The key to being organized is effective planning. How can you organize a closet, for example, if you don’t know what you’re going to do with the contents and where you’re going to put them?
This theory is applicable to most things, including food preparation and meals. It sounds more complicated than it really is, but the bottom line is if you want to spend less time, or better time, in the kitchen, you have to plan meals that use the same ingredients in different ways and make a double batch if possible. This can cut your prep time and cleanup time in half.
How to Plan Time Saving Meals
There are five basic ways to reduce the time you spend preparing and cooking food:
- Use Crossover Foods - foods that are used in more than one meal.
- Plan to Use Leftovers - each main ingredient should have two planned “lives.” For example, a roast turkey breast can be planned as a traditional meal in its first life, served with potatoes and a vegetable. In its second life, the cooked turkey breast can be used to make hot open faced sandwiches as a hearty lunch or a light dinner, or tossed into a chef’s salad.
- Make a Double Batch - plan to make a double batch of any dish that freezes well. There are countless options here, just chose your favorites. Some classic examples are: chili, sauce and meatballs, baked pasta dishes such as lasagna and baked ziti, soups,stews and cookies.
- Use a Main Ingredient Two Different Ways - this trick is great because it eliminates the need to clean the kitchen twice and cuts the prep time in half. For example, plan on using chicken breasts to make chicken marsala and stir-fry chicken. Prep the chicken for the meals at the same time since chicken requires the use of a separate cutting board and knife. The chicken for the stir-fry can be cubed and placed in marinade. It can either be refrigerated for use within the next day or two or frozen for future use. Plan on cooking extra fresh vegetables with the chicken marsala and you can use the leftovers to go into the stir-fry. Another example is to prep chicken fajitas and chicken fajitas at the same time. Both dishes utilize chicken, peppers and onions.
- Make Multiples - this works well for lunches. While the ingredients for sandwiches are out, make two or three day’s worth.
How to Plan a Grocery List
The best way to plan time saving meals is to review the weekly circular from your local market and to target sale items, or “loss leaders.” This is a great way to visualize foods that work together and it’s a great way to save money on groceries! Personal food preferences will dictate your choices, but be sure to take advantage of what’s on sale.
Often, food pairings are on sale at the same time. For instance, sauce, mozzarella cheese and ricotta cheese often go on sale together, which makes it the perfect time to plan on preparing baked ziti and homemade pizza!
With simple planning you can organize your menu and minimize the amount of time spent in the kitchen. By using the same ingredients in multiple ways for different meals, you will reduce the amount of time spent on food preparation and cleanup. Shop the weekly circulars and organize your meals and list based on sale items and you will also save money on groceries, an added bonus!
Christin Aitchison - Christin is a freelance writer who has targeted the children's market for the past five years. Her publishing credits include Highlights ...
Join the Conversation