Time Saving Kitchen Tips

[cat lover]

Do you have any tips that make cooking quicker or easier when time is at a premium? Or even any tips that save some money on meals?

Here is one I use when I want oven fries: I use my apple corer! I don't peel my potatoes for this, but if you like you can. Cut a small piece off one end so the potato will "stand" easier and put the apple corer on top and push down. Makes thick potato wedges for oven fries really quick and easy!

[barbszy]

That's really smart!! (This thread is a great idea.)

When I'm baking or cooking, I set out all my ingredients before I start. Then as I use them I either put them away or put them away from where they were set out. For example, I start out with them to my left, use them and set them down to my right. This way if I am interrupted I don't have to worry about which ingredients I have already added to the recipe.

[cat lover]

Great tip Barbszy! I get interrupted so often and can't tell you how many times I try to remember "did I add the salt" ?

If you use a lot of ground beef in recipes that is called for cooking it and then adding the other ingredients to it do this to save time--- buy a large amount when it is on sale and brown it and drain it all. Then put maybe 1 pound amounts in freezer bags and the next time you need cooked hamburger all you have to do is pull it out of the freezer and one less step to do. 1 pound of hamburger is equal to 2 cups.

[tater03]

I do that with hamburger all the time. The other thing I like to do is make up a big thing of sloppy joes and throw some of the extra in the freezer. With two kids in baseball stuff like this saves me alot of time when I need to make a fast dinner.

[Stephanie2377]

Do you have any tips that make cooking quicker or easier when time is at a premium? Or even any tips that save some money on meals?

Here is one I use when I want oven fries: I use my apple corer! I don't peel my potatoes for this, but if you like you can. Cut a small piece off one end so the potato will "stand" easier and put the apple corer on top and push down. Makes thick potato wedges for oven fries really quick and easy!

What a fantastic idea!!! We do love to make oven fries, but have always cut by hand. I never ever dreamed to use my apple corer. THANK YOU for the suggestion!

Also, with freezing the ground meat... thawing and then reheating doesn't make it tough?

[DeBora4BobbyL]

When I am at home, I double or triple casserole dishes. I make several and then freeze all but one for that meal. It doesn't take me any longer to make 2-3 than it does to make 1. I dirty just as many dishes execpt for the casserole dishes. Later, I have several casseroles in the freezer. On busy days, I just pull one out of the freezer and bake. I do this between semesters for DH so being a bachelor isn't too bad.

[cat lover]

What a fantastic idea!!! We do love to make oven fries, but have always cut by hand. I never ever dreamed to use my apple corer. THANK YOU for the suggestion!

Also, with freezing the ground meat... thawing and then reheating doesn't make it tough?

I've never had the ground meat turn tough and haven't heard of anyone else having the problem.

Glad you like the apple corer idea, it really saves some time!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I always freeze mine and then cook it and I have never had any problems either.

[cat lover]

Make a quick Ham Spread

If you have some leftover ham, just blend small pieces in a food processor with a little mayonnasie, some onion, a little relish; makes a great quick ham spread!

[Catwoman]

I pre-cook bulk ground beef as well. Usually I buy a 5-lb package and use 2 lbs. for Italian meatballs, 1 lb. for taco meat, and the other 2 lbs. for hamburger patties, plain cooked ground beef, or whatever else strikes me. Cook and freeze and it's no problem.

We use a lot of onions in our house. I'll buy big ones, then chop them and freeze them in regular old freezer baggies for quick additions to whatever I'm cooking. They also don't go bad this way.

[happy2bg33k]

For recipes that I make a lot, like cornbread or sugar cookies, I put the dry ingredients in a ziploc bag and store them in my pantry (2 or 3 at a time) with the recipe attached to the outside of the bag. Then all I have to do is add the other ingredients and throw it in the oven.

[Coll]

I don't do any real advance cooking but I will chop extra onions, peppers etc for the next day if I'll be using them.
Or I'll get all the ingredients I'll need and place them in a palstic bag and put it in the fridge.

[Sammi1961]

I use my crock pot a lot, especially in warmer months so it doesn't heat up the kitchen. I will toss in stew beef or a roast in the a.m., add all the veggies, cook on low all day and have dinner ready on time. This is especially good on nights I have meetings and need to still make dinner for everyone.

[Bilby]

When making spaghetti sauce I always make extra as that sauce can be used with lasagne, spaghetti or other pasta invention LOL
If I know I'm going to have a busy week I do as much prep work the day or night before and at least know what meal I will prepare. Just knowing the dish to make can make things so much easier.
I do also have a couple of qucik easy to prepare meals in the freezer sometime leftovers sometimes not.

I always have frozen mixed vegetable in the freezer as once these are cooked you sprinkle with grated cheese and they are delish with any meat.

For the quickest single serve pasta meal I use a cream of chicken cup a soup, enough cooked pasta for one (I microwave) and mix, yum. The cup of soup usually has a few veges in it and makes a great sauce.

[cat lover]

For always ready garlic butter spread I take about a 1/2 pound margarine and mix in 4 tablespoons garlic powder and 2 tbsp of either parsley flakes OR dried chives; mix well and store in refrigerator. Makes garlic bread very easy to fix quick; and I use leftover hamburger or hot dogs buns.