Ten MORE Tips for Quick and Easy Meals

Ten more tips for quick and easy meals

I know,,,I’ve shared some of these tips before but if I only could give you ten tips for quick and easy meals…….

1. To reduce the time for baked potatoes just zap them in the microwave. It usually takes about 4-6 minutes depending on how many and on your microwave. Like we did here with this grilled salmon weeknight dinner. Or if you are going to include frying some  potato pieces in a one skillet meal like  we did here.

2. I know that I have said this before but doing this will save the day when you just don’t have the time or the urge to cook up weeknight meal. Some recipes like soup or marinara sauce  or lasagna  or meatballs are  good to make in big batches and save the extra in zip lock bags in meal size portions in the freezer so that they will be on hand for some real quick and easy reheats for a busy weeknight.

3. Chop up large amounts of onions and garlic – as well as any other veggie that you might use often –  and keep them in zip locks in the freezer to eliminate one more step in putting together your quick and easy weeknight meals.

4. In your freezer keep some chicken tenders, boneless skinless chicken breasts, steaks, fish filets, shrimp and Italian sausages, etc. so they will be available for a quick defrost in the microwave.

5. Make a big batch of bread dough  and keep it in a sealed container so that you can just twist off a chunk, shape it into whatever shape loaf that you want, pop it into the toaster oven or air frier and enjoy a hot loaf of homemade bread with your busy weeknight dinner. AND, for better and faster than delivered pizza just use your bread dough to build your own pizza and enjoy it hot out of the oven. Or, buy a loaf, or two, of the kind of bread that your gang likes the most and cut it up into serving size slices and store them in a big zip lock in the freezer. They will be waiting for you to put them in the toaster oven or air frier on a busy weeknight.

6. In the interest of quick and easy sautéing and cleanup we suggest non-stick skillets. Our best experience has been with Calphalon.

7. When doing your one sheet pan dinners line the sheet pan with aluminum foil then lightly spray or wipe it with oil to make for a super easy cleanup.

8. And don’t forget the slow cooker!! Just dump everything in it before you leave in the morning and get it going. When it’s supper time just dish it out. AND if your mornings are too rushed and hectic how about the night before put it all in that big ceramic pot from the slow cooker and put it in the fridge. Then in the morning just set it in the cooker and turn it on.

9. Buy pre peeled garlic. I buy a big jar of pre peeled garlic cloves at Costco and store it in the freezer. It saves me the time and mess of having to get the cloves out of the bulbs and peeling them. AND I notice no difference in the finished recipes.

10. If you are going to follow a recipe read the recipe through – start to finish – twice –  before you start cooking. I know it sounds like adding time on to the whole process but believe me, it will save you time in the long run.