Most cookbooks and recipe sites are still built for a family of six — a nine-by-thirteen pan, three pounds of chicken, enough mashed potatoes to feed a football team. But for a lot of us, that’s not what dinner looks like anymore. Kids move out, life changes, and one day you open the fridge and realize it’s just the two of you. Or just you.
In this episode, Kim talks about that shift — and why nobody really prepares you for it. She gets into the real cost of cooking too big: the leftovers that go from convenient to a punishment by Thursday, the food waste that quietly drains your grocery budget, and the way big-batch cooking can make weeknight dinner feel like more work than it needs to be once it’s just one or two plates.
She also shares why small batch cooking isn’t about settling for less. It’s about making just enough — enough for tonight, maybe enough for tomorrow’s lunch, but not enough to feel stuck eating the same thing for a week.
What’s New at This Old Baker
Kim is actively building out a small batch collection on the site — individual ramekin meals scaled for one or two people, with more on the way. Two are live right now:
Small Batch Chicken Pot Pie for Two
Individual chicken pot pies baked in ramekins with a flaky top crust and a creamy herbed filling — no extra pie sitting in the fridge for a week. Get it at https://thisoldbaker.com/small-batch-chicken-pot-pie-for-two/
Sausage Breakfast Casserole for Two (Baked in Ramekins)
A hearty breakfast casserole scaled to two servings, assemble-ahead friendly, ready in 40 minutes. Get it at https://thisoldbaker.com/sausage-breakfast-casserole-for-two-baked-in-ramekins/
More small batch dinners and desserts are coming soon — if there’s a recipe you wish existed in a smaller size, Kim wants to hear about it in the comments.
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