The
first week, we picked our meal categories and brainstormed ideas for each category. The
second week, we added our categories and meal ideas to a menu calendar and started our meal-management system.
This week, I'll share with you seven tricks I use to make food prep and planning a little easier.
Tip 1: Plan ahead.
One of the benefits of having a weekly meal plan is that you can think ahead to the things you might need later in the week and plan accordingly. For example, if you are serving steamed broccoli two nights, wash and cut it the first night you serve it and save the already-prepped broccoli for a second night. Or, better yet, wash and prep whatever you can over the weekend so that mid-week meals are as seamless as possible.
Tip 2: Repurpose leftovers.
For example, one of my favorite things to do during cold weather months is add leftovers into soup. I have found that my family really likes the
Bear Creek dry soup mixes. Have some steamed broccoli that needs a home? How about some Cheddar Broccoli Soup? Leftover pork roast? Add it to Tortilla Soup. Not only is it a great way to repurpose foods, but the soup mixes are easy to make and ready in less than 30 minutes.
Tip 3: Stock your pantry.
I'm not just talking about the convenience dinners like Mac & Cheese (although those
do come in handy). There are plenty of dinners you can make from a few ingredients you probably have in your pantry right now. Casserole dishes, pasta dinners and easy pan sauces all have their humble beginnings in the pantry. Stock it well and you'll have an easy dinner even when the fridge is bare.
Tip 4: Develop a freezer storage system (see tip #5 for
why).
You will need freezer tape (available in the grocery store in the food storage area), colored permanent markers and storage containers. You can either invest in freezable storage containers and plastic bags or a vacuum-sealer. There are pros and cons to both ways of storing your food, but I've tried both and prefer the containers. But whatever the food goes into, use your colored markers and freezer tape to label it. Why the colored markers? To easily identify whether or not it needs to thaw first. For example, if the item can go from freezer to oven, then use a green pen to label it (name
and directions). If it first needs to thaw in the fridge, label it red. Doesn't matter (or, in my case, too lazy to find a colored pen) use black. Why the freezer tape? It's not necessary, but I find that freezer tape works much better than regular masking tape or marking right on the container.
Tip 5: Make the freezer your friend.
A well-stocked freezer can save you
hours of headache. And how do you get a well-stocked freezer? You start by making double batches of the foods you like. I made Bolognese Sauce a few weeks ago, labeled it and stuck it in the freezer.
The next pasta (or ethnic) night that I know will be hectic, I'll just pull it out of the freezer and use it. I've got enchiladas, meatballs, cookie dough and soups that all started as double batches.
Another way to stock your freezer is to portion out leftovers and freeze them. For example, when I make soup or pasta dishes, I will store the leftovers in single-serve containers and use them for lunches or desperate dinners.
Tip 6: Make the slow cooker your friend.
Yes, you are developing a lot of friendships these days. But trust me, these are the kind of friends you want. The slow cooker makes rice and beans (see tip #7), makes meals while you're gone, and in return asks only that you clean it after each use. What's not to like about a friend like that?
Tip 7: Buy in bulk and portion smaller.
For example, if you are trying to eat a lot of beans, buy a large bag of dry beans, cook them in the crockpot and store them in the freezer. Then, when you are ready to use it, you'll have your foods already portioned and ready to use. Or start some bread dough. The recipe makes enough for 4 loaves and keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks - you can have freshly baked bread any night of the week.
