Cooking can seem to take forever, and it might not be on anyone's list of things to do after a long day at work. However, there are some ways to help minimize the amount of time it takes to cook to avoid those quick trips to get fast food on the way home. Whether you're trying to save money or you want to eat healthier foods, try out these cooking hacks.
Use Pre-Chopped Foods
Chopping foods can take time, and anything that can save a little time can make it easier to cook at home. Foods like onion, garlic, and more can be purchased pre-chopped or can be chopped at home all at once and stored in the fridge. When you're ready to cook, just use a spoonful or two to add flavor to the recipe without having to do a lot of extra work.
Chop and Freeze Veggies Ahead of Time
Vegetables can be chopped up and frozen to help make it easier to add them to meals. After buying groceries, go ahead and chop up all of the vegetables and stick them in freezer baggies. Store them in the freezer until they're needed. They are still healthy and can cook nicely, but there won't be a lot of time spent cutting the vegetables before starting to cook. Try out different ones to see which ones freeze the best for your recipes.
Prepare Ingredients Before Starting to Cook
Taking the time to prep everything and get it ready can save time when cooking. Have a variety of bowls in place and prep the foods, placing each one into a bowl. As you cook, just grab each bowl at a time to use until you've added all of the ingredients. Though this does mean a few more dishes to wash, it does help save time by not having to search for ingredients in the middle of cooking.
Try Three-Ingredient Meals
Try making meals that don't use as many foods to make it easier to grab the ingredients and get to work. Three-ingredient meals often are much faster to cook because there isn't a lot of prep that needs to be done and they can be a delicious way to end the day.
Keep Notes About Foods
Jot down notes on recipes of what works, what doesn't work, what changes you like, and more. Keeping these notes can make it easier to cook the next time, as you'll always know what changes you've made in the past and can do the same thing to enjoy the food more.
Try Meal Planning
Meal planning takes the thought out of cooking dinner at night. All the ingredients can be ready to go, there's no need to worry about if you have everything necessary to cook, and you can get started as soon as you get home. Plus, it can be easier to go grocery shopping, saving even more time in the long run, as the decisions for what to get are already made.
Use a Food Processor
Chopping foods for different recipes takes time, but that time can be cut down significantly by using a food processor. Plus, there's no need to worry about having to prepare to cut things like onions that can make you cry or things that may be a little bit messy. Just stick them in the food processor, turn it on, and enjoy cooking with freshly chopped veggies.
Use a Slow Cooker or Instapot
A slow cooker allows you to toss in the ingredients in the morning and have a cooked and ready-to-eat meal when you get home. An Instapot is similar, but it takes just 30 minutes or so to cook. While they're cooking, you can do other things, so you don't have to just stand in the kitchen and wait. Both make cooking dinner a breeze.
Try Some Easier Foods to Make
Opt for meals that are easier to make and that can be made quickly. A little bit of lettuce, a few toppings, and some grilled chicken are perfect for a quick and healthy dinner. Chicken can be pre-cooked, so just toss the ingredients together and enjoy. There's no need to even cook this meal if you've prepared the chicken ahead of time or purchased pre-cooked chicken.
Try One-Pot or Sheet Pan Meals
When time is minimal, one-pot or one-sheet meals are perfect. Toss all of the ingredients in at once, cook, and enjoy. These recipes are typically incredibly easy to follow and are perfect for nights when you don't feel like doing a lot of work but want to have a delicious, healthy meal at home.
Prep Foods a Week at a Time
After getting home with the groceries, take the time to prep as much as possible before putting everything away. Pre-prepped foods can make it a lot easier to cook, as you'll have less to do each night. While this does take a little more time after grocery shopping, it can lead to a significant amount of time saved during the work week.
Make 2 Meals At a Time
When it's time to cook, try making two servings instead of one. Once everything is cooked, freeze the second meal and have it later in the week or month. This helps to cut the cooking time in half, so on those incredibly busy days, all you have to do is heat the meal and enjoy. This even works great for soup, as you can freeze it flat and store a lot in a small freezer.
Try Breakfast for Dinner
Breakfast isn't just for the morning. Many breakfast foods are easy and fast to cook, so when it's really busy and you just want to have a healthy meal and relax, try making breakfast. Scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and more are always yummy and don't take long to cook, so you can enjoy them and have a filling dinner.
Cooking can take time, but there are ways to speed it up and make it easier to cook even after a long day at work. Try out these tips to see which ones work for you and can help you reach your goals.