How to save time in the kitchen

I know I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. Being a young, single professional, I often avoid the kitchen because it can be time consuming. However, just because an alternative to cooking is convenient doesn't mean it's healthy. Eating out is also very expensive. For those with families, or budget restrictions, it's impossible to avoid grocery shopping and eating at home. Plus, having a family meal every night is something no one should have to give up because there "isn't enough time". Here are a few tips that should help you save time in the kitchen and cook more efficiently.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A stocked pantry
• Meal plans
• A little bit of prep time
• Storage containers or plastic bags
• A well thought out grocery list

1. Plan your meals in advance
2. Master a week or twos worth of recipes so you don’t need to waste time figuring out “how” to cook the food
3. Cook large batches of foods
   (ex. a whole head of asparagus instead of a portion) and store in the fridge or freezer
4. Try to find meals to cook that require minimal attention, if they require longer cooking times (ex. chili, you only have to stir it once in a while!)
5. Don’t throw a whole package of meat in the freezer, separate it and wrap enough for a meal, and THEN freeze, you will get better use out of your meat, and you will save on defrosting time
6. Do your dishes/clean up as you cook