A crispy cheese pancake topped with a fried egg and fresh tomato is the fastest dinner when you have a handful of cheese to use and nothing else. Cheese melts into lace, egg yolk breaks into the cheese, and tomato brings brightness and salt.

Serves 2. 15 minutes, 12 at the stove.

About 370 calories a serving, 20 g protein, 4 g carbohydrate, 31 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high until it shimmers. Scatter 1/2 cup cheese into a thin even layer and let it cook without moving until the edges turn golden and crispy, about 3 minutes; you'll hear it start to sizzle and smell toasty cheese.3 min
2. Carefully flip the cheese crisp and cook the other side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. The cheese should hold together as a lacy sheet; if it breaks, push it back together.2 min
3. Transfer to a plate and cook the second crisp with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese the same way, then set aside. While the pan is still hot, crack an egg into it and fry until the white sets but the yolk stays soft, about 2 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper as it cooks.2 min
4. Slide the first fried egg onto the first cheese crisp, then fry the second egg and slide it onto the second crisp. Slice the tomato into wedges, arrange alongside or on top, scatter with salt and pepper, and serve right away.

Note Swap the tomato for hot sauce, salsa, or pickled vegetables. Leftovers keep one day in the fridge and can be reheated gently in a low oven. Serve with a green salad or bread to soak up the yolk and any rendered cheese fat.

Shredded cheese melts into creamy scrambled eggs, the quickest supper when the fridge is nearly bare. A skillet dinner that takes the better part of three cups of cheese and turns it into something satisfying enough for two hungry people on a tired night.

Serves 2. 15 minutes, 12 at the stove.

About 990 calories a serving, 58 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 81 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons butter, letting it foam and coat the pan. While it melts, crack 6 eggs into a bowl and whisk them with a pinch of salt and pepper until well combined.2 min
2. Pour the eggs into the hot skillet and let them sit undisturbed for 30 seconds, then gently push them toward the center as they set, scraping the cooked curds to the edges and tilting the pan so the raw egg flows to the hot surface.4 min
3. When the eggs are still slightly wet on top, after about 3 minutes total, add 3 cups of shredded cheese in handfuls, folding gently as it melts into the eggs. Stop when the cheese is fully melted and the eggs are set but still creamy, about another minute.1 min
4. Divide the cheese and eggs between two plates and serve at once with buttered toast on the side.

Note Swap diced ham, cooked bacon, or sautéed mushrooms into the eggs just before the cheese if you have them. Leftovers keep for two days in the fridge and reheat gently in a skillet over low heat. Serve with toast, hot sauce, or a simple green salad.

A quarter cup of cheese melts into scrambled eggs with onion and garlic for a quick supper that stretches that last bit of dairy into something substantial. This shelf is nearly bare, so we lean on pantry staples to make it work.

Serves 2. 15 minutes, 12 at the stove.

About 280 calories a serving, 15 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, 21 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Mince 1 clove garlic and dice 1/4 medium onion, then add both to the pan and cook until the onion softens and the garlic smells sweet, about two minutes.2 min
2. Crack 4 eggs into a bowl and whisk with a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour into the skillet and let sit until the eggs begin to set on the bottom, then stir gently. When the eggs are mostly set but still wet on top, about three minutes, add 1 tablespoon butter and 1/4 cup shredded cheese, stirring until both melt into the eggs.3 min
3. Divide between two plates when the eggs are just set but still slightly creamy. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

Note Swap the cheese for a handful of fresh herbs if you have them. Leftovers keep in the fridge for one day and can be reheated gently in a pan. Serve with toast or over rice to stretch it further.