guide-to-stirfry-combos_556f644cd6378.jpg
https://www.thereciperebel.com/the-ultimate-mix-and-match-one-pot-pasta-guide/
https://thumbnails-visually.netdna-ssl.com/11-simple-salads-for-spring_556e27c28a1d3.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3bVukbD.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/99/64/dd/9964ddb19f7a0ba0266ce94f4e6dd965.jpg
EDIT 2/3/20 -- I realized from comments that several folks could use a list of pantry staples for a small apartment. Start with those basics and that will make it easier to create variations. When you keep your list of staples concise, there's less risk of choice paralysis. Just use the size and shape of that list to customize as needed for what you usually make. If you cook ethnic cuisine, there are pantry lists for most of those too, and you can look up yours.
February 3 2020, 20:05:21 UTC 1 year ago
There's a lot of different variations out there to choose from-enough of them that you could easily do a different one once every two weeks and still not run through all the variations in three months' time.
One of my personal favorites is made with rye bread (the marbled stuff) and the Good Eats man came up with a BBQ chips flavored version that I definitely want to try sometime soon.
Other Mix and Match Charts that need to be made:
Meatballs and Sauces (You really run into gobs of different recipes for meatballs if you try Googling the term "forcemeat balls".)
Italian Wedding Soup
There's even a different type of Chicken Soup Recipe Chart you could make:
An around-the-world one since just about everybody has their own local version of chicken soup... PLUS....
What if you vary the type of bird meat that you use? That really opens up the door to a whole world of variations:
Guinea hen, pigeon, duck, quail, goose (might be an excellent way to thin out the nuisance Canadian Honker population) and etc.
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I know your recipe charts are written with an eye toward beginning cooks but once you can handle them why not step up to some of these slightly more advanced cooking ideas?
:^)
Options
February 6 2020, 22:38:15 UTC 1 year ago
One of my friends who teaches "life skills" for kids who need the help uses them in the classroom for what i call "teaching pattern-breaking"