Productivity

The 2-Minute Meal Plan: Never Ask "What's for Dinner?" Again

Ben Dixon

Ben Dixon

— 2 min read

Hi, Ben here. We’ve all been there. It’s 5 PM, you’re tired, you’re hungry, and the thought of figuring out what to cook for dinner feels impossible.

You stare into the fridge at a random assortment of things—a lonely chicken breast, some wrinkly peppers, a can of beans—and have zero inspiration. Usually, this is where the takeaway menu comes out.

But what if you could turn that random collection of food into a solid plan in about two minutes? Today’s AI recipe does exactly that. It acts as a creative chef that uses what you already have, saving you time, stress, and probably a bit of money too.

What You'll Need

  • Tool: Microsoft Copilot (or any major chatbot)
  • Time: 2 minutes
  • Difficulty: Very Easy

Step 1: List Your "Random Ingredients"

Open the notes app on your phone or grab a piece of paper and quickly list the main ingredients you have in your fridge and cupboards that need using up. Don't overthink it.

Here’s a typical random list:

  • 3 chicken breasts
  • An onion
  • A can of chopped tomatoes
  • Some peppers
  • A bag of pasta
  • A bit of cheese
  • 2 potatoes

Got your list? Perfect.

Step 2: Copy the "Magic" Prompt

This prompt is designed to turn your messy list into a structured, helpful plan. It specifically asks for simple recipes and a shopping list for any missing items.

Copy this entire block of text:

Act as a helpful and practical home cook. I want to create a simple dinner plan for the next 3 nights to use up food I already have.

Please create a meal plan using the ingredients listed below. For each meal, provide a simple, easy-to-follow recipe. Finally, create a categorized shopping list for any extra ingredients I might need to complete these meals.

Here are the ingredients I have:
[PASTE YOUR LIST OF INGREDIENTS HERE]

Step 3: Use the Prompt in Copilot

  1. Go to the Microsoft Copilot website (or your preferred AI tool).
  2. Paste the "Magic" Prompt you just copied into the chat box.
  3. Replace the [PASTE YOUR LIST OF INGREDIENTS HERE] part with your own list from Step 1.
  4. Hit Enter.

Step 4: Get Your Personalised Plan

In seconds, the AI will deliver a complete plan. Based on our example list, it will look something like this:

AI's Meal Plan:

Here is a simple 3-night dinner plan using your ingredients:

Night 1: Classic Chicken & Pepper Pasta A quick and easy pasta dish. You'll use the chicken, pasta, peppers, onion, chopped tomatoes, and cheese.Recipe: Dice chicken and onion, slice peppers. Sauté until chicken is cooked. Add tomatoes and simmer. Serve over cooked pasta with grated cheese.

Night 2: Simple Chicken & Roasted Potatoes A comforting and minimal-effort meal.Recipe: Chop potatoes into chunks, toss with a little oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven. Pan-fry the remaining chicken breasts until golden and cooked through.

Night 3: Leftover Remix - Cheesy Pasta Bake Use any leftovers from Night 1 for a delicious new meal.Recipe: Mix leftover chicken pasta with a simple cheese sauce (recipe below), top with more cheese, and bake until bubbly.

Shopping List:Dairy:Milk (for cheese sauce)Butter (for cheese sauce)Pantry:Flour (for cheese sauce)Olive oilSalt & Pepper

And just like that, the 5 PM panic is gone. You have a clear plan, simple instructions, and a tiny shopping list. It’s a small thing, but sometimes those are the best kinds of wins.

Give it a try next time you're staring blankly into the fridge!

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