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Time Savers




Source of Recipe


Teri's Kitchen
Freezing bread cubes and crumbs: Take pieces of old bread, cut them into cubes for croutons or process into crumbs. Place in freezer bags and freeze until the next time you need them. This will save some preparation time.

Precooked bacon: When you have extra time, fry a pound of bacon. Drain, cool and place in single layers on waxed paper; place in bag and freeze. When ready to use, take the number of slices needed and heat in the microwave. And don't forget to refrigerate some of the grease from frying for those recipes that call for bacon or ham fat.

Planned Leftovers: There are lots of foods that lend themselves to versatile leftover techniques. Make the original recipe one day in larger amounts than needed. The next day, create a whole new recipe from the leftovers. For some ideas, see the Great Ideas for Leftovers page.

Use your grill!: Whether it be indoors or outdoors, grilling saves cooking time and energy, is healthier than frying or many other methods, and usually involves less clean up. Meats and vegetables take on a whole new dimension of flavor. While grilling other entrees, depending on your grill, casseroles and even desserts can be baked outside. For grilling recipes, go to Cooking Outdoors.

Extra Garlic: If you use garlic often like I do, it is helpful to peel and mince more than you need. Place the extra in a small jar and cover with olive oil. It will keep in the refrigerator for 2 days. Not only do you have fresh ready-to-use garlic, but the garlic-flavored oil in the jar can be used for cooking, basting or on garlic bread.

Precooked Meals: For those of you who have little time during the week to cook, but extra time on the weekends, plan several menus that the entree can be cooked and frozen until needed. That way, all you will need to do is pop it in the oven and prepare the salad or side-dish. And, if your family eats at different times, place the precooked meals in individual packs, like store-bought frozen dinners, label, freeze and everybody can take what they want when needed.

Other weekend prep time tips: There are so many do-ahead activities that can be accomplished on a day when you have time. Let's say, for example, you are planning a menu that uses chopped vegetables. Most vegetables can be cleaned and chopped several days before use. Just be certain to place in good storage bags in your vegetable bin. If the recipe calls for cooked vegetables, parboil and freeze until needed. Want to make a soup - make it ahead and refrigerate. Most are better after the first cooking. Just use good judgment as to storage times of the item you are preparing.