Kitchen Time Savers

Most of us are short on time, but we want to give our families the healthiest meals possible.  Taking extra time in the kitchen isn't always possible.  Here are some tips to save time in the kitchen.

Try these tips to help save you time and money:

• Double your recipe so that you can freeze the leftovers for a meal another day.  If evenings during the week are too busy, plan ahead to prepare a few dishes on your day off.  Freeze, then take out and thaw in the refrigerator the day before you plan to serve it. 
• Use your ingredients for multiple meals.  Cook extra baked chicken or turkey.  Make a pot pie with a simple frozen or refrigerated crust.  Or dice the meat and serve with salsa and lettuce in a tortilla.
• Use smaller amounts of left overs for lunches!
• Have plenty of side dish recipes on hand.  Does your family like flavored rice or whole grain pasta?  Side dishes usually only take 20-30 minutes to prepare, so you can make them to go along with the main dish.
• Keep canned and frozen vegetables on hand to go with your main dish.  Canned and frozen are convenient, easily stored, and often a good value.  They are also very quick to heat up.
• Some stores have rotisserie chickens on sale one day a week.  These baked chickens are usually a good deal and are ready to eat as soon as you bring them home.
• Don't forget about frozen meats and fish.  These main dishes are quick to prepare and easy to put in the oven.  Try to get fish as fillets without too much breading and meat patties without much filler.
• Buying cut-up veggies and fruit can save you time, but you will likely pay more for the convenience.  Instead, invite your older children to help cut fruits and veggies up as you prepare the rest of the meal.
• Use a slow cooker to make meals.  Check out our recent blogs on One Dish Meals and Tips for Crockpot Meals for ideas!