Time Saving Ideas

Making the plan

Make a monthly meal plan and break it down into Weeks 1,2,3,4. Keep plan next to stove.
When making a meal plan use recipes that call for the freshest ingredients for weeks 1 & 2 to avoid extra trips to the store.
Limit your trips to once every two weeks.
Make meal plans and prepare grocery lists a month or two at a time. Save them and rotate them for another month.
Make a grocery list and stick to it.
Rip out recipes from magazines or cookbooks you want to use and store them in a folder.
Using the crock pot on your busiest days (try to include at least 2 a month).
Bundle Your Meals.
Save longer meals for the weekend.

Mix all ingredients together before freezing: Add spices and ingredients, then freeze.
Add marinade to meats before you freeze them.
Prepare ahead of time any prep work, dice veggies for the week and store in baggies in the fridge, premix spices for recipe and store in containers. Dice meats and portion them before freezing.
Half prepare meals (stuff shells to freeze but do not cook it).
Prep items like diced garlic ahead of time to be stored in the fridge for frequent use.
Prepare salads and store them in gallon size zip lock bags for the week. Make garlic bread ahead of time and freeze it.
Label portioned meats and put them in freezer. Arrange them according to the weeks that you are using them. Weeks 1 and 2 top shelves. Weeks 3 & 4 bottom shelves.

Save favorite recipes in an accessible binder and throw out recipes you don't like.
Keep going back to your homemade cookbook for meal ideas.
Keep recipes next to stove in binder.

Keep easy meals on hand like sandwiches or pasta for nights that don’t go as planned.
Use one of the meals from the freezer that you cooked ahead (like meatballs).
Use the mix and match list for meal ideas.
Try to prepare meals in the morning if you can or the night before so when meal time comes all you have to do is put it in the oven.
Eliminate the guess work of cooking and plan ahead. Most of the stress comes form knowing what to eat and what you have for ingredients. Pick meals based on your time frame.
Make adult meals and portion out kid’s meals before adding the extra stuff. Ex. Don’t stuff the kids chops, or pan fry kids chicken and plate before you add the extra ingredients or mix it with other things.