Making a recipe smaller

Have you ever wondered how to make a recipe with fewer serving sizes? While casseroles and side dishes can allow more flexibility in ingredient measurements some dishes like breads and cakes require more precise measurements.

Here are a few tips that can help make the process successful and safe.

1. Recipes that need accurate measuring and precise amounts of ingredients like baked goods may be difficult to reduce so make the entire recipe. Portions can be frozen for individual servings at a later date. Be sure to use freezer bags or containers to prevent foods from drying out while frozen and to keep freshness.

2. Most recipes call for a large egg which is ¼ cup. You can divide eggs best by whisking the yolk and white, then measuring the amount needed. The extra can be refrigerated and used within two days or added to an omelet or egg scramble. Most eggs measure four ounces or four tablespoons.

3. Some recipes such as casseroles can be mixed up and then divided and frozen to be baked at a later time. These can be halved or divided into individual serving sizes. Freeze in containers that can be baked or transferred to a baking container while frozen. Be sure to cook foods to the correct internal temperature and some foods may need to be thawed before cooking or baking.

4. Foods should never be partially cooked and frozen. While some of the bacteria may have been destroyed other bacteria may still cause the food to spoil even when frozen. Freezing will slow the growth but not stop it. Make sure all frozen foods are cooked to safe internal temperatures and all leftovers are heated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

5. When reducing recipes use smaller cooking equipment like skillets, baking dishes or saucepans. This helps clean-up go faster.

6. A 9x2x13-inch pan holds 14-15 cups; an 8x2x8-inch or round 2×9-inch pan can be substituted. Keeping the depth of the food the same will help with cooking time and temperatures being similar to the original sized pan.

7. The time for smaller dishes may be less than for the original size. It is always best to check the dish with a thermometer or cake tester for doneness before the allotted time to avoid overcooking.

8. When adjusting seasonings such as herbs and spices a little less than half may be best and adjust from there. Remember you can always add more but it would be hard to remove extra seasonings. The information for this article was taken from the publication Cooking Basics.

For more information, contact Janis Risley at 918-775-4838 or janis.risley@okstate.edu.