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By Matthew Impelli
Life & Trends Reporter
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Faced with cooking for themselves for the first time, a teen sought help online planning real dinners before their parents left town.
On Reddit, user Cute-Literature-4462 shared a post explaining how they had little to no kitchen experience and needed “urgent” help to feed themselves while their parents were away.
The internet answered the call with hundreds of tips to make easy meals, products they use for cooking and tips to stay safe and healthy as the teen learned the ropes.
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'Amazing'
The original poster (OP), a 16-year-old, explained they would be eating breakfast and lunch at school, so they only needed ideas for dinners. They asked for simple, nutritious recipes with ingredients and instructions included.
They ruled out frozen food and meal kits like HelloFresh, adding they would be shopping soon and only had access to an oven, stove, microwave and air fryer.
After posting, the teen returned with an update, saying they had successfully made steak and eggs in a single pan with butter and thought it tasted “amazing.”
They also mentioned buying grass-fed ground beef and planned to try cooking that over the weekend, promising another update.
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Basic Cooking Skills
The Reddit post drew more than 1,000 comments, many focused on staying safe while learning the basics of cooking.
“If you have long hair, pull it up in a bun or ponytail before using your stove," a supporter advised, adding, "Don’t wear loose sleeves or clothing that could drape down onto a burner.
"Find a YouTube video on how to extinguish a kitchen fire and watch it. Don’t leave the kitchen when you have a burner turned on.
"Make sure you know where your fire extinguishers are before your folks leave and any emergency contact numbers."
'Simple and cheap'
Others recommended starting with simple meals.
“Pasta with a jar of tomato sauce. Salad kits in a bag. Scrambled eggs with toast. Precooked bacon and make BLTs,” one contributor offered.
Meanwhile, another pointed the teen toward tacos: “Tacos/burritos are another great choice. I made them when I was sixteen. All you need to do is brown ground beef or turkey, add taco seasoning and some water and simmer.
"Then put them in the shells of your choice with whatever toppings you like. Very simple and cheap.”
Cooking Products for Students and New Home Cooks
Basic cooking knowledge is being shared in more places than ever and finding products that cater to newlyweds, students and teens abound.
Here are some well-reviewed beginner's kitchen items that can make cooking simpler:
33-piece beginners kitchen utensil set
This non-stick silicone utensil set comes with the basics for a home chef.
Beginner's set of non-stick pots and pans
Free from "forever chemicals," this titanium set is a good starting point for new cooks looking to fry and sauté without sticking.
“The I Don't Know How To Cook Book"
This cookbook includes 300+ beginner-friendly recipes such as pancakes, salads, and chocolate chip cookies.
"Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking"
This cookbook teaches the four basic elements that make food taste well-balanced. Adding in a missing element can make all of the difference.
Beginner's spice set
This revolving spice rack has 20 of the major spices for cooking and includes free spice refills for five years.
Instant-read thermometer
Nothing ruins a meal like potential food poisoning. Keeping a meat thermometer on hand ensures your food will be cooked to a safe temperature.
Newsweek has reached out to Cute-Literature-4462 for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
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