People Are Sharing Their Favorite Easy "Private Meals" That Always Taste Best Eaten Alone (2024)

Recently, I asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell me about the "private meals" they eat when no one is around to bug them, and people had so much to share. The responses were so good that they deserved a sequel. So, here are some of the secret meals that our readers enjoy most when they finally get some peace and quiet.

1. "Potato salad sandwiches. I use almost any kind of bread, but the thicker, the better. Add a big ass spoonful (an actual term of measurement in my household) of potato salad on one side, mayo, and mustard on the other, and smash them together! Sometimes, I get frisky and add bacon or bacon bits or cheese. Or both. 🤭"

u/kimanoo9 via Reddit / Via reddit.com

—MouthOfBae

2. "Macaroni, tomato paste, butter, and salt. It's a childhood comfort food that still hits."

—Good Witch J

3. "Canned chili over sweet potatoes. Canned chili is very underrated, IMO, and this is the best way to eat it."

4. "Rice with scrambled eggs smothered in no-bean chili (Hormel is my favorite) with cheddar cheese on top. It's so, so good!"

—Cherish Wright

5. "A Kraft mac 'n' cheese bowl with popcorn chicken coated in buffalo sauce. If I don't have chicken, I add buffalo sauce to the mac."

6. "Peanut butter toast dipped in a glass of chocolate milk. My older brother and I used to eat this for breakfast. I'm in my 70s now, and I still enjoy it."

—Anonymous

7. "I love a very well-toasted whole wheat English muffin topped with peanut butter and red plum or strawberry preserves. The peanut butter gets even richer when warm and melted."

8. "Tuna fish, mushroom soup, half a can of milk, and curry powder to taste. Serve it over rice, then enjoy leftovers as a dip with chips. My ex couldn't stand when I ate this, so I'd enjoy it every night when I was alone. I knew my husband was 'the one' when he tried this creation and loved it."

—Good Witch J

9. "Hawaiian bread rolls with spinach dip. I can't eat this too frequently because I'll eat the whole package in one sitting, but it's SO good."

10. "One of my favorites is canned chili. I usually go for turkey chili with no beans over leftover rice. Then I put some shredded cheddar cheese and Fritos on top. It's actually a favorite weekend lunch of mine if I've accumulated some leftover white rice from the week."

—Leslie318

11. "Hash Dog Tacos. Just what it sounds like. If I ever start a band, that's what I'd name it."

12. "Warm up a can of Chef Boyardee ravioli, then make some peanut butter toast. Lay the ravioli on top of the peanut butter and enjoy. I know it sounds odd, but my mom showed me this comfort food when I was little. I still eat it, and it's still delicious."

13. "I go for a can of smoked mussels (either Patagonia Provisions or Trader Joe's brand are great), a spoonful or two of chili crunch oil, and juice from half a lemon. Eat it with some crackers. It's one of my favorite snacks!"

14. "I love to pile up smoked salmon, cream cheese, sliced cucumber, olives, and avocado on a piece of lavash bread. Wrap it up and eat it like a taco, it's delicious!"

—Anonymous

15. "I cook ground beef with various spices and toppings (my go-to is salt, pepper, garlic powder, onions, mustard, mayo, and a tiny bit of ketchup and sugar). Mix everything together and put it on a bun like a Sloppy Joe. So good."

16. "I heat up a can of refried beans in a pan and then add as much shredded cheddar cheese as I can before it becomes like a liquid. Eat with tortilla chips. "

—bluerose2384

17. "Stir-fried tomatoes and eggs. It's actually a classic Chinese dish. It's delicious, low-effort, and easy to share with your whole family. Everyone makes it differently, and it's quite difficult to mess up. Try serving it with noodles or rice."

18. "Dice a large potato, season with garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook it in the microwave. Then, dump a can of olive oil-packed sardines over the hot potato pieces. I can assure you it is delicious."

—rsschu

19. "Microwave sticky white rice topped with a jammy fried egg, soy sauce, chili crisp, and everything bagel seasoning."

20. "I make frozen Costco meatballs in the microwave and add barbeque sauce. Don't tell the Italians!"

21. "Russian meat dumplings called pelmeni. I buy these from my local grocery store and keep them in the freezer. Boil them and drizzle them with melted butter, chili flakes, a dollop of labneh or Greek yogurt, and minced dill. It's heavenly."

22. "I heat up frozen waffles as a vehicle for so many things, but my favorite is to use them in place of hamburger buns. They soak up all the hamburger juices so nicely."

23. "Tuna bake. It's canned tuna, a sleeve of crackers, cheddar cheese, and an egg, all mashed together and baked on a cookie sheet. It was my favorite meal as a kid. My grandmother made it for my mom and her siblings, and my mom made it for us when the budget was tight."

24. "Peanut butter and jelly on warm waffles is otherworldly."

25. "Spam and scrambled eggs with American cheese melted on top."

26. "Chicken pot pie with a big dollop of cottage cheese on the side. My mom ate pot pies this way when she was growing up in the '50s, and she served them this way to my siblings and me in the '70s and '80s. There's something about the contrast between the cold cottage cheese and hot gravy-coated crust that tastes incredible."

—smellysunflower90

27. "I heat corn tortillas and spread peanut butter and jelly on them. Simple and delicious."

28. "Leftover spaghetti on white bread with mayonnaise."

29. "Buttered pasta with a seasoned fried egg on top. Break the yolk and mix it all up. Perfection 🤌"

30. "Boxed mac 'n' cheese with an additional slice of American cheese, cut-up hot dogs, and ketchup. It tastes like being a kid again."

31. "A whole head of iceberg or red leaf lettuce dipped in Ssamjang (Korean hot pepper paste) dipping sauce."

—Anonymous

32. "Fried bologna sandwiches are soooo good! Pan fry bologna slices until crispy, melt Kraft singles on top, and then squish it all between two pieces of white Wonderbread."

33. "I take a tostada shell and schmear it with plain Greek yogurt. Add shredded cheese, diced tomato, a sprinkle of Tajín, and some Cholula hot sauce. It's perfect."

—Anonymous

Do you have a go-to "private meal" the world should know about? Tell us in the comments or drop it into this Google form.

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.