It's been a couple weeks since I posted. We've had way too many snow days and below average cold temps. I am thrilled it is March and looking forward to spring fast approaching. I thought I would share a couple of my time saving kitchen tips and a soup.
When it comes to meal time, it can be so hard to find the time to prepare a meal, especially if you are a working mom or a mom to young kids. So I want to share a couple tricks that I have used over the years to make meal time much less stressful and easier.
1. When preparing a casserole or soup, make double and freeze the extra. This gives you a quick meal to pull out on a busy night.
2. I buy a huge package of chicken and break it down into individual meals. If I am using a marinade, I add it to the bag. I throw it in the freezer. I just pull it out that morning and as it thaws, it is marinating all day.
3. Prepare meat in advance. I will brown a bunch of ground beef (or turkey) and separate into individual servings for tacos or spaghetti. I will also cook a bunch of chicken and shred it for casseroles or soups and freeze in individual servings. This way my meat is all prepared and I just have to throw it all together.
4. Simplify. At least once a week we have a meatless meal. Usually it is salad and baked potatoes, but sometimes it is something different and quick and easy. We also clean out our fridge and have a leftover night. If we did not eat the leftovers for lunches, I will forgo a planned meal and we will clean out the fridge.
5. Frozen veggies are always great to have on hand and can quickly be turned into something as easy as stir fry on a busy night.
6. Meal prep on the weekend. Spend an hour or two on Saturday or Sunday prepping for the week. Cut up all your fresh veggies when you bring them home from the store so they are ready for the week ahead.
These are just a couple tips of mine to help simplify a busy week night. I used to have a freezer full of meals when my kids were younger. I would always double what I was making or split it in half and freeze part. I would then be able to pull a meal out of the freezer one or two nights a week.
I picked this recipe up a couple years ago. I have changed it to make it gluten free for me, but you can still make it the original way. My family loves this soup and requests it frequently.
Broccoli and Cheese Soup
5 cups broccoli florets (I use frozen)
6 cups chicken broth
1-1/2 cup milk or half and half (half and half will be creamier)
1/4 cup cornstarch (or 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour)
3 cups grated cheddar cheese (we prefer sharp)
Steam the broccoli till tender. Chop and set aside. Combine milk and cornstarch and whisk until combined. In saucepan, combine broth and milk. (If using flour combine broth and milk, then slowly whisk in flour). Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally. Cook until it starts to thicken, not too thick. Add chopped broccoli. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook about 5 minutes. Add cheese, stir until it is completely melted. Serve and enjoy!
Just a few pictures of our last few weeks.
