The only catch is just remembering to do It.! For example, if you are chopping onion for tuna sandwiches, chop an extra onion and put it in a Ziploc bag and freeze it. Next time you need chopped onion it will be done for you. Here are some more ideas to get you multi – tasking in the kitchen.
Produce
Chop items like onions, bell peppers, celery and carrots. Place portions in plastic freezer bags or containers with lids, which ever you prefer and put the date on it. You can freeze these items for up to one month. To use these frozen vegetables, just add them directly to the food you are preparing, without thawing. If you would like to sauté them, just break them apart and you are ready to go. Use them in soups, stews, chilies, stir – fries and casseroles.
Bread
You can make bread crumbs, seasoned with your choice of seasoning or leave out the seasoning, it is up to you. You can also make croutons out of stale bread. Place them in plastic reseal able freezer bags or containers with lids and you can freeze them up to six months. It is a good idea to always date and clearly label the contents. It is amazing how quickly we will forget what is in those containers or bags.
Meat
I like to brown extra hamburger or ground turkey. When I get home from the store I will put some in a pan to cook, while I put away groceries. If I don’t need the meat that evening, I place it in a freezer container or bag and use it at a later time. I can throw it into spaghetti sauce or use it casseroles or main dishes. It really takes little extra time and effort and makes my life easier down the road. Freeze up to three months.
During the spring and summer months, when we are barbequing a lot I will make extra hamburgers or turkey patties. I place wax paper between each patty, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in freezer ready bag or container. I can freeze them up to four months. Just thaw and they are ready to cook.
When I make things like homemade meatballs or chicken fingers, I can freeze some for later. I just lay them out on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once they are frozen, I put them in a freezer bag or container. You can freeze these items for up to 6 months.
Things to keep in your panty to speed up cooking
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It is great to keep canned tomatoes in your pantry. Seasoned tomatoes like diced, pieces, and stewed and tomato sauces such as Italian and Mexican.
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Dry seasoning, sa uce and salad dressing packets such as taco, sloppy joe, spaghetti, white sauce, gravy, hollandaise, Alfredo, pesto, honey – Dijon and Caesar. Just having these packets on hand makes it easy to marinade or put ground beef or turkey together to make a great quick dinner.
- Bottled sauces, marinades and salad dressings like teriyaki stir –fry, sweet – and – sour, barbeque, mesquite and lemon dill.
- Pre – shredded cheese. I know that buying cheeses already shredded is a little bit more expensive, but you will need to weigh the price difference with the ease and time it saves.
- Cut up vegetables or stir – fry vegetable mixtures from the produce aisle. I great easy way to get vegetables on the table. Again you will need to weigh the price difference with the ease and time it saves.
- Bagged salad. You can either buy the kinds that are sort of a specialty like Caesar, Taco, BLT or just the salad greens and vegetables mixed in. Really great in making a salad in a snap.
- Cold and hot foods from the deli. It is great to pick an item or two from the deli to round out the food groups for your meals. Be careful because fruit salad, beans, they weigh a lot and if you are watching your wallet, you may have to sacrifice the time in preparing your own fruit to save money.
- Meals in cans or shelf stable packages such as soups, macaroni and cheese or other pasta mixtures. I like to keep a few packages of boxed noodle sides for those times when I don’t have any fresh produce; they make a great quick and easy side. I always have a soup kit, for example cheesy potato soup, on hand in the pantry during the winter months. I can add to it or serve it like it is. They really have come a long way in those soups in a bag; they really taste close to homemade.
- Frozen entrees from the freezer case in the grocery store. I have found lasagna, chicken Alfredo, chicken and rice and even a frozen pizza to be my saving grace on more than one occasion. You may want to give having one in your freezer a try; it is a lot cheaper than running to the fast food restaurant on those nights when it seems impossible to cook.
- Other items to have are instant or very quick cooking foods such as instant rice, potatoes and couscous; hot dogs, minute steaks and frozen meatballs.
Ways to Save Money at the Grocery store
During the week is seems that making dinner is an overwhelming task. By having some ready to cook, ready to eat items in your refrigerator may make your life a little easier. I will say that some of the ready to eat and cook items are more expensive than doing them yourself, but they really do save you time. When you would rather save both time and money, then you might want to take the extra time and occasionally make these convenience foods. Here are some ways and ideas – and I’m sure that you can come up with some as well.
Frozen vegetables :
Make your own frozen vegetables and even combine them to make convenience ready bags for cooking. I love to do this in the summer when there is a plentiful array of produce. I head to the local farmers market and pick a vegetable to prepare to freeze. One year I got an entire bag of corn. It cost me ten dollars for the corn, but my family had corn on the cob and kernel corn for the whole year. I also did the same thing with different kinds of squash. You get the idea. You can also just various bags of frozen vegetables and combine them to make a great variety. Put your portion in a freezer bag or container. Add onion or garlic to the mixture to add great flavor.
Salad Greens :
Make your own lettuce or coleslaw mixture and package in reseal able plastic bags for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Just wash and tear your lettuce, don’t use a knife because the knife will cause the lettuce to brown. Dry off the lettuce before storing.
Fresh vegetables :
Wash and cut up vegetables for your week’s menu and store in cold water for up to one week or without water in a plastic bag for up to 3 days.
Meat :
Cut up chicken breasts or beef steak into thin strips for stir frying and freeze. To freeze place your portion in a sealable freezer bag and make sure to label and date it. It can last in the freezer up to 9 months.
Pancakes and Waffles :
When you make pancakes and waffles, sometimes there is extra batter. I like to make up the pancake or waffle and freeze them for another morning, when I don’t have the time to make them again. Make sure the pancakes or waffles are cool completely before freezing them. Wrap them up in plastic wrap and place in reseal able bag, and they will last for two months. When you want to eat them, just put the pancakes in the microwave, or place the waffles in the toaster.
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