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What to Cook With What You Have: Ask AI for a Recipe

It is 5 pm and you have chicken, half a cabbage and some rice. AI can turn a random list of ingredients into dinner ideas, with steps, in a few seconds.

Step by step

  1. List what you have. Include the basics too: oil, salt, spices.
  2. Say how long you have. Twenty minutes, an hour, or slow cooker all day.
  3. Mention equipment. Oven, one pan, microwave, air fryer.
  4. Ask for two or three ideas. Then pick the one that sounds good and ask for full steps.
  5. Ask for substitutions. If you are missing something, ask what works instead.

A prompt you can copy

Type this into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini

I have chicken thighs, cabbage, rice, onions and soy sauce. I have 30 minutes and one big pan. Give me two dinner ideas, then full steps for the one I choose.

Good to know. Double-check cooking temperatures for meat and poultry against a trusted food safety source.

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Common questions

Can AI work from a photo of my fridge?

Some can read photos. Check what your assistant supports.

Are the recipes tested?

Not necessarily. Use your own judgment on timing and seasoning.

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