Quick N'Easy Meal tips

Tips for quick meal prep:

Cook ahead and freeze the things that take the longest in putting a meal together, such as:

• Cook a huge batch of rice or pasta. Divide into freezer bags in the amount you need for a meal or recipe. Get it out in the morning & put in frig. It's ready to use by dinnertime.
• Cook chicken, debone and/or dice if desired. Divide into freezer bags in the amount you need for a meal or recipe. Get it out in the morning & put in frig. Ready to use by dinnertime (although larger amounts need more time to thaw.)
• Cook a huge pan of potatoes. Put them into storage containers or bags in the frig. At dinnertime you can make loaded baked potatoes (cut in half, nuke until hot, add sour cream, and/or bacon bits and/or grated cheese and nuke again.), fried potatoes (fry in olive oil to increase intake of omegas), slice, dice and/or shred to make any number of casseroles or just eat them plain with butter. After 4-5 days, bag and freeze sliced, diced, shredded potatoes and use later (get out of frig in morning to thaw til dinnertime.)
• Cook enough veggies for 2-3 meals, refrigerate what you don't use and use for another meal.
• Assemble casseroles and put in the freezer. Take out and put in frig the day before to thaw or start cooking when frozen. It won't save any time if you start the cooking process when they are still frozen.

I do these things when I am feeling ambitious and am doing something that lends itself to watching the cooking process-usually evenings after dinner or saturdays.