Cooking for my husband and three children while running a small catering business from my home kept me in the kitchen for several hours each day.Below are some of the things I did to try to cut down on time and make life easier.
Always Keep Your Counter Tops Free of Clutter: making meals can be hectic enough without having to tidy up first.
Clean as You Cook: After all of your prep work is done, and your meal is cooking, make sure to wash and put away any knives, spoons, cutting boards etc...that you have used. There will be less to wash after dinner, and you will have a clean, uncluttered space for serving your meal.
Keep Your Kitchen Well Stocked: Nothing makes cooking more of a hassle than getting started and having to run to the store for a key ingredient. Always keep your pantry well stocked with frequently used items such as spices, rice, pasta, beans, canned tomatoes/sauce. Your refrigerator should also be kept stocked with things like onions, cheeses, condiments and salad items.
Buy Bagged Salad Greens: Take advantage of all of the washed, pre-cut salads that are available today. Add some tomato and cucumber slices and some bottled dressing, along with some roast chicken from last nights dinner, and Voila! you have a salad that is also a meal by itself.
Use Small Appliances: Dig out the bread maker and crock pot that have been collecting dust since you got them. Before you leave for work, toss the ingredients for a soup, stew or chili into the slow cooker and come home to a delicious home cooked meal. And remember that you do not have to bake bread in the bread maker. I use it to kneed enough dough for several loaves at a time and freeze it in loaf size portions. When I want fresh bread, I let it thaw, rise and cook it in the oven. Nothing makes your home smell better than baking bread.
Multi-Task: Make lunches for the next day while dinner cooks.
Get Your Family Involved: Set aside some time on the week-ends when everyone will be home. Work together to prepare freezable meals that can be defrosted and re-heated later in the week.
Make Extra: When making meatloaf, always make a double batch so that you can freeze half to use another night. You can freeze it cooked or raw. You can make double batches of home made burgers and meatballs as well.
Snip It: Instead of a knife, try using kitchen shears for things such as snipping herbs, green beans, bacon, and trimming excess dough.
Measure Ahead: If you are preparing a recipe that requires several spices, like pasta sauce: measure out all of the spices into a small bowl while your meat is browning. When the meat is browned, all of your spices can then be put in at once.
Pre Cook Pasta: While you are getting ready for work in the morning, cook the pasta that you will use for dinner that evening. Drain and cover in plastic wrap or put into an air tight container in the fridge. At dinner time toss the pasta into the hot sauce, stir to separate and let stand a few minutes to heat through. It is ready to serve.
Buy Garlic In Bulk: Buy several heads of garlic at the same time. Chop garlic in a food processor, mix with olive oil and refrigerate in a glass jar. When a recipe calls for garlic , there is no need to peel and chop it: you just scoop some out of the jar.
Dice Extra Onions: Because onions, unlike spilled milk ARE worth crying over, dice up a few at a time. Refrigerate them in an airtight container and use them as they are needed. This cuts down on mess as well as tears.
Soak while You eat: Soak sticky pots and pans in hot water and a little baking soda while you eat. When you are finished eating the stuck on foods should wipe right off.
Get Shredding: Keep Zip-Locks bags or containers of different shredded cheeses at hand. There will be no need to shred it every time a recipe calls for it and it is perfect for sandwiches too. (shredding it yourself is far less expensive than buying them already shredded)
Good ideas. Anything that saves time in the kitchen is helpful.