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Cooking from Scratch Made Easy

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Last Updated on November 24, 2013 by

This Cooking From Scratch post is sponsored by Pillsbury and My Blog Spark but all opinions expressed are mine alone.

My kids have more activities to keep them busy than I can keep up with.  Every day after school we tackle homework and whatever extracurricular activity is scheduled for that evening.  Occasionally that means my husband and I are taking different kids in different directions and don’t get to eat dinner til 7 PM.  I like that my kids are active but I refuse to eat takeout and/or delivery on nights that we are busy.  You might think that cooking from scratch is impossible on busy nights but I have learned a few ways to make cooking dinner for my family a little bit quicker.  Cooking from scratch is much healthier and cheaper than hitting the drive through and you get to control the ingredients you put into your meal.  Sometimes, cooking from scratch requires a bit of advanced planning, though, to make it work for a busy night.  Here are a few ideas on how you can make cooking from scratch a little bit easier:

Cooking From Scratch Made Easy

cooking from scratch

1.  Homemade soups are much healthier than the canned variety and are an incredibly easy, one pot meal.  Skip the canned stock, too, by making up a batch of homemade stock and freezing it back on the weekends.  Just add leftover bones from your latest roast, a few chunks of veggies like onion and carrots, and some herbs and seasonings.  After a few hours of simmering you will be left with a low sodium, flavorful stock that you can freeze back in plastic containers or zip to lock bags for the next batch of soup you want to cook from scratch on a busy night.

2.  Making a casserole? Try making TWO!  If you invest in a couple of extra glass pans with fitted plastic lids it is easy to make up one extra casserole or pan of lasagna on a Saturday afternoon.  Freeze one back for a night when you just don’t have time to cook.

3.  Do the dicing and chopping ahead of time:  If you dice up several onions, bell peppers, celery stalks, carrots, etc you will have a lot less work to do the next time you pull out your favorite recipe.  Use a hand held chopped to really get things going quickly and then store the leftovers in the freezer so you can cook from scratch without getting out your cutting board again.

4.  Throw an extra chicken breast on the grill on the weekend.  I love having leftover chicken in my fridge because it is so incredibly versatile!  If you have the grill on anyhow, throw one or two boneless chicken breasts on.  Use them on top of homemade pizza, in a stirfry, or as a top your own salad addition.  All of those meals are much quicker when you don’t have to worry about cooking the meat first!

5.  Realize that semi homemade is still okay:  Some things can be made quickly from scratch and others cannot.  I learned long ago that ALMOST homemade is still better than fast food and takeout.  I do not roll out my own homemade pie crusts when I make a quiche and I do not make my own pizza dough when I make homemade pizza.  I COULD…but I rarely have that kind of time during the week.  Thankfully, you can buy some great premade pizza crusts at the grocery store, including the Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain.

pillsbury_artisan_pizza_crust

Making homemade pizza is a great way to use local and seasonal ingredients in your dinner.  It is also very easy to make up your toppings ahead of time to help make dinner preparation quicker.  With previously diced peppers and onions along with some leftover grilled chicken, I have a balanced meal for my family that is filling and quick to make.  If you want a few ideas on how YOU can prepare homemade pizza for your family check out the Farmer’s Market Pizza Ideas from Pillsbury.   Also make sure to get the online coupon for $1.50 off one package of Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust.

The GiveawayArtisanFreshIgredients_PrizePack

Want to try the new Artisan Pizza Crust and make your own Farmer’s Market Pizza?  My Blog Spark would like to give one of my readers a prize package that includes:

  • A VIP coupon for one FREE Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain
  • 15.5″ Farberware Pizza Pan
  • Food Chopper with Storage Containers
  • Silicon-grip Oven Mitt
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Disclaimer:  In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials.”: I received product samples  in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone. Some of the links in this post may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.

By entering this giveaway, you release this blog and it’s owner from any liability whatsoever, and waive any and all causes of action, related to any claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the giveaway or delivery, mis-delivery or acceptance of any prize.

 

 

 

 

185 thoughts on “Cooking from Scratch Made Easy”

  2. My favorite quick go to dinner is quesadillas. I always have tortillas on hand and can fill them with any veggie or meat or both from the freezer.

    Reply

  22. Our favorite quick dinner is “something with pasta”–the “something” is whatever I have on hand 🙂

    Reply

  60. Usually for something quick I have make your own pizza night or baked ravioli. Both are really good and super simple and quick

    Reply

  76. If we need something QUICK, it’s sandwiches & chips. But that is also expensive. Quick & cheap? Scrambled eggs, every time.

    Reply

  97. i make homemade falafel and it is so quick as long as you don’t forget to soak the beans. eat with some pita and fresh tzatziki. 🙂

    Reply

  125. My kids favorite quick dinner is macaroni with a can of tomato soup poured over it and grilled cheese sandwiches

    Reply

  134. My favorite quick meal is roast, potatoes, and carrots in crock pot cooking while I’m at church – it’s done when I get home.
    My husband is diabetic so would love to wn this

    Reply

  163. Chicken Alfredo. just chop some chicken and veggies cook them real quick and make some pasta. mix all in and heat up alfredo sauce and thats it!

    Reply

  181. Howdy! Corn meal chicken- chicken tender dipped in egg then covered with corn meal with salt and paprika. Then I throw it in a wok with hot oil and RED onion ( red onions rock cause their sweeter the brown) Viola! sprinkle more paprika as you serve them

    Reply

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