Weeknight Rescues: 5 Ways To Prep So Meals Are A Cinch
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When you're raising a family, dinners together are not always easy. Here are 5 tips so you'll always be ready to sit down and enjoy a meal together.
1. Stock Strategically: Keep your favorite basics on hand so you'll always have something to work with. Here are a few of our favorite emergency ingredients that have saved dinner on several occasions.
- Canned Tomatoes: Canned tomatoes can be versatile and can add a surprising splash of flavor to any dish. In addition to pouring it over pasta, tomatoes are perfect partners for chicken, beef and pork. Just pour it over the meat or baking dish in a stovetop pan and add season for flavor. The acid in tomatoes naturally tenderizes meat and helps it to stay juicy and flavorful.
- CARNATION Evaporated Milk: Put a new spin on your favorite soups and stews by adding creamy CARNATION evaporated milk for a hearty, rich texture. Drizzle it in your tomato sauce for a creamy, delightful taste your family won't be expecting. Evaporated milk can also be used to thicken your everyday sauces for meats and vegetables.
- Tortillas: This unleavened bread can take on many different personalities. They're perfect for quesadillas, which are a great way to sneak some veggies, such as peppers, mushrooms, olives and tomatoes in your family's diet. They also make great personal pizzas! Just add your favorite toppings and bake. Tortillas are also great for tacos. Just place seasoned lean beef or turkey meat in the center of a tortilla. Top it with tomatoes, olives, lettuce and cheese and wrap.
- NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Cookie Dough Tub: Place this family size container in your freezer and you'll always have dessert on hand in a flash, without sacrificing time away from your family. Just place the dough on a cookie sheet and bake. Soon, your house will be filled with the aroma of freshly baked cookies.
- Instant Rice: Need a quick, flavorful side dish? Rice can come in handy there. Boil some instant rice and you can experiment with seasonings and flavors – it's amazing how one side dish can reinvent itself over and over again. For example you can spice up your rice by – using butter, parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs, using salsa and cheddar cheese, using saffron, fresh parsley and lemon juice, and using tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella cheese.
2. Take Lists to the Next Level: Skip last-second treks to the store by setting up a simple way to manage your grocery list. Online options are easy, and you can access them anywhere from your handheld electronic device. Start your search at keepandshare.com.
3. Prep Once, Eat Twice: Save time by prepping a second dish when you have a chance to cook. Fix chicken breasts and use the extra ingredients to prepare enchiladas for another meal. Or make meat loaf, and stow extra chopped onions and browned meat in the fridge for chili night.
4. Slow-cook Creatively: Prep a slow-cooker meal that you can refrigerate overnight and plug in before work and school. In addition to soups and stews, think savory loose meat for sandwiches and casseroles featuring fresh spring vegetables.
5. Have a Go-to Recipe: Choose a quick recipe the whole family loves, and keep the ingredients on hand for last-minute meals. Don't have a favorite? Try Easy Tropical Chicken.