You needed two spoonfuls. The tub holds far more. The rest waits at the back of the fridge until the lid has news you didn't want.
These three dinners for one from the 3Onions app each use sour cream, so the tub you open goes into three dinners instead of one.
Three dinners that use it up
Sour cream is in all three. Shop once, cook it three ways. Anything left goes into next week’s plan first.
15 min · uses 2 tbsp sour cream
Loaded baked potato
Ingredients and steps
Ingredients for one
1 potato
¼ cup shredded cheese
2 tbsp sour cream
1 green onion
From your pantry: salt, black pepper, butter
Steps
Microwave the potato. Scrub the potato and prick it all over with a fork. Microwave on high 5 minutes, flip it, then 3–5 minutes more, until a knife slides into the middle easily.
Prep the toppings. While it cooks, thinly slice the green onion.
Fluff and season. Split the potato open (careful, it’s steamy) and fluff the inside with a fork. Season with salt, black pepper and a small knob of butter.
Load it up. Scatter the cheese in first so it melts into the hot potato, then top with the sour cream and green onion.
15 min · uses 2 tbsp sour cream
Crispy black bean tacos
Ingredients and steps
Ingredients for one
3 tortillas
½ can black beans
¼ head cabbage
½ lime
¼ bunch cilantro
2 tbsp sour cream
From your pantry: salt, oil, ground cumin, chili powder
Steps
Mash the beans. Drain and rinse the beans. Mash half of them with a fork, then stir in the rest with a pinch of salt, cumin and chili powder.
Crisp the tacos. Spread the beans over half of each tortilla and fold. Crisp in a little oil in a skillet over medium, 2–3 minutes a side, until golden and crunchy.
Make the slaw. While they crisp, shred the cabbage and chop the cilantro. Toss them with a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt.
Add the slaw. Tuck the slaw into each taco and add a spoonful of sour cream and another squeeze of lime.
40 min · uses 2 tbsp sour cream
Sweet potato & black bean bowl
Ingredients and steps
Ingredients for one
1 sweet potato
½ can black beans
½ cup rice
½ lime
¼ bunch cilantro
2 tbsp sour cream
From your pantry: salt, oil, ground cumin, chili powder
Steps
Roast the sweet potato. Heat the oven to 425°F. Cut the sweet potato into ¾-inch cubes and toss with a little oil, salt, cumin and chili powder on a sheet pan. Roast 22–25 minutes, stirring once, until tender and browned.
Get the rice going. While it roasts, bring the rice, twice as much water and a pinch of salt to a boil, then cover and simmer on low about 18 minutes. Leave it covered off the heat.
Warm the beans. Drain and rinse the beans and warm them in a small pan with a splash of water and a pinch of salt and cumin.
Build the bowl. Chop the cilantro. Pile the rice, beans and sweet potato into a bowl and top with sour cream, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
How to store sour cream
Keep the lid on tight and the tub in the coldest part of the fridge, not the door. Always use a clean spoon. Once it's open, aim to finish it within about a week to ten days, and go by the date on the tub.
FAQ
Can you freeze sour cream?
You can, but it separates and turns grainy when it thaws. Frozen sour cream is fine stirred into chili or a sauce, not spooned on top.
How can you tell sour cream has gone bad?
Mold, pink or yellow spots, a sharp smell, or watery separation that won't stir back in. When in doubt, throw it out.
