I break up the kitchen/cooking tasks so I can do a little at a time then take a rest or switch to a different activity. It can make a huge difference!

Roasts are great – very little prep work. We are very fond of slow roasted pork at 250 degrees for 8 hours or so, roasted over a pan of apple juice. Then we shred the warm meat and have oodles of meat for fajitas, tacos, pulled pork sandwiches, etc.

Any meat that I don’t have to cut up is a bonus. Chicken pieces, pork chops, steaks, shrimp (uncooked for recipes, tail off for ease), fish … you get the idea.

We do a lot of shopping at Costco and I joke that we’ve gotten really good at eating from their freezer aisles. But I’m not joking. Frozen hamburger patties, sliced sharp cheddar cheese, and hamburger buns (toast in broiler) = easy restaurant quality burgers.

My latest discovery is Costco’s frozen chicken breast tenders. These are boneless and skinless white meat, in strips suitable for many dishes such as fajitas, grilled or baked with or without sauce or marinade, use for soups (I’m hoping to do a white chicken chili sometime soon). I like just pan frying them and dipped them with a fork in a garlic dipping sauce. Easier than shish kebabs, feeds like a meal but makes me feel like I got to snack. The strips are a little dry when baked, so try to use a moist cooking method or a marinade.

Caesar salad is easy to make with the hearts of romaine packages, and even easier with the clear boxes of pre-cut romaine. Add Caesar dressing, grated parmesan (we love the real stuff, parmigiano reggiano – use a food processor to do the grating), and croutons and you are done and have fresh leafy vegetables in your diet. And you can also add those chicken strips, strips of steak or other lean meat, shrimp, fish, whatever and have a nice Caesar salad as a elegant and substantial meal by itself. Yum!

Frozen meatballs also make easy meals. Add some into a saucepan with a jar of spaghetti sauce, cooks some spaghetti, and you have some old fashioned comfort food. You can also make sweet and sour meatballs, swedish meatballs, barbecue meatballs … almost any sauce will work. Serve with rice for a switch from pasta. Cook in a crockpot for low maintenance and to cook ahead.

Steamed broccoli and steamed asparagus are a couple more green veggies that take little prep work to eat fresh.

Instant mashed potatoes are far far easier than the real thing. It’s also easy to add all sorts of flavorings, like garlic or cheese or whatever suits your fancy. We also buy the bulk gravy mixes (chicken and beef flavors) so mashed potatoes and gravy are always easy.

Eggs are inexpensive and quick to make. Scrambled eggs are the easiest; fried eggs are easy too. I love poached eggs, healthy and also easy (use a teaspoon of white vinegar in the water to keep the eggs from running). If you prep extra veggies, you can use them for omelettes, or just scramble with the eggs.

I also like to have packages of sliced ham so I can have presliced ham and presliced cheese ready for ham and cheese sandwiches in a hurry.

We do have an extra freezer so that helps a lot. I put four hamburger buns flat in each gallon size Ziploc bag and freeze them flat and stacked. (Ziploc bags are bought in bulk in freezer quart and gallon sizes, they have so many uses!) They thaw quickly on the counter or in the microwave if needed immediately. Four is a manageable unit for our small family, and the cost or the 24 pack is about what a good pack of 8 costs at the grocery store. Bonus – They don’t go bad sitting on my counter, and it takes awhile before we have to buy buns again.

Using ziploc bags for marinades saves on dishes, as does using them for prepped food (cut onions, cut peppers, etc).

By buying in bulk, we avoid having to shop as often and part of our shopping plan is to grab something easy for dinner (including takeout) so we can concentrate on the work of unloading and putting away the groceries. Refrigerated items and frozen goods get handled first; dry goods often sit for days before they get put away. The extra work is worth it when we don’t have to go to the store for anything except fresh milk. That saves us energy and time!

I hadn’t meant to write so much, but I hope some of these tips help someone else!