5 Ways to Save Time in the Kitchen

The new year is here and so are those resolutions that you have written down in that journal of yours.  You know, the one all decked out in pink camouflage?  Yes, that one.

If learning about kitchen management made your resolution list for 2013, congratulations!  This post is meant for you.  If it didn’t but you wouldn’t mind learning how to juggle your time in the room that gets used the most in every household every day, then read on.

Planning and preparing meals can be a daunting and overwhelming task.  Especially when your spouse is working those long hours, or he/she has been deployed or TDY.

The following tips will help you to take back your kitchen and chase away the stress of creating fun and exciting meals on a daily basis.

5 Kitchen Time Savers You Can Use Right Now!

1.  Make a menu

Make a list of everything you have in your cabinets, refrigerator, and freezer. Then, make a menu (breakfast, lunch,   and dinner) for each day of the week based on what is on the list.  Your menu can be weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.  By making menus, it takes the guess work out of what to have for each meal every day.

2.  Make a grocery list from the menu and go shopping

Make a grocery list from the menu.  It’s ok if you need a few extra ingredients to make the meals, just as long as the grocery list includes the items from the menu.  Making the list ensures that you will have everything you need for that particular meal, so you aren’t running to the store at the last minute before it’s time to cook.  Purchase only what is on the list and you will also save yourself money as well.

3.  Prep your food beforehand

If your recipe calls for chopped vegetables or fruits, chop them up to a day or two before you make the meal.  Same thing goes for ground beef and chicken.  Brown, cook, and shred a day or two before.  Doing this very act will save you minutes in the kitchen when it’s time to cook.

4.  Freeze left over food/dishes

Utilize your freezer and freeze the foods from a meal that can be re-salvaged.  Anything from casseroles to meatloaf to water based soups can be frozen.  Conduct a Google search if you aren’t certain which foods freeze well.  You will be surprised what you may find.

Freezing dishes and left overs will save you money and time in the kitchen because you will already have a meal cooked and ready to eat (once re-heated of course).

5.  Place kitchen utensils where you will use them

Picture this:  It’s time to stir the soup and you can’t find your mother’s wooden spoon to use.  You spend 10 minutes looking for it and you finally find it in the drawer right next to the knives and forks.  How many times has this happened in your kitchen?

Cut down on time by placing having your utensils ready to go.  Place them in a little can or inside a drawer that sits next to the stove.  This will not only save on time, but save your sanity as well.

Do you have any time saving culinary tips to share?

Chopped Onions, Timer, And Kitchen Utensil images from sxc.hu.