I would like to know your ideas on preparing or partially preparing foods ahead of time on the weekends so that during the busy work week, all I need to do would be to throw the ingredients together and pop in the oven, heat in the microwave, etc. I have limited freezer space, so preparing a whole meal and storing it in the freezer isn't really an option. For instance, sometimes I will cook whole chickens on the weekend and cut up the meat and put it in freezer bags, so that I can just add the already cooked meat to a recipe. Anyone have any other tips to share?
2006-07-25 06:30:01 · 13 answers · asked by boss 2 in Food & Drink ➔ Cooking & Recipes
A big time saver is wash and chop all your vegetables and lettuces as soon as you bring them home. The juicier ones wrap in paper towel, then store in baggies in fridge. A lot of people won't bother making salad or veggies if they have to wash and prepare them, so this really works. Also, combine the ones that you will be using for one meal, ie: for stir-fry, or a particular salad.
2006-07-25 06:38:30 · answer #1 · answered by Pepper's Mommy 5 · 1⤊ 3⤋
USE A CROCK POT AND LINER!!
Pot roast
2 lb chuck roast
1 pkg lipton onion soup mix, dry
1 can cream mushroom soup, campbells
1 celery stalk, diced
1 onion, diced
2 whole carrots, peeled and cut
4 potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/4
1 crushed garlic clove
3 tbsp flour
1 Reynold's slow cooker liner, optional
The slow cooker liner makes cleaning up a snap!
In the crock pot, add the can of cream mushroom soup, a can of water, the lipton dry soup, flour and mix the ingredients well.
Add the roast and the garlic. Mix around til covered with soup mix. Add the onions and veggies. Add water to barely cover the veggies (remember the water level may go up during cooking!).
Cover and turn crock pot to med/low. Cook 6-8 hours and it will be so tender! Serves 3-4
2006-07-26 12:07:08 · answer #2 · answered by anaheimsportsfan 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I like to cook a big meal on Sunday night and use the leftovers through the week in other recipes. For instance a pot roast is delicious on Sunday, beef tips on noodles or stroganoff is delicious on Monday and then beef stew or hot beef sandwiches for Tuesday's dinner. I watch Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals for ideas too. I made a Hungarianish chicken stew the other night in less than 30 minutes and it was delicious, homemade and pretty healthy.
2006-07-25 06:38:22 · answer #3 · answered by Susan G 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Another good way to save time is to "prep" your food when you first get it home from the grocery store. Meaning, if you buy veggies or fruit: go ahead and wash them and get them ready for the meal you will use them for. If you are using cheese, go ahead and grate the cheese when you get home. If you are making any kind of sauce, you can make the sauce and keep it in a sealed container for the week in the refrigerator. Any of these ideas will help minimize the time in the kitchen during the week.
2006-07-25 06:37:59 · answer #4 · answered by Mary 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Make a huge spaghetti sauce and freeze it. Cut up your veggies ahead of time and put them in Ziploc bags. Then you can use them to make stir fries, soups, etc. You can also get some frozen pie crusts and quickly make some quiches... Cooking isn't really that long. What takes time usually is to prepare all the ingredients.
2006-07-25 06:41:48 · answer #5 · answered by gotnoclue 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I prepare foods in large amounts so I can freeze them. Especially veggies which are very time consuming. Cleaning, peeling and cutting. I always prepare the meat the day of and any extras I freeze for my husbands lunches. I never store whole meats. As long as they are thawed, they really don't take that much time to prepare fresh. I always make extra pasta sauce too, and freeze. That way all you have to do is boil the noodles.
2006-07-25 06:38:03 · answer #6 · answered by Michelle 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I like to plan a menu like
I may make a huge roast in the crock pot
and then divide it in thirds have 1 part with the veggies like potatos whatever you like with roast
then I will make empinadas
for another meal
then maybe a beef and Mandarin orange with sesame seed salad with the next three meal one night of cooking
and the meat was all ready seasoned
for recipes try allrecipes.com
2006-07-25 06:35:48 · answer #7 · answered by someone 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your best bet is a slow cooker(crock pot). You can prepare a lot of meals at night, then put them in the slow cooker in the morning, and they will be ready when you get home from work. pork chops with sauerkraut is great in the slow cooker, and it takes as long to open the can as it is to prepare. pot roast takes about 15 minutes to prepare, cut up some onions, carrots, potatos,water up to the top of the roast(use a can of dr. pepper or rootbeer in with it) Just pick up something on your way home from work, prepare it, put it in the fridge, and out it in the slow cooker in the morning. slow cookers are great for single people who work a lot. also, a george foreman grill is great! you can cook dinner for one with that in no time, no need to lite the grill.
2006-07-25 06:48:06 · answer #8 · answered by scottrs75 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Use vacuum seal bags to prepare meals ahead of time.
Try pulled pork, and when you are ready to take it out to warm, then add your barbecue sauce to it.
There are even vacuum sealed casserole dishes you could use, and have the casserole ready to put in an oven.
2006-07-25 06:36:00 · answer #9 · answered by curious 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
buy a crock pot put the stuff in the morning beforee you go to work and it will be done when you get home. Or you can do it the night befor and keep it in the fridge until the morning. This works great.
2006-07-25 06:35:08 · answer #10 · answered by ~Genie~ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋