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10 Tips for Quick and Stress-Free Dinners

Advice for Preparing Fast and Nutritious Meals

Dinner should be the time to relax with the family and catch up on what the kids did in school. But if your family has two working parents and you're fighting the rush hour blues, the stress of getting home late and deciding what to cook can be overwhelming. You may feel ready to chuck it all and order a pizza. Before you do that, consider these tips on how you might just be able to put the family back in the family meal.

1. Plan Ahead

One strategy consists of writing out a full dinner menu for the upcoming week. For example, Monday is spaghetti and meatballs, Tuesday is chicken and rice, and so on. Not only does this take the guesswork out of what to cook, it also helps you make a list of all the ingredients you'll need so you can shop for everything once or twice a week. Plus, everyone in the family may be looking forward to dinner if they know what to expect.

2. Stock up on Essentials

If you keep your pantry filled with common and essential ingredients, you'll be prepared to cook almost anything. Some common ingredients for many recipes and family favorites include dry spices, olive oil, vinegar, soy sauce, vanilla extract, sugar, flour, yeast, cornstarch, milk, eggs, shortening, baking chocolate, sour cream, cheese, mayonnaise, salsa, broth, bread crumbs, nuts, onions, garlic, lemon, honey, rice, pasta, canned beans and ice.

3. Get the Family Involved

A family that cooks together shares an enjoyable common activity. Children usually like participating in grown-up work and being involved. Younger children can help stir and shake in spices while older children can chop vegetables and set the table. Dad can make the sauce or grill the meat. Remember to explain food safety and kitchen safety rules for everyone. Food made from fresh ingredients usually tastes better and families can become closer when everyone lends a hand.

4. Use a Slow Cooker

A crock pot or slow cooker is an excellent way to save time cooking after you get home from a busy day. In the morning, add your meat, beans, potatoes and/or vegetables and let the pot cook all day for you. Slow cooking tenderizes meat (which means you can buy less expensive cuts of meat), keeps food moist, makes nice gravies and keeps nutrients in the food. Family favorites made in a crock pot include beef stew, baked beans, chili, soup and chicken and pork dishes.

5. Keep Utensils Accessible

If you want to make pasta and your colander is buried in the back of the overfilled cabinet, you might decide on burgers from down the street. Think about removing any dishes or utensils you haven't used in years from your cupboards, then keep frequently used utensils, pots and pans hanging up or stored within easy reach.

6. One-Dish Meals

Instead of preparing a four-course dinner with sides and accompaniments, consider making a casserole, goulash, stew or gumbo. Throw everything into one pot and simmer or bake it to blend the flavors. Add a quick salad or French bread. Clean up is easy when there's only one pot to wash.

7. Have a No-Cook Night

Some delicious dishes require no cooking at all or can be cooked ahead and served cold. You could bring out all the fixings for your own salad bar at home and add cold leftover chicken strips. There are also cold Asian noodles and peanut sauce, three-bean salad, spinach and walnut salad, wheat berry tabbouleh, cold shrimp and rice, borscht, gazpacho, vichyssoise, yogurt and fruit, pasta salad and cheese and crackers with ham or pepperoni.

8. Freezer Portioned Meals

A real time saver is preparing a large meal and freezing the leftovers. Freezing keeps food fresh and ready for a quick thaw on the day you need it. Make a large pot of spaghetti sauce and freeze it in portions for future meals. Stews, pie, chicken dinners, rice, pasta--many foods freeze well and keep for up to a month or more. Do some research online about freezing foods to find out what keeps, and won't keep, the best, to avoid a disappointing batch of reheated food.

9. Buy Pre-made

No one will judge you if you buy pre-made pizza or bread dough, dinner rolls, pie crust, fresh pasta or rotisserie chicken. These items are versatile, handy and essential when preparing a quick family meal.

10. Clean as You Go

You'll be amazed at how easy it is to clean as you go while preparing a meal. Give a quick scrub to easy-to-clean mixing bowls and utensils while supper is simmering. Put all the garbage right in the wastebasket as you collect it. You'll feel so much better after your nice meal when you aren't facing a messy counter or dish-filled sink.

Here are a few more tips that might help you prepare stress-free, nutritious dinners when you have little time. Make fresh bread in a bread maker, find recipes for dishes that require only one, two or three ingredients, whip up no-cook desserts, search the Internet for a recipe that includes the ingredients you have on hand and wear an apron to protect your clothes from spills. You may also want to consider leaving enough leeway in your menu plan to accommodate unforeseen changes in your family's schedule, such as soccer practice or a business meeting.




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