Three Time-Saving Cooking Methods

I have the slow cooker, 2 of them actually, which I love. And I just bought an Instant Pot.

Yes, I finally succumbed.

So far I have only used it for making tomato soup for the freezer and I’m thrilled. Fry the celery, onions, garlic, carrots, then add the tomatoes, seasonings. Put the lid on, hit a button and forget about it until whenever. For me that means sometime, 6 or 8 or 10 hours later I get around to finishing it and putting it in the freezer.

The only other toy I’m seriously considering is a vacuum sealer. I have 2 freezers now, I buy in bulk and my garden produces in bulk. I’m usually trying to get the air out of freezer bags for the tomatoes or zucchini before closing them. I double wrap all the meat, then forget to label the packages so I have to unwrap to identify. This little gadget would make both jobs a whole lot easier.

Plus…. sous vide! Read on for more info:

We all love a home-cooked meal. It brings the family together, and large meals around celebrations are unforgettable. But most of us don’t have the time to cook large meals from scratch every day. However, this dilemma does not mean we need to buy frozen, ready-made meals. 

We can save valuable minutes, and even hours, in the kitchen while still making tasty cooked meals. Simple cooking tips and methods can spare us ordering delivery (again!) or cracking open a microwave meal. These simple methods can save you time without skipping on quality:

1. Vacuum Sealing

As space-age as it sounds, vacuum sealing remains a simple way to prepare and store food. If you are stuck trying to keep fresh ingredients fresh, vacuum sealing can be a great way to make them last for a long time. However, it can also be useful as a meal prep method. 

Raw or uncooked things can go in vacuum bags for cooking throughout the week when needed. You can seal marinating meats, premade meatballs, and anything that you can prepare in advance. Some meals, like soups, stew, and lasagnas, you can cook and vacuum-seal to use later. 

Vacuum sealing can help you avoid freezer-burn and keeps dry foods and ingredients fresh in your pantry. Even though they are relatively cheap, picking the right vacuum sealer can save you a headache in the future. Make sure you check vacuum sealer reviews and think carefully about maintenance before buying one. 

2. Slow Cooker

Have you ever dreamed of coming home to a perfectly cooked meal, ready to be served? What sounds like every busy mum’s or dad’s dream is easy to achieve with a slow cooker.

This handy cooking appliance, which also goes by the name crock-pot, makes meal-prepping easy, time, and resource-efficient. Simmering at a low temperature, it allows you to put the ingredients in and forget about them until you come back to a delicious and ready meal.

No matter if it’s soups, stews, roasts, or desserts, you can prepare many a dish and time it perfectly to be complete whenever it’s time to serve dinner. You can easily adapt recipes for the slow cooker, and with variety like that, it never gets boring. 

3. Easy Meals

If you’re looking to save time and money, meal prepping is also great for those on a budget. With the right recipes, you can prepare fast and tasty meals that won’t require costly gadgets or appliances.

On hot summer days, you might want to opt for fresh and light meals. The options are countless from breakfast bowls, to lunch boxes to sushi dinners. Requiring either no- or very little cooking, you can prepare for these meals very quickly ahead of time, add in some fresh ingredients and be on your way.

Making pizza dough and sauce on a relaxed Sunday afternoon, you can throw on some fresh ingredients and cheese any day of the week- and who doesn’t like homemade pizza?

Why Wait?

Cooking every day does not need to be a chore. Growing numbers of cooking shortcuts mean you can spend more time enjoying food rather than cooking it. Simple appliances, coupled with planning, give you the chance to reduce time spent cooking throughout the week to almost nothing.

Instead of opting for unhealthy and dull frozen foods, simple kitchen tips can simplify cooking every day. So why wait for a meal cooked from scratch that you must prepare after coming back from work? Unpack, reheat, or simplify meals to save you time to enjoy the truly important parts of your day.