Sausage

Like any “loaded” situation, thishot dogis all about constructing your plate.Split-top bunsallow you to hollow out the sides a bit, fitting extra toppings into each bite. A touch of sweetness in the chili balances out the salt from Corn Nuts and the hot dog, while the sharp bite of pickledjalapeñoscreates balance. Radishes and sour cream offer a welcome hit of freshness. The chili can easily be made ahead of time for quick assembly the day of.

My love of cooking for one runs so deep that I wrote a book about it,Cooking Solo: The Fun of Cooking for Yourself. Fundamentally, I believe that making a delicious meal is a powerful way to nourish and nurture yourself. It’s an exercise in creativity and self-care. You can also think of it as a rehearsal of sorts, testing a recipe out before you make it for other people. Another overlooked advantage to cooking for oneself is that you have the freedom to make whatever you please. You don’t have to compromise or worry about whether or not someone else approves of your menu. In short, you can allow yourself the pleasure of giving into your cravings.Which leads me to one of my favorite wintertime indulgences: making a solo dinner that can double as a hearty, comforting breakfast. Here, the potatoes and sausage remind me of the first meal of the day, but I often swap out pancakes and eggs for kale and onions to make it feel more like dinner (and more grown-up, since there are vegetables).The brilliant thing about this recipe is that you can cook it all in one skillet. The key is adding each ingredient at the right time so that everything cooks without burning. You start by cooking the potatoes and sausage (I recommend small red potatoes and spicy Italian sausage, but you can use your favorite) and then once those start to brown, you add the sliced onions and then the kale. The bonus to using fresh sausage is that you get some of the delicious rendered fat as it cooks, which flavors the potatoes, onions and kale. To brighten the dish, once everything is cooked, I squeeze lemon juice over the top, and sprinkle the whole shebang with chopped parsley. This is a single-serving recipe, but it can easily be doubled—just use a bigger skillet so you have plenty of room.