Five Ways To Speed Up Your Evening Cook Time
Five Ways To Speed Up Your Evening Cook Time
Everyone knows what it is like to try and juggle cooking and all the other things going on around us every day. School events, homework, picking up the husband or wife and countless other things get in the way. By the time it is actually time to cook, you are exhausted and really want to just dial up the pizza man.
Fortunately, there are some things to make that moment a bit more bearable while still giving your family a home-cooked meal. Here are some tips to speed up that evening meal prep:
Call in the infantry
As my mom used to say, “All hands on deck” when the time is short and the jobs are many. Call in the husband, kids and anyone else close enough to lasso to help out. There is no reason they should not help you get started, right? Give them the easy jobs that keep them out of your way, but get their help. It’s a great way to get them interested in learning to cook too.
Break out the roughage
If nothing else, you should always have a salad on hand. A quick salad does the trick nicely when your back is against the wall. Toss it around and add some vinaigrette for a quick and easy add on. There are so many ways to mix a different salad every day with different ingredients. You get bonus points for the healthy nature of the meal too.
Pre-cut your veggies and fruit
This is something that can be done while you watch television. Cut up your celery, carrots and various other veggies the day before your meal. Then place them in the fridge. If you are worried about them browning, simply place them in ice water in the fridge with some lemon slices. They will stay nice and fresh.
Organize your pantry and fridge
If you have everything in a specific place and well organized, your cook time will speed up considerably. The last thing you want to do is be hunting for things while your food is being over or undercooked. Spend some time really organizing your kitchen and you will be a much better cook for it.
Prepare your meat ahead of time
Meat prep is generally a big chunk of your time in the kitchen when you are preparing a meal and it also usually takes the most time to cook. Because of this, you should marinate the meats ahead of time and have them ready to place in the oven/grill. This can be done before or after you freeze your meats and it is very effective.
Crockpot, Instant Pot, or Air Fryer recipes to the rescue!
You might also consider using the crockpot, Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, or even an air fryer on really busy days. We have a few really good recipes that you can through together in the morning and have it ready for you when you get home.
Here are a few of my favorite time saving cooking tools!
Here are just a few of our fast and easy Crockpot Recipes:
- Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
- Crockpot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Recipe
- Easy Crockpot Gumbo Recipe
- Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing Recipe – this is probably one of our most popular recipes that is liked by many. It’s worth a try.
If you want more Crockpot recipes, check them all out here.
