My Top-Ten Time Savers in the Kitchen

Written Thursday, February 25th, 2010 by Anne Coleman

Everyone has certain things that help to save time with various tasks, from laundry to studying to cooking. I'm no different, with 9 people in our family, there's a lot going on in a day and I need all the help I can get.

This list is by no means comprehensive, but it is the 10 things that I find most helpful in getting meals on the table in a timely fashion.

1. Pasta - The most versatile food ever, its a great filler, stretcher and all-around fabulous food. Quick to cook and goes with just about anything. Not to mention its a favorite of the kids. Boxed mac and cheese makes it into this list, too. I try to buy organic, but if I can't, I don't beat myself up over it. Any mom will tell you how much of a life-saver it can be. A pound of ground beef and a bit of tomato with a box of mac makes the best 'beef-a-roni' ever - just ask my kids.

2. Jarred pasta sauce - I'm not big on cans and boxes, but when it comes to pasta sauce and tomatoes - the canned and jarred varieties are excellent choices for many things. Straight up on pasta or used as a base for chili, soups and stews, it makes dinner prep so easy and the end result is always delicious.

3. Rice - Sort of a sister to pasta, another great filler and base. Fried rice from leftover cooked rice is so fast and chicken with rice is an old stand-by here that everyone loves. It cooks in a mere 20 minutes and even plain buttered rice is a great addition to any meal.

4. Frozen meatballs - homemade or store-bought, the uses are endless. Soup, chili, subs, curry and good old spaghetti and meatballs are all big hits here. Cook time is quick and the flavor is always consistent.

5. IQF Chicken breasts - Individually Quick Frozen chicken is always, always in my freezer. It thaws quickly and we all know the uses for chicken are endless.

6. Frozen veggies - Next to fresh, frozen veggies are the best choice and as they are already pre-blanced they cook really quickly and augment any meal in just the right way.

7. Pre-packaged 1 pound bags of ground beef - I buy ground beef on 5 to 10 pound packages and separate into one pound segments to freeze. Once they're separate, they thaw easily and I even cook from frozen for things like sauce and chili - just keep an eye on it and stir often.

8. Boxed or canned stocks - When I don't make my own stock and freeze in 4 cup containers, I rely on boxes or cans of stock. Any sauce or soup is prepared really quickly when all you have to do is open and pour.

9. A small hand grater - Not exactly a Microplane zester, but close. When I need garlic minced and don't have time for chopping by hand, this is my best friend. I use it for everything from citrus zest to garlic to nutmeg grating and it works perfect every time.

10. Food processor - I went for years without a food processor and chopping and slicing got to be a real chore. When my husband bought me one with a wide-mouth tube, I was in heaven. It takes second to slice fresh veggies and anything that needs to be pureed is finished faster than you can read this sentence.

What are your favorite time-savers in the kitchen?

Tags: kitchen helps, quick meal ingredients

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 25th, 2010 at 12:39 pm and is filed under Quick Meal Tips, Time Saving Tips. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.