Efficient WAHM

Meal Planning Short Cuts

Posted on 20. Aug, 2009 by Mary Lutz in Archives, Time Management

photo credit: TheeErin
Short-cut cooking is a way of preparing foods quickly and easily by combining prepared food with fresh ingredients.  This allows you to take advantage of the convenience of fresh food, while still enjoying the flavor and health benefits of fresh food.  This method is also growing in popularity, and you are most likely preparing some of your meals this way without even thinking about it.

Have you ever bought a rotisserie chicken from the market and made your own side dishes for dinner? Or, have you ever bought a pre-made potato or pasta salad from the deli to serve with the entrée you’ve had simmering in the slow cooker all day?  Well, then you are already familiar with this type of meal preparation.

If your family is going to have an unusually busy week, try planning a few short-cut meals ahead of time.  This way, you can go to the grocery store once, have all the food on had during the week, and get dinner on the table in a hurry. The following are a few suggestions:

• Fresh & Easy Pizza: Many busy families love pizza; it’s quick, easy, and you can get it delivered.  Pizza delivery can get expensive, though.  It’s much cheaper to make your own at home, and if you load it with veggies, you can fool your kids into eating something healthy! Using a ready-made crust such as the Boboli brand will save you the time and trouble of making your own dough.  You can also find pizza dough in tubes next to the refrigerated biscuits.

• Speaking of those biscuits, you can opt to use those as “mini-pizzas”. Simply separate the biscuits, roll them out a bit and let your kids make their own pizzas.  If you want something a bit healthier, try topping whole wheat English muffins with the pizza toppings.  If your family enjoys those frozen French bread pizzas, but a loaf of fresh French bread and make your own using fresh veggies.

• The Versatile Chicken: Earlier, we asked if you’ve ever purchased a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. This is a versatile ingredient that you can use to prepare many meals.  Instead of ordering out to a Chinese restaurant, simply sauté some broccoli, shredded cabbage, chopped carrots, celery and onions; add some of the chicken and serve over cooked rice.

• If your family enjoys Mexican food, you can sauté fresh bell peppers and onions while warming up some tortillas and a can of refried beans.  Again, add the chicken, some shredded lettuce, shredded cheese and some sour cream and you have great tasting chicken fajitas.  Pasta lovers can add a jar of prepared Alfredo Sauce and cooked pasta to the rotisserie chicken to create their own Chicken Alfredo.  Try sautéing some peppers and onions to add to the pasta, make a fresh salad as a side dish, and add a loaf of garlic bread for a great meal.

• Add Flavor To Boxed Foods: Hamburger Helper can be a fine dinner if you add a few fresh ingredients to it or pair it with a big, healthy salad.

• Don’t Forget About Canned Meats: There is more to tuna than just sandwiches!  Add some bread crumbs, chopped onion and a couple eggs to two large cans of tuna and mix together.  Form the meat mixture into patties and pan fry.  Tuna-pasta salad is a great summer supper!

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5. Save Money with Meal Planning

Tags: meal planning, short cuts