Have you looked at your calendar lately? If it’s anything like ours there’s not much room to add another school function, family get together yet alone finding time to finish up the holiday shopping. Now fit in the time to make a good meal for your family. I know good luck, huh?
Cooking days are a great way to prepare your family’s meals, we have done this in the past for an entire week and it can help you manage your time more effectively, provide your family with good nutritious meals and also keep your food budget under control. However if you have never tried to do this I would caution you to start slow and only do a few days at a time before you try tackling enough meals for an entire week.
Here are some pointers to help you get started along this path…
- Become a fan of casseroles, there are many styles of casseroles, experiment, don’t just settle for the old tuna casserole.
- Slow cookers can be your best friend, plan at least one day a week to prepare a meal in the slow cooker.
- Make a list {and check it twice} and plan out everything that needs to be done.
- You don’t have to totally prepare the meal, measure out all the ingredients for a meal to speed up making the meal during the week.
- Make more than you will eat, if the recipe normally feeds your entire family double it and freeze the extra portion for another week.
Liz’s #1 Tip – Cook 2 chickens at a time, it not only stretches the budget but it’s a great time saver
Recipe ideas to get your imagination working…
Casseroles
Slow Cooker
- Buffalo Chicken Chili
- Stretch your budget with an inexpensive piece of meat in your slow cooker
- Chicken Wings
Easy Prep
Soups and Stews
What is your favorite Make Ahead Meal? Do you freeze meals to have later?
Linking to…Works for me Wednesday
3 Comments
Great ideas! I used my crock pot tonight for dinner for the first time in months. Usually I just use it to make yogurt. 🙂 But most meals I double to have more for another meal. My problem is just remembering to take the frozen meals out in time for them to thaw when I want them. (We don’t have a microwave!) I used to not plan on having a frozen meal on busy days. I’ve finally realized I just need to add them to the menu plan!
Thanks Anna, isn’t it great to use a menu plan.
Great ideas. Giving it a stumble. Thanks!