Tips for How to Cook from Scratch When You are Busy
There are so many things when it comes to cooking from scratch that hold people back. But I think that one of the major reasons is people think it will take too long to cook meals all from scratch. And they can be correct. Unless you have some tips and tricks to make cooking from scratch easier. So, read on for some ideas on how to cook from scratch when you are busy with life and don’t think you will have time.
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Do you need some ideas on how to cook from scratch when you are busy with life and don’t think you have time?
So many times I hear my friends say that they don’t have the time to spend all day in the kitchen. That to make from-scratch meals is too much. They like to have the convenience of a canned soup instead of a homemade version.
Isn’t it just as easy to go to Costco and pick up pre-packaged meals? They have come a long way and taste pretty good.
Sometimes I just nod my head in those conversations. Yes, it can be pretty easy to push the cart through those isles picking up bag after box of dinners already made for you.
And I have done that. Because I also do not have all day to spend in the kitchen.
Yet, there is something about cooking from scratch using ingredients that I made (such as my homemade chicken stock or salsa) that makes me feel grounded. Plus don’t get me started with the health benefits for my family. We strive to grow most of our own vegetables and meat, so of course I want to be using those ingredients to cook from scratch for our family.
I mean, I created something that my family is enjoying.
I didn’t just open a box and pour a sauce to coat the chicken.
When I add my homemade tortillas or bread to a meal, it gives me a great satisfaction knowing I made them and know exactly what’s in them.
Yes, I do know that this is not always the quickest way to get dinner on the table.
Yet, for me, and I suspect many of you, there is something about the creating. The using your hands and making something that is therapeutic or grounding. The scents, the sounds, the active participation in the meal.
However, how can this be done when we are all so busy?
Why do I Cook from Scratch even When Busy with Life?
Since cooking from scratch can take more time than buying pre-made meals, why do it?
There are many reasons, but all you need is your own.
For me it is knowing what we are putting into our bodies. The fresh taste. The chopping, creating, the joy it brings when I make something with my own hands.
So once you know why you want to do this, you can take these tips to make it easier to get it done in this busy time we are living in.
Prep Parts of your Meal on Different Days
I find that this is one of the most helpful parts of getting a home cooked, from-scratch meal on our dinner table most nights. At any point in time I am able to reach into my fridge, freezer, or pantry to get a part of a meal that I have already prepared from scratch to use in a recipe I am wanting to make.
For example, when I look in my freezer I will usually have some chicken. It is ready to go because I have processed it in the pressure cooker. Then it was shredded before I bagged it in measured amounts for the freezer. I will also have some taco meat already seasoned and portioned out. There are always several containers of stock and even my homemade pie crust.
This way when I am making a homemade from-scratch chicken pot pie, it will be so much faster. I will be able to take out the shredded chicken. Along with that is my homemade chicken stock and pie crust (here’s my favorite pie crust recipe).
If I was having to make a pie crust, homemade stock, and shredded chicken all just to prep for having the ingredients in a recipe, it would be much more difficult for me to get it done. And to be honest, recipes like this would not happen nearly as often.
But by having items all ready to go in the freezer from earlier prep days, I am not having to rely on using those items as pre-made from the store. I can get the meal on the table and still have a little sanity at the end of the night.
I don’t really have a schedule for when I do this. If there is a good sale on chicken or beef, I bring it home and cook it up in batches. Or if I notice I am low on stock and not using the pressure cooker for dinner, I will prep a stock at the same time I am cooking dinner. I usually have a chicken carcass and veggie scraps in the freezer to do this.
Then I put the extra food in containers when I am cleaning up the kitchen. If it’s pie crust, I will usually make a double batch when I know I am out of extra. Then I will have it for the next time.
Make Meals in Batch
I don’t make freezer meals, per se, very much. That is, I do not tend to prep a bunch of meals to sick in a bag to pull out for the crock pot. We did do this some as a young family. But I don’t find that my family eats these types of meals well.
What I have found is that many of our favorites I am already making can be made into double batches. We can then take the extras and put them into the freezer. For the size of our family, I will usually double a recipe and then turn it into three meals. That fits how we eat right now. A few years ago, I was able to get 4 meals. And I am sure in a few years from now when the boys are older, it will only be two.
But the point is, that I cook one time, yet have more than one meal at the end of that cooking time. When I cook from scratch, it can make a mess. So to have a few meals with one mess is helpful.
Some of our favorite meals to do this with are cheesy chicken and rice dish, meat loaf, lasagne, quiche, and enchiladas.
I also do this when making any type of bread, from a quick banana bread or our favorite pumpkin zucchini bread to homemade rolls. They all freeze well.
Prep a Few Meals at the Same Time
When I cook from scratch, it does not mean that I cook the whole meal from scratch each night.
When I plan out meals for the week (and no, this doesn’t always happen, but when it does, everything goes so much more smooth), I look at what ingredients are the same over a few meals.
Many things I cook use chopped onions. So if I have something that needs a half an onion for today’s meal, and another day later in the week needs a half, I will chop it all together and package up the extra for later in the week. It is easier to chop it one time and also to clean up from the prep one time.
I have learned that I need to label it for its intended use. There have been times when I have prepped food for future dinners and others in my family have grabbed them to eat if they were not labeled.
I prep all kinds of chopped veggies this way to making cooking from scratch easier when I am buy. It works well with carrots, celery, bell pepper, and anything else that will hold for a few days. If I want to chop potatoes, I make sure I chop them 24 hours or less before using them and also store them in a container of cool water. Otherwise they will brown.
This type of prep also works well for meat. If you are going to be BBQing some chicken for dinner one night, throw a few extras on to cook and use later on in the week for salads or in pasta. Chop the chicken up right then when it comes off the BBQ or when you are cleaning up from dinner.
You can also throw twice as much chicken in the pressure cooker than you need for one dinner. Once it is cooked, you can shred it all up. Use it all in a couple of meals for the week, or some this week and store the rest in the freezer for next week.
Use your Instant Pot
If you haven’t yet gotten an Instant Pot, it is time to take the plunge. There are so many ways that it will save you time in your dinner prep and help you cook from scratch when running short on time.
Most weeknights I am using my Instant Pot either for the main dish or side dish for dinner. It saves a lot of time and allows me to do more from scratch than if I didn’t have it. Making bone broth, mac and cheese, and cooking a whole chicken to shred are ways we use it a lot. I also like to make some of our favorite soups in the Instant Pot, such as cheeseburger soup, Zuppa Toscana, or homemade chicken noodle soup.
If you need some help with how to use an Instant Pot, hop on over here for a beginner’s guide for the Instant Pot from fellow blogger Lisa at Farmhouse on Boone.
Give yourself Grace When You Cook from Scratch
If you are new to this cook-from-scratch journey, take it slow. It is difficult to change everything all at once. You don’t want to get overwhelmed and give up.
So maybe start with one item per meal from scratch. No one says it is all or nothing.
It is about doing better than you are now and giving yourself grace.
If you do not cook from scratch at all right now, try to start with one or two meals a week.
Maybe prepping on the weekend will help you get more from-scratch meals on the table. Pick meals you know your family already likes. Try to use less processed products in those meals when you make them.
However you do it, I hope you will give from-scratch cooking a try.
Pin for Later – Cook From Scratch
