22 Best Meals for Two

Low-Fat Baked Falafel Recipe — The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Cooking for two? We've rounded up the best recipes you can make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner when you're eating as a couple. Enjoy these popular and delicious meals for two that will fill you up, without filling your fridge with unwanted leftovers.

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Denver Omelet

The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

Enjoy a diner breakfast at home in your pajamas with this easy, filling breakfast egg recipe. It's easy to whip up a Denver omelet for two in 10 minutes, with a few eggs, some bacon or ham, onion, green pepper, and cheddar cheese.
02 of 22

Blueberry Vanilla Quinoa Bowl

The Spruce/Leah Maroney

Blueberry and vanilla are made for each other, and come together beautifully in this delicious, wholesome quinoa breakfast bowl. You need only 10 minutes and 5 ingredients to make this egg-free breakfast, and the nutty quinoa grains deliver plenty of plant-based protein to get you through your morning.
03 of 22

Avocado Toast

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Make this special-tasting, speedy breakfast for two with just a handful of ingredients. Mashed ripe avocado and warm, toasted whole grain bread create the perfect crunchy, creamy bite. Add a bit of Sriracha for added spice, if you like, or top each toast with a perfectly poached egg for weekend brunch.
04 of 22

Savory Breakfast Muffins With Sausage, Egg, and Cheddar

The Spruce / Christine Ma

Savory, make-ahead breakfast muffins with sausage, egg, and cheddar are easy, cheesy, and freezer-friendly. Bake up a batch in half an hour, and freeze in airtight baggies for quick microwaving whenever you crave a filling breakfast.

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05 of 22

Shrimp Salad Sandwich for Two

The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

Use thawed frozen shrimp to make these elegant, bistro-style shrimp salad sandwiches for lunch. Don't be fooled by the length of the ingredient list — the filling is basically chopped shrimp and mayonnaise, with some celery, scallions, and pantry spices for flavoring.
06 of 22

Chicken Quesadillas

The Spruce

Got leftover cooked chicken? Use it to make super-easy, Tex Mex-style chicken quesadillas. They couldn't be easier, with only 4 ingredients needed. For a heartier version, add some salsa, guacamole, and sour cream to the chicken and cheese filling.
07 of 22

Chicken Parmesan Sandwich

Kristina Vanni

Plan ahead to make these ultra-satisfying chicken Parmesan sandwiches. Marinating pounded chicken breasts for 24 hours in the fridge infuses the meat with incredible flavor. When you're ready to eat, you can fry up the chicken quickly, before broiling it on buns with tomato sauce and cheese.
08 of 22

Low-Fat Baked Falafel

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Crunchy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside, delicious baked falafel balls are filling and nutritious, without the oil and calories of the fried restaurant version. Pack them inside pita bread pockets with hummus and crunchy raw vegetables for a satisfying sandwich, or enjoy them simple on a bed of greens drizzled with tahini sauce.

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09 of 22

Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Nostalgic, cheesy, and frankly delicious, the grilled cheese sandwich is a popular American lunch. You need only a few minutes, and 3 ingredients, to achieve the perfect version. Serve with chips, pickles, or baby carrots, for a delicious trip down memory lane.
10 of 22

Quick Beef With Broccoli Stir-Fry

The Spruce

Skip delivery and save dollars with this quick, easy beef stir-fry that's every bit as tasty as the take-out version. It takes very little time to saute tender slices of budget-friendly flank steak and colorful chopped vegetables, all tossed in a quick and easy homemade sauce. The recipe can easily be halved if cooking for one or two.
11 of 22

White Bean Pasta With Olives and Feta Cheese

Lauri Patterson/Getty Images

Vegetarians and those wanting to eat meat-free can dine in style with this yummy vegetarian pasta. Assemble it easily with common pantry ingredients, a few fresh vegetables, and feta cheese. Serve it hot for dinner, or cold for a lunchtime pasta salad.
12 of 22

Zucchini Noodles With Shrimp Scampi

The Spruce

Eat well, and stick to your low-carb diet plans, with this indulgent-tasting shrimp scampi dish that replaces traditional pasta with healthy "zoodles". Spiralize fresh zucchini to create spaghetti-shaped vegetable "noodles". They cook in a flash on the stovetop, along with quick-cooking shrimp (use fresh or thawed frozen), butter, garlic, and simple seasonings.

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Sweet Potato Lasagna

The Spruce/Pete Scherer

Enjoy a filling, delicious, carb-free Italian-style dinner with this genius vegetable lasagna that uses nutrient-rich sweet potatoes instead of pasta sheets. Store cooled leftovers in the fridge for a week for easy reheating, or freeze up to 3 months.
14 of 22

Pan-Fried Trout With Garlic and Lemon

Annabelle Breakey/Photodisc/Getty Images

You can use trout, catfish, or Arctic char for this easy, healthy dinner recipe that serves two. Pan-frying fish in a simple, delicate sauce of garlic, lemon juice, and butter allows its natural flavor to shine. Recipe includes instructions for mashed potatoes and roasted tomatoes to accompany the fish.
15 of 22

Pork Chops and Peppers

Dziggyfoto / Getty Images

Pork chops and peppers is a simple, nourishing one-dish meal that takes only 20 minutes to get on the table. You can either halve this recipe to feed two, or cook all 4 chops called for, and use the leftovers for fried rice.
16 of 22

Easy Vegan Ratatouille

The Spruce

Ratatouille is a classic French eggplant, tomato, and vegetable dish that makes a tasty, nutritious, satisfying vegetarian dinner. Serve it over rice or quinoa for a delicious vegetarian lunch or dinner, or pile it onto toasted bread for a snack. Leftovers keep in the fridge up to 5 days, and freeze well up to 3 months.

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17 of 22

Pasta alla Puttanesca

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Originating in Naples, this Italian pasta dish makes fantastic use of canned tomatoes, black olives, and anchovies. Don't be afraid of that last ingredient — the anchovies (or anchovy paste) melt into the tangy tomato sauce, creating a robust flavor that is not at all "fishy." Serves two generously for dinner.
18 of 22

Steak Salad

Katie Workman/themom100.com

Stretch an 8-ounce steak into a filling meal for two with this clever steak salad recipe. It's a healthy twist on the usual steak dinner, and is incredibly easy to prepare. Simply layer sliced cooked steak atop baby greens, top with chopped sweet pickles, drizzle with an easy vinaigrette, and serve.
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Sweet and Spicy Cold Noodles With Chicken

The Spruce

Think of this light but satisfying dish as a Chinese take on chicken pasta salad. It's easy to whip up quickly, or make ahead, for two to enjoy at lunch or dinner. Add a handful of roasted, salted peanuts or cashews, if you like, for extra flavor and crunch.
20 of 22

Grilled Chicken Broccoli Stir-Fry

The Spruce

Satisfy a Chinese food craving with this easy chicken broccoli stir-fry that locks in your favorite restaurant flavors, and cooks faster than it takes to wait for delivery. Grilling the chicken instead of frying also makes it healthier, and infuses the meat with a nice, smoky flavor.

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21 of 22

Quick Stove-Top Beef Fajitas

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Make this quick,easy, and delicious Tex-Mex dish in your kitchen, with no outdoor grill required. Stovetop beef fajitas are flash-fried strips of beef, tossed with tangy onion and crunchy green bell pepper, and served in warm flour tortillas.
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Vegan Lemon Pasta With Pine Nuts and Broccoli

The Spruce/Emily Hawkes

Add this yummy vegetarian lemon pine nut pasta to your weeknight cooking rotation. It takes just 15 minutes, making it perfect for evenings when you're craving comfort on a plate, but don't feel like cooking all that much. If you don't have fresh broccoli on hand, feel free to use any thawed frozen veggies from the freezer.

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