What ideas do you have for shortcuts for dinner meal prep?

·         When you bring home groceries, take the time to clean and prep the veggies.  Clean and cut up carrots, celery, broccoli, etc.  Put in baggies by meal portions so you just have to pull out a baggie and it’s ready to be cooked.

·         Store the items for a single meal together – in the pantry or in the frig – then you just pull them out and go – no searching for items.  So ground round, tomatoes, lettuce leaves, sliced onions, pickles ketchup and mustard are together for your hamburger night!  Your chips, beans & franks are together in the pantry!  Just pull them out and off you – or your family – goes!

·         When making salad, clean and dry the lettuce and make a huge salad – but pulling out only what you will use for the night.  Seal in airtight bag and you will have the lettuce portion of a salad set to go. Garnish your nightly salad as you please. 

·         Wrap up meat in meal portions too.  If marinating meat, put the marinade in with the raw meat before you freeze it.  When you thaw it, it will automatically marinate.

·         Make ahead meals and freeze them – raw!  Make your meatloaf in the tin and freeze it – then you only have to pull it out in the morning and pop it in the oven when you get home on the day you plan to use it as you meal!

·         If you only use your big bowl for making spaghetti, then why not put all the spaghetti makings in the bowl when you bring them home from the store?  No more searching for the pasta, sauce, utensils, etc. that you use – it’s all together.

·         When cooking, try and make two to three meal portions at once, then freeze the extra in meal portion sizes using freezer bags or plastic containers.

·         Make your own TV Dinners – freeze leftovers in full meal or serving sizes.  You can also freeze the leftover sides like mashed potatoes and veggies and use as a quick dinner side on more hectic days.