The Art of Cuisine

Is getting a quick dinner on the table your greatest cooking challenge?

Simple recipes and cooking shortcuts, like taking advantageof convenience products and time-saving cooking techniques, will saveyou preparation and cooking time.

Check out these handy tips for quick meals.

Fix-It-Fast Pantry

Keep your cupboard stocked with these quick dinner basics.

• Bakery/Bread
• French bread
• Pita bread
• Pizza crust (ready-to-eat)
• Sandwich buns
• Tortillas
• flour

Dairy

• Cheeses (cubed, shredded, sliced)
• Cheese spreads
• Cream cheese
• Eggs
• pasta
• pasta sauces (frozen or jar)
  
• potatoes
• Sour cream
• Yogurt

Fish/Meat/Poultry

• Chicken breasts (boneless skinless)
• Deli meats
• Fish (fillets, steaks)
• Ground beef
• Pork (boneless chops, tenderloin)
• Precooked shredded meats and poultry in barbecue sauce
• Preseasoned meats and poultry (ready-to-cook)
• Turkey (slices, tenderloins)

Frozen

• Filled Pasta
• Fish products (breaded, unbreaded)
• Noodles
• Potatoes
• Seafood
• Vegetables (combinations, plain)   

Grocery

• Beans (canned plain, flavored)
• Bisquick® mix
• Bread crumbs (plain, flavored)
• Broth (beef, chicken, vegetable)
• Chicken (canned)
• Couscous Dried herbs
• Olives
• Pasta
• Pasta sauces
• Rice (instant/regular)
• Roasted red bell peppers
• Tuna, Salmon, Shrimp (canned)
• Seasoning packets (Alfredo, gravy, meat loaf, sloppy joe, spaghetti)
  
• Sun-dried tomatoes Tomato products (plain, seasoned)
  
• Vegetables
  

Produce

• Bagged lettuce (complete kits, lettuce mixtures, plain lettuce)
• Carrots (baby-cut)
• Fruit (fresh precut)
• Garlic (minced in jars)
• Vegetables (fresh precut)
• Vegetables (mixtures in bags)

Condiments/Sauces/Seasonings

• Barbecue sauce
• Marinades
• Mustard
• Salsa
• Seasoning blends, dried
• Stir-fry sauces
• Teriyaki sauces

Save Time in the Kitchen

Why not chop another onion or two or brown up an extra pound of ground beefwhile you’re already in the kitchen? Taking that extra bit of time tomake some things ahead really saves you time in the future. Here aresome handy time-saving do-ahead ideas:

• Makebread crumbs, either plain or seasoned with your favorite herbs and spices, from extra or stale bread. Put it in resealable freezer bags orcontainers with lids; label and date. Freeze up to 3 months.

• Cut uncooked meat and poultry into cubes or slices. Arrange in a single layer on a foil-lined baking pan or cookie sheet; freeze. Remove frombaking pan. Place the meat in resealable freezer bags or containerswith lids; label and date. Freeze up to 6 months. Use in casseroles,skillet meals, soups, stews and stir-fries.

• Make extra uncooked hamburger patties. Place waxed paper between each patty,then wrap tightly; label and date. Freeze up to 4 months. To usepatties, thaw in the refrigerator before cooking.

• Make extra uncooked or cooked meatballs. Arrange in a single layer on afoil-lined baking pan or cookie sheet; freeze. Remove from baking pan.Place in resealable freezer bags or containers with lids; label anddate. Freeze uncooked meatballs up to 4 months and cooked meatballs upto 3 months. Use cooked meatballs directly from freezer in cookedrecipes. If using uncooked meatballs, cook until it’s no longer pink incenter and the thermometer reads 160ºF.

• Cook groundbeef plain or with seasonings and diced onions or other dicedvegetables; drain. Place it in resealable freezer bags or containerswith lids; label and date. Freeze up to 3 months. Use in casseroles,chilies, skillet meals, sloppy joes, soups, spaghetti or tacos.

• Chopbell peppers, carrots, celery and onions. Arrange in a single layer ona foil-lined baking pan or cookie sheet; freeze. Remove from bakingpan. Place in resealable freezer bags or containers with lids; labeland date. Freeze up to 1 month. To use, add unthawed vegetablesdirectly to the dish being cooked. Or to sauté, thaw slightly just tobreak pieces apart. Use in casseroles, skillet meals, soups, stews andstir-fries.
  

TIME-SAVING TIP:How food is cut up before it’s cooked affects cooking time. Cuttingmeat, poultry or vegetables into smaller or thinner pieces shortenscooking. Another speedy shortcut is to flatten boneless skinlesschicken breasts to a thickness of 1/4 inch.

TIME-SAVING TIP:When making a pasta dish that cooks fresh or frozen vegetables, add thevegetables to the saucepan of boiling pasta and water during the last 3to 5 minutes of cooking for crisp-tender vegetables. Drain pasta andvegetables in a colander, and continue with the recipe.

TIME-SAVING TIP: Need boiling water in a hurry? Start with hot water and cover the saucepan with a lid. It will boil faster!

Have a great day,

Chef Linda

Tips are from Betty Crocker.