Turn Your Random Fridge Contents Into Dinner (AI Prompt)
Stop ordering takeout. This prompt creates real recipes from whatever you already have—no grocery shopping required.
I stood in front of my open refrigerator at 6:47 PM last Tuesday.
One honey crisp apple. Some chicken that needed to be used immediately, if you catch my drift. Some broccoli. A little bag of baby carrots. Soy sauce. A bottle of some of the world’s hottest hot sauce that I bought on a whim, tried once and never touched again.
My wife walked in the front door and asked the question she always asks:
“What’s for dinner?”
So I did what I always do. I Googled “recipes with chicken and bell pepper” and got 847,000 results. Then I clicked on one that needed 14 ingredients I didn’t have. Then another. Then I gave up and ordered us Thundercloud sandwiches, again.
Sound familiar?
Here’s What I Learned
The problem isn’t that we can’t cook. It’s that recipe websites assume we have a fully stocked pantry and the planning skills of a meal prep influencer.
We don’t.
Today’s prompt changes that.
It turns your random fridge and pantry contents into actual meals you can make RIGHT NOW.
No grocery runs. No missing ingredients. No three-hour recipe rabbit holes.
How This Works
This isn’t a single prompt—it’s a conversation that builds as you go.
Here’s the system:
Tell the AI what’s in your fridge (it asks you simple questions)
It generates 3-5 complete recipes using ONLY those ingredients
Pick one, and it gives you step-by-step cooking instructions
Get timing breakdowns so everything finishes at the same time
The best part? You don’t need to edit anything. Just copy, paste, and answer the questions as they come.
That’s all you have to do.
The Complete Prompt
Copy this exact prompt:
You are a creative home chef who specializes in making delicious meals from whatever ingredients people already have. Your goal is to help me create a complete dinner using only what’s currently in my kitchen—no grocery shopping required.
Here’s how we’ll work together:
First, ask me these questions ONE AT A TIME (wait for my answer before moving to the next question):
What proteins do you have? (chicken, beef, fish, eggs, tofu, beans, etc.)
What vegetables do you have? (fresh, frozen, or canned—all count)
What carbs or grains do you have? (rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, etc.)
What sauces, oils, or condiments do you have? (soy sauce, olive oil, hot sauce, etc.)
What herbs and spices do you have? (even just salt and pepper counts)
Any dietary restrictions or foods you don’t want to use tonight?
How much time do you have to cook? (15 minutes? 30? An hour?)
What cooking equipment do you have available? (stove, oven, microwave, air fryer, etc.)
After I answer all questions, create 3-5 different meal options I can make using ONLY the ingredients I listed. For each option, include:
The meal name
A brief description (2-3 sentences about what it tastes like)
Estimated cooking time
Difficulty level (Easy, Medium, or Challenging)
Then ask me: “Which recipe would you like the full instructions for?”
Once I choose, provide:
Complete ingredient list with measurements
Step-by-step cooking instructions (numbered and easy to follow)
A timeline showing what to do when (so everything finishes at the same time)
Pro tips for making it taste even better
Important rules:
Only suggest recipes using ingredients I actually have
If I’m missing something important, suggest a substitute using what I DO have
Keep instructions simple—write like you’re explaining to a friend, not a culinary school
If something can be prepped while something else cooks, tell me that in the timeline
Ready? Let’s start with question 1: What proteins do you have available?Why This Actually Works
Most recipe sites work backwards. They start with a perfect recipe and assume you’ll go buy ingredients.
This prompt works forwards. It starts with what you HAVE and builds from there.
Here’s what makes it different:
It asks questions one at a time
You don’t need to remember everything in your kitchen at once. Just answer as you go.
It only uses what you have
No “you can substitute X for Y” nonsense where Y is something you also don’t have.
It gives you options
Maybe you’re in the mood for something spicy. Maybe you want comfort food. You get to choose.
The timeline is a game-changer
Ever start cooking rice and realize 20 minutes later you haven’t even cut the vegetables? The timeline fixes that.
Real Example: From Fridge Scraps to Dinner
What I Had
I tested this last week with:
Chicken thighs
Frozen broccoli
Old pasta
Garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes
What I Made
It gave me five options. I picked “Spicy Garlic Chicken Pasta.”
The Result
Done in 25 minutes. My wife asked if I’d taken a cooking class. I said yes—an AI cooking class.
The prompt even told me to start boiling water for pasta FIRST, then cook the chicken while the pasta cooked. Everything finished at exactly the same time.
This is the kind of thing that used to stress me out. Now it’s just... easy.
What You Can Do With This
Use it for:
Weeknight dinners when you’re too tired to think
Using up ingredients before they go bad
Impressing people with “I just threw this together”
Avoiding takeout when you’re broke until payday
Teaching yourself to cook without following strict recipes
Pro tip: Save the recipes it generates. After a few weeks, you’ll have a personal cookbook of meals you can make with stuff you actually buy.
Common Questions
Q: What if I barely have anything?
A: The prompt works even with minimal ingredients. I’ve seen people make solid meals with just eggs, rice, and frozen vegetables.
Q: Can I add ingredients mid-conversation?
A: Yes! If you realize you forgot something in the back of your pantry, just say “Oh wait, I also have ___” and it’ll adjust.
Q: Will it work with dietary restrictions?
A: Absolutely. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, low-carb—just tell it in question 6.
Q: What if I don’t like any of the options?
A: Ask for more! Say “Can you give me 3 more options?” It’ll generate completely different meals.
Ready to Stop Ordering Takeout?
You don’t need meal planning apps. You don’t need recipe boxes delivered to your door. You don’t need to become a better cook.
You just need to know what to do with what you already have.
This prompt does that.
Copy it. Use it tonight. Then tell me what you made by replying to this email - I read every email I get from you.
—Jeremy
