Skip to content
TriedPrompts

More in Meals & Cooking.

Get weeknight cooking shortcuts for a family of 5 with ChatGPT

WorkedEvidence: Described by posterPosted Last checked

Amanda Caswell asked ChatGPT for weeknight cooking hacks; seven stuck, from a microwave water trick to turning roast chicken into tacos.

How to use this

  1. Tap Copy prompt.
  2. Open ChatGPT.
  3. Paste it into the message box.
  4. Send it, then read the answer before acting on it.
New to this? What's a prompt?

A prompt is the message you send to the AI tool. Copy the one on this page, put your own details where it asks, and read the answer before you act on it.

Prompt

Recreated prompt

The source didn't share its exact prompt, so we wrote one from what it describes. The result shown is the source's, not ours.

What the prompt labels mean

The person didn't share their exact words, so we wrote this from what they described. We haven't tested it, and they didn't use this exact version.

I'm feeding a family of five with picky kids and I'm worn out by 5 p.m. Give me simple, realistic cooking hacks that make weeknights easier, like one-pan meals, using up random ingredients, turning tonight's dinner into a different meal tomorrow and 15-minute dinners with minimal cleanup.

Try this in:

ChatGPT Used in sourceGemini Grok Claude

Sends the Recreated prompt shown above. ChatGPT and Grok open with it filled in, and ChatGPT may send it straight away. Gemini and Claude open empty, so we copy the prompt for you to paste. Every button also copies it.

Opens in a new tab. We don't see what you send.

These links are only a shortcut. We're not affiliated with OpenAI, Google, Anthropic or xAI, and your results may not match the source.

Optional stronger version

Our rewrite with extra checks. The poster didn't test it.

Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish.

Goal: Get practical weeknight cooking shortcuts that fit my family and the food we already eat.

Questions to ask me first:
- How many people are you feeding, and how old are the kids?
- Which foods do the picky eaters accept?
- What equipment do you have (sheet pans, air fryer, slow cooker)?

Inputs (fill in or confirm):
- Family size and ages: [PEOPLE / AGES]
- Foods the kids will eat: [FOODS]
- Busy nights: [DAYS AND ACTIVITIES]
- Equipment: [EQUIPMENT]
- Ingredients on hand tonight: [INGREDIENTS]

Rules:
- Skip generic tips like "meal prep early" unless you make them specific to my week.
- Give each hack a concrete example dinner.
- Offer picky-eater tweaks that don't mean cooking a second dinner.
- Keep weeknight dinners to [MINUTES] minutes or less.

Checkpoint: Show me five hacks and one example dinner for each, and wait for me to pick the ones to expand.

If you get stuck: If an idea needs an ingredient I don't have, give a swap from what I listed.

Verify before you finish: Check that each dinner fits the time limit and uses foods my kids accept.

Output: A short list of hacks with example dinners and any leftover plans for the next day.

Done when: I have a few shortcuts I'll actually use this week.

AI tool

ChatGPT

Outcome

Amanda Caswell, a Tom's Guide writer feeding a family of five, asked ChatGPT for simple cooking hacks to make weeknights easier. Some were obvious (wash vegetables and meal prep early) and some were useless for Caswell's picky eaters, such as "salad bowls," but seven stuck. A glass of water in the microwave kept reheated fried chicken crispy and pizza less soggy. "Make this a one-pan meal with minimal cleanup" turned chicken, vegetables and potatoes into one sheet-pan dinner. Listing fridge ingredients got quick ideas like wraps in under 10 minutes, and asking how to turn tonight's dinner into a different meal tomorrow turned roast chicken into tacos. ChatGPT also suggested picky-kid tweaks without a separate dinner, such as plain rice with soy sauce on the side, plus 15-minute dinners for busy activity nights.

Evidence: Described by posterThe person describes what happened in words, without screenshots or video.

Source

Posted
by Amanda Caswell (Tom's Guide)
Last checked
Method:
How we verify

https://www.tomsguide.com/ai/i-asked-chatgpt-for-everyday-cooking-hacks-these-7-actually-made-weeknights-easier

Context: Recreated prompt: Caswell quotes several short follow-up prompts (for example "Make this a one-pan meal with minimal cleanup."), but not the opening request, so the prompt here is recreated. The article has affiliate links.

More in Meals & Cooking

Similar cases