I Made This One Comfort Food Dish & It Lasted Me All Week Long

Comfort food doesn't exactly have single-serving size written all over it. These one-pot dishes fall more in line with what our parents used to whip up for feeding the whole house: spaghetti and meatballs, casseroles, soups, and stews. But just because we've moved out, and no longer need to prep enough nosh for an army of hangry teens, doesn't mean we can't work some similar kitchen magic with these nostalgic meals. Not only are many comfort food dishes easy to master with affordable ingredients, but they also tend to store well in the fridge or freezer — which means one thing: it's the ideal meal type for repurposing leftovers into new recipes throughout the week.

I put the above statement to the test by stretching one pot of homemade chili into a week's worth of repurposed dinners. With a little ingredient overlap, kitchen creativity, and one giant pot, I was able to feed myself and my roommate five separate comfort food riffs (from mini chili pot pies to a spicy shakshouka) that each took well under an hour to whip up (since the star ingredient had already been prepared). And I did it for a total of only $5 per serving! Scroll on to see how it's done — recipes instructions and shopping list included.