KarenWith three children at home and all the different parts of family life we have to juggle, family meals are something I find more time consuming than I’d like them to be. I’m not a big fan or jarred sauces, but I do use a lot of pre-mixed seasoning such as chilli con carne and teriyaki chicken flavouring.
There are a few ways I save time (and money too, usually) on meal prep for the family.
Buy frozen veg
The valuable space in my freezer is usually occupied by frozen veg. I used to refuse to buy it, but I realised that actually, it takes far less time to chuck a few frozen baby carrots into a pan of water than it does to peel and chop. Sliced red onions are a favourite too, as are sweetcorn and garden peas. The veg is frozen soon after it is harvested and keeps for far longer than fresh vegetables.
Use your appliances to their full potential
If you can boil it rather than steam it, or microwave it rather than bake, you are likely to save a fair bit of time. Some microwaves, like a combination microwave oven by Panasonic, are capable of cooking an entire Sunday roast in them, if you wish! It’s good to know your microwave is available as a second oven! This can speed things up a bit and gives you extra cooking space.
Batch cook
It may take a couple of hours in the kitchen once a weekend, but cooking twice as much and freezing half for later in the week saves you loads of time on a busy weekday. Most meals will be fine for a couple of days in the fridge, whereas others will need freezing. Check your recipe and apply common sense.
How do you save time in the kitchen? Share your tips and help someone else!
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