Pantry Raid: AI Helps Me Cook With What I Have!
Tonight’s supper was an unexpected adventure, thanks to ChatGPT! I wasn’t in the mood to go grocery shopping, so instead of scrolling through Instagram for a recipe that required things I didn’t have, I decided to let AI figure out a meal using only what was in my pantry.
After listing my ingredients, ChatGPT gave me eight meal ideas, and I settled on one it called “Veggie-Packed Tomato Pasta.” Its recipe included: macaroni noodles, veggie ground, garlic, sweet onion, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, spinach, and canned mushrooms. It seemed like a quick and easy meal to cook up, all from foods in my pantry!
The recipe itself was easy to follow, but I think some people may need more direction as what to do to ensure their meals turn out. As I cooked, I realized it was way more food than I expected, which kind of goes against the whole ‘no leftovers’ thing my wife and I are trying to go for – maybe I’ll give my mom a weeks worth of meals. The sauce was a lot thicker than I imagined it would be when I read the recipe. I guess that’s what comes with using AI for recipes—you don’t know what the end result is supposed to look like!
After I was almost done cooking I made the decision to pivot and instead of tossing the thick sauce in with the macaroni, I turned half of
it into a “hamburger” soup by adding water, and the other half into a vegan chili by tossing in a six-bean medley. Two meals in one!
Both the soup and chili turned out great, even though I made a last minute decision to change the recipe from what ChatGPT originally gave me. AI helped me come up with a meal plan without needing a special grocery trip, and it kept me from defaulting to takeout or another round of the same old go-to meals. I think next time, I’ll refine my request—maybe ask for portion sizes and estimated cook times—but overall, this was a quick, easy, and budget-friendly way to make supper.
Who knew AI could be this helpful in the kitchen? I might have to try this again soon! Have any of you tried to use AI
in planning a meal?
Also, I think I’m getting better at this whole filming myself thing!
6 thoughts on “Pantry Raid: AI Helps Me Cook With What I Have!”
Hi Samantha
I was smiling all through while reading your post. Who would have imagined the use of AI for meal preparation? That is a good try anyway, but I wouldn’t risk trying that because I might not like the end product, especially if it’s not a food I am familiar with.
It was definitely a risk because I didn’t know what the end result would be! I think I might stick to the videos I have logged on Instagram and TikTok so I know what it’s supposed to look like at the end!
This is a great idea. I have never thought to us AI this way but there are so many times when we don’t know what to make or feel like we are out of ideas. This would be a great way to try new things, the only downfall is I can imagine how my 6 year old would react.
Maybe try only putting the ingredients you know your 6 year old would like – or even prompt AI to cater it to your child! I wonder would it would come up with!
This is a great idea! Actually my colleague was just on a long liver cleanse and she was given a list of ingredients she was allowed to have on this cleanse and instead of being stuck with a boring and bland meal , making her cleanse seem to go on forever and ever, she used Chatgpt to create recipes for her by copy and pasting the ingredients list and giving the parameters of what she wasn’t allowed not eat. The AI come up with some amazing recipes! Super fun and she was able to finish her cleanse easily! Sort like your pantry raid, although used for different purposes. Its so exciting to see what AI can do for us.
Wow! Thank you for sharing your colleagues experience! I had not heard of anyone using it in this way before so I was excited to see what it came up with – but I am glad it has worked successfully for others as well! I think the more specific we become with our prompts the better it becomes.