Use these quick-fix tips to get dinner on the table in a flash! And find more quick-fix supper ideas (we're talking 30 minutes or less) on SouthernLiving.com.
1. Undercook Food you Plan on Freezing
While freezing food saves you time on weeknight meal prep, it still takes time to cook the meal prior to freezing. You can save time by slightly undercooking the items intended for the freezer. Pasta, rice, and vegetables are ones you want to be particularly careful to slightly undercook. This will improve their quality when you reheat them.
2. Restore Life to Limp Salad Greens
Save a trip to the grocery store by restore crispness to limp salad greens. Simply place them in ice water and refrigerating up to 1 hour. Drain well, wrap greens in paper towels, and refrigerate in plastic bags at least 4 hours.
Related: 11 Budget-Friendly Quick-Fix Meals
3. Chop Jalapeños the Quick & Easy Way
For the quickest way to chop jalapeños, snip them in a small cup using kitchen shears. Not only is this a speedy way to deal with jalapeños but you won't even need to touch them, helping you avoid getting the juices in your eyes or small cuts on your hands.
4. Use Frozen Veggies for a Quick Side
Frozen vegetables are one of our favorite time-saving shortcuts. Neatly trimmed and perfectly chopped, they offer consistent quality year-round. Processed soon after harvest, frozen vegetables often exceed the nutritional value of fresh. Regardless of the cooking method, it's important not to overcook them. Quickly sautéing frozen vegetables in a teaspoon of hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat is one of the quickest ways to cook them while maintaining their color and crunch.
5. Skip the Pasta Rinse Step
When serving pasta hot, save time by skipping the rinsing step. The starch that clings to cooked pasta will help the sauce adhere. Chilled pasta salad, on the other hand, will be sticky unless the pasta is rinsed. In these cases, rinse the cooked pasta in a colander to remove the excess starch and gently shake it to remove any liquid before adding it to the recipe.
For 26 more quick-fix tips, head over to SouthernLiving.com.
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