Are You Too Busy To Cook?


I don’t have time to cook a home-cooked meal for supper every night, but I also don’t feed my family pre-boxed noodle dishes either. So what do we eat? We eat home-cooked meals. Every. Single. Night. I know what you are thinking, but she just said she doesn't have time for that?!?!?! I don’t, so I will let you in on my little secret. When I DO have time, I buy multiple packs of lean ground beef and/or turkey. I throw it all into a big pot with chopped onions (and sometimes bell peppers) and let it brown. I use a small portion for the meal I am preparing for the night then after the meat cools, I divide it out into single meal portions and freeze in Ziploc bags. When I need a quick meal I thaw a bag of meat in the microwave, then add it to my home-made spaghetti sauce! The list of things you can make quickly are endless. No thawing raw frozen meat, no chopping onions, no browning meat! You can also do the same with chicken. When chicken is on sale I buy 10-15 pounds, boil it all, let it cool, shred it and freeze it in single meal portions in Ziplocs. The trick to not having dry chicken after you thaw it is to make sure you freeze the chicken in its broth. Make sure it is entirely covered with broth. Thaw in microwave, pour into a skillet, and simmer with taco seasonings, onions, bell peppers, and salsa for a fajita salad! Also, think ahead when grilling. Grill extra burgers or chicken to freeze for an even quicker go-to meal. If you want amazing hamburger steaks and gravy, try using some of your frozen, already cooked hamburgers... you can thank me later!