Cut Down Time in the Kitchen for more Time at the Table

It’s that time again when you start the balancing act between school, work and family time.  It seems like time is even more stretched than usual and finding the time to cook can be a challenge.  Here are some tips to help you cut down your cooking time so you can enjoy more precious free time outside the kitchen.

PlAN AHEAD OF TIME

If tomorrow's dinner requires chopping, slicing and dicing meat and veggies, plan ahead.   Do the hard work the night before or cut all your vegetables for the week at one time and store them in the fridge.   You'll drastically cut down on the overall time it takes to prepare your dish. Just toss in the cut meat and produce to make your meal.

SLOW COOKER

Although the actual cooking time takes a while, the prep for a slow cooker meal takes little to no work. For most recipes all you need to do is toss in some meat and a few ingredients and let it all simmer through the day.  It may only take you an additional 10 minutes in the morning to prepare a meal for dinner.  Once you get home all you need to do is serve and enjoy!  If you are thinking about creating your own slow cooking recipes, use our slow cooker temp/time conversion chart in your planning!

SOMETIMES IT'S OK CUT CORNERS

You can cut a few corners without sacrificing taste.  Purchase some of the items in our frozen foods isle like hash browns and rolls that taste homemade to cut down on time.

MAKE YOUR OWN FROZEN MEALS

Mass produce meals when you have the time.  Schedule some time to prepare a few meals and freeze them so all you need to do is pop them in the oven.  This way when you have a truly crazy night that you can’t plan for, you’re prepared and “planned” for it.  Think of these meals as you last back up plan.

BROIL RATHER THAN BAKE

Using the broil function on your oven can get you the crispy texture you’re looking for from baking in half the time.  Broil garlic bread or other already baked bread for a tasty time tamer.

BUY WHAT YOU CAN'T COOK QUICKLY

We offer a hot, rotisserie-style chicken. Incorporate things that we already prepare to your recipes to cut cooking time considerably.

Thanks for stopping by to see what is "fresh" on the block! We hope these tips help you make your meals more preparable and more memorable!  Great food changes everything.