Use ChatGPT as your Chef

Hello Reader,

What's For Dinner?

Ever stared into your fridge thinking, What can I make with this? I was in this situation recently. Bear with me, this is a long story. I cooked a whole chicken in the pressure cooker to use the broth in a soup and the meat in various dishes. I tried a new recipe from a reputable Instant Pot expert. It said to put the chicken, water, and spices in the pot, set to high pressure for zero minutes, and then wait for the slow release. Sounds simple enough, although I have never done zero minutes. Trust the process.

Fowl Failure

Well, that took about 1.5 hours. I knew that was too long, but the recipe specifically said not to do a manual release because the liquid came past the halfway mark and would cause the pressure cooker to make a mess. I feel pretty accomplished with the Instant Pot, but one thing I'll never experiment with is quick release when the recipe says not to do it. Nobody has time for chicken broth and bones on the kitchen ceiling!

I don't know what went wrong with his cooking process because the beauty of the pressure cooker is no babysitting, and I was busy binge-watching The Pit. I checked on the Instant Pot, and it seemed stuck on some 7-minute number for a long time. I thought that was weird, so I watched another gripping episode. When the release valve finally dropped, I took out a very withered chicken. But the broth was usable. I watched another episode while the chicken cooled enough to take the meat off the bones. I put the meat in leftover containers and the pot with the broth in the fridge to cool so I could skim off the fat. Then I went to bed.

The next day, I looked at that failed chicken and could not think of anything to make. The failure sucked out my creative juices. I thought ChatGPT could help, and it did.

Steps to Using FREE ChatGPT for Dinner Ideas

1. Put Free ChatGPT in your Google search.
2. Click on www.ChatGPT.com. See screenshot below. There are many AI websites.

3. Put in your question (prompt) and wait for your answers. I placed the following in the prompt: What meal can I make with leftover chicken, rice, and veggies? It turns out I should make fried rice. It seems obvious, but my brain could not function with my chicken disaster. Here is a video of the process that walks you through the steps. The recipe was delicious, and I used veggies that may have gone in the compost!

Tricks to Getting Good Answers from ChatGPT

I love to use ChatGPT for leftovers or ask what to make with random ingredients. It stretches your grocery budget and provides ideas to whip up quick, healthy dinner ideas based on what you already have. The trick is knowing how to ask. Here's a prompt that works like magic, even if you're new to AI tools:

⭐ Try This Prompt:

👉 Why it works:

• This prompt tells ChatGPT to be a helpful home cook.
• It defines the kind of meal you want: healthy and quick
• It lists what you have on hand
• It asks for clear, easy-to-follow steps

Once you have your first answer, you can refine it by asking another if you missed something. You can also add special requests like

• Make it gluten-free.
• Keep it kid-friendly.
• Use just one pan, please!

In the meantime, this Instant Pot recipe is foolproof and perfect for spring.

Have you tried AI for meal planning? Please reply and let me know your tricks or successes. Do you know someone who can benefit from the Super Sanity newsletter? Please forward this email to them.

Good Eating, Karen Would this email be helpful to someone you know? Please forward and suggest they subscribe. Reply to this email with any questions or suggestions. P.S. Feel like dinner's a thankless chore?​ If you're juggling work, family, and picky eaters — and still wondering what's for dinner — you’re not alone. Supper Sanity's simple Meal Planning Worksheets turn weeknight chaos into calm, without expensive programs or complicated systems. With just 30 minutes a week, you’ll create a balanced meal plan with your family's input, stretch your food budget, and enjoy more meaningful meals together. Bring joy to dinnertime — one easy plan at a time. 25% OFF WORKSHEETS "Supper Sanity is my favorite place to find inspiration for my next meal. They are easy, healthy, and flavorful meals to put together, and I have enjoyed sharing them with friends and family. I keep the worksheets on my fridge and use them to plan what days I will prepare meals vs. enjoy the leftovers. Karen shares great tips for managing the stress of meal preparation and planning!" - Amy Nguyen Was this email forwarded to you? Please sign up for the Supper Sanity newsletter. Follow me on social media for more tips. ​​​​​

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