You’re both tired, both hungry, and both eyeing the microwave meal like it’s a lifeline.
But fear not! With a bit of planning, a touch of humour, and a healthy dose of passive-aggressive fridge notes, you can share cooking duties fairly—and maybe even enjoy it.
Here’s how to avoid a domestic drama that would put EastEnders to shame.
1. Have "The Chat" (Brace Yourself)
Not that chat. The other dreaded one: “What’s for dinner?” Instead of lobbing it back and forth like a hot potato, sit down (ideally not when you’re both hangry) and talk about how you can split the work. Be honest. Be kind. Try not to mention that one time they set fire to a jacket potato.
2. Consider Your Schedules (and Energy Levels)
Maybe you’re the early riser with energy to roast a chicken before work, while your partner’s idea of a morning starts with hitting snooze five times. Or maybe one of you commutes and the other works from home (which definitely doesn’t mean they’ve got time to prep a five-course feast between Zoom calls).
Look at your week realistically. If Monday is curry-in-a-hurry night and Friday is officially “Let’s just get a chippy” night, plan around that.
3. Play to Your Strengths (or At Least Avoid Your Weaknesses)
Are you the Queen or King of a slow cooker? Can you poach an egg without it looking like a jellyfish crime scene? Brilliant. Own your skills. Meanwhile, if your partner once tried to grill toast and set off the fire alarm, maybe they’re better off on salad duty. Or just making the tea. We all have our place.
4. Do a Weekly Meal Plan Like the Organised Couple You Pretend to Be
It’s not glamorous, but it stops you from staring into the fridge at 6pm wondering if half a cucumber, a questionable block of cheddar, and three eggs constitute a meal (spoiler: they don’t).
Use a whiteboard, a meal planner pad, or the notes app that you both definitely forget to check. Plan meals, assign who’s cooking what, and leave space for leftovers or a cheeky takeaway.
5. Divide the Whole Process (Yes, That Includes Washing Up)
Cooking isn’t just the actual cooking. There’s chopping, stirring, timing, shouting “Where’s the bloody colander?” and cleaning up the chaos afterwards. Maybe one of you cooks, the other washes up. Or one does the main and the other handles sides or dessert (read: scoops ice cream into bowls while trying not to eat it all en route).
6. Make It a Team Effort (Or a Competitive Sport)
Cooking together can be fun—pop on some music, pour a glass of wine, and pretend you're in the M&S advert. Or take turns and rate each other’s meals like a low-stakes version of Come Dine With Me. Bonus points for presentation. Points deducted for forgetting to defrost the mince. Again.
7. Accept That Sometimes, Beans on Toast Is Fine
Not every night needs to be a culinary masterpiece. If you’re both knackered, it’s perfectly valid to declare “tonight’s dinner is toast” and be done with it. Slap on some Marmite, call it rustic, and move on.
8. Keep the Peace—It’s Not a Scoreboard
Resist the urge to start keeping track of who’s done what. “Well I cooked Tuesday and Thursday and did the roast on Sunday” is a slippery slope to resentment (and probably a dinner of cold shoulder).
Instead, focus on what feels fair overall. If one of you’s been slammed with work, the other can pick up the slack. And next week, it might switch. That’s the joy of teamwork (and marriage, apparently).
Final Thoughts: It's All About Balance (and Not Burning the Garlic Bread)
Sharing cooking duties with your other half isn’t just about divvying up chores. It’s about communicating, compromising, and understanding that sometimes, the best thing for your relationship is a night off and a Tesco Finest ready meal.
Remember: it’s not about perfection—it’s about partnership. And maybe, just maybe, having a few emergency fish fingers in the freezer.
