7 Kitchen Shortcuts for Busy Cooks
Most home cooks could do with a little streamlining
when it comes to getting dinner on the table every night. When you're cooking from scratch, there are plenty of ways to multitask. These tips and tricks will help get a good meal on the table - even on busy weeknights. Whether you're chopping, roasting, stewing or baking, here are some great timesavers, and ways to get a head start on another dinner while you're at it.
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1. Make your own mixes
Baking mixes are undoubtedly timesavers, but who knows what kinds of ingredients are in a packaged mix? It takes just minutes to mix up your own and stash away.
Make this easy multigrain pancake mix
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2. Assemble extra to freeze
Most baked casserole dishes can be frozen before they're baked. Double your favorite recipe, freeze one, and dinner is taken care of for another night!
Make this freezable butternut squash mac n' cheese casserole
3. Mix up a batch of meatballs
They're simple, versatile, and kids love them. Make a big batch of meatballs on one night, and freeze the rest for quick meals on another.
Make these freezable Italian meatballs
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4. Pull out the slow cooker
A slow cooker does all the work (or most of it, anyway), creating a meal that tastes like it simmered all day - because it has!
Make this classic beef stew
5. Roast two instead of one
It takes exactly the same amount of time, energy (in the oven), and effort to roast two chickens as it does to roast one. Use the second for a jump-start on dinner another night.
Make roast chicken
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6. Mix up a batch of pizza dough
It freezes well, so you can make one pizza and freeze enough for a second, or double the batch, divide it in four, and freeze for quick pizzas down the road.
Make roasted squash pizza with caramelized onions and bacon
7. Chop extra while you're at it
While you're chopping onions, carrots, celery, peppers, and other veggies that often make the base of a soup or stew, chop extra and store them in Zip-loc bags in the fridge or freezer for a headstart next time.
Make one of these 10 healthy soups for chilly spring days
- By Julie Van Rosendaal
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