DukkhaWaynhim wrote:* I buy the jars of minced garlic to use in recipes, because they keep longer than fresh. Plus, I can use small quantities of the oil it is packed in to flavor dishes I am cooking with garlic flavor without having actual garlic pieces in them.
Have you found a brand that doesn't have an acidic preservative in it, dw? Most jarred minced garlic I've tried has an off flavor to me. I use so much garlic I rarely have a problem with fresh going bad, and I've gotten the peeling and slicing routine down where it barely takes any time at all, IMO.
DukkhaWaynhim wrote:* Thawing/marinating frozen chicken breasts in the refrigerator overnight in ziploc bags along with store brand italian dressing (usually on sale or under $1 a bottle). To me, this makes frozen chicken taste better when prepared.
To build upon this, prep and add the marinade to your chicken when you purchase it, and then store in freezer bags in the freezer. One less step before defrosting. Or if you cook frozen chicken in the crockpot, you just dump the frozen meat and marinade on to the rack in the crockpot, set it on low, and let it go for the day.
If you constantly use minced onions in cooked recipes, chop up a large onion and store what you don't need immediately in a zipper bag. I find it stays good for cooked recipes for three days or so. Always dice or slice fresh if using raw, though.
If you have the freezer space, adapt some
Once a Month Cooking habits. Brown up several pounds of ground meat (beef, turkey, lamb, etc.) at once, divide into amounts needed for various recipes, and freeze in zipper bags dated and marked with the intended recipe or seasoning used. Defrost in the refrigerator the day you intend to use it, and add to your recipe when assembling.
The same can be done with cooked chicken. I prefer to use boneless/skinless thighs, but b/s chicken breasts can be prepped ahead of time and frozen for casserole or pasta dishes where the meat is cubed or shredded.
When making casseroles, prepare at least double. Line your second casserole with overhanging foil before filling. Once assembled, place some parchment over the top of the second casserole and freeze just until hardened. Use the overhanging foil to lift the frozen filling out of the casserole dish and remove the parchment. Wrap tightly with the excess foil; label the dish with what it is, the date, and
which casserole dish you froze it in (so you can slide it back in while frozen when you go to cook it), and then place in a freezer bag. Homemade frozen dinner for a busy night!
There are lots of suggestions for
OaMC which can be adapted to one recipe at a time. Once you have stocked up on meals, it really isn't all that difficult to replace them after using them when you have the time and inclination to cook fresh again.
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Oh, and for when I do indulge in pasta, one of my favorite tricks.
If assembling a casserole with pasta and lots of sauce, such as a lasagna, baked ziti, macaroni and cheese, etc., you
do not need to cook the pasta first. This goes for
any pasta, not just the "no boil" kind. All you need to do is to be sure there is enough sauce to cover every surface of the pasta. For a lasagna, the bottom layer can be sauce, then raw lasagna noodles, then cheese and filling, then more sauce, followed immediately by the next pasta layer. Be certain there is sauce along the edges of the pan, and over the top layer of noodles before topping with cheese.
I find I prefer the texture of the pasta when oven baked this way, and allowed to rest for ten minutes before serving, than compared to pasta which was boiled before being added to the casserole.
There should be a law against microwaving bacon. Grill it or pan fry it.
