Getting hot, nutritious meals on the table without taking up enormous time, effort, and kitchen space is vital for a working parent like me.
There are three ways I make the most of my kitchen appliances and processes that have proven to be transformative, and came out of need. I’m disabled, and these also save me time on my feet, but they’re useful for anyone who needs to cook but is short on time, especially on weeknights.
Having one of the best non-toxic air fryers certainly helps get safe meals on the table fast, but how you use this, your other kitchen appliances, and the fruits of your labor will be the most important thing.
I’m a Disabled Mom, and These Cooking Tricks Save My Sanity and Time for Weeknight Meals
1. Cook High Volumes and Freeze
If you’re going to make the effort to cook, do so in high volume and freeze in portions to save you time later. Sunday is usually my favorite time to meal prep and batch cook, and my husband and I tag-team to get the most done in the least time.
Using one of the best food processors can also save time and manual effort, but if, like me, you don’t have the counter or storage space for it, a nifty 8-in-1 Megachef Slicer, available at QVC is a game-changer.
Souper Cubes, available at Amazon, are also perfect for freezing handy portion blocks and are non-toxic, made with thick silicone that can be used in the oven (though the lid isn't safe for oven use). They can’t be microwaved as they have metal in the rim for easy pouring, so watch out for that during usage.
2. Make a Versatile Base and Adapt for Three Meals
Having a good base recipe for sauces means you can cook it once volume in your slow cooker (I swear by my heavy-duty 7.5 qt ceramic Crock-Pot, available at Target for same-day pickup, or next-day delivery), and then divide and adapt easily for three different meals.
In mine, I make a base tomato sauce, then adapt one third for herby meatballs with lots of oregano and mixed herbs, another for my family's recipe of Iranian Loobia polo (adding saffron, cinnamon, and fried green beans for a mixed rice and lamb dish), and the final third for an easy and delicious bolognaise.
I also keep pots of herbs that I mix myself and store in the pantry for this process, with air-tight glass jars. I like air-tight glass storage jars with bamboo lids, available at Amazon, so my ingredients don’t come into contact with any toxic microplastics.
I then store portions for my family of three for weeknight meals in glass, freezer-proof containers from QVC, and defrost the night before I need them. That way, all my husband or I have to do is cook a quick bit of pasta or rice, and healthy, home-cooked weeknight meals are a cinch.
3. Batch Prepare Ingredients for Ease Later
It’s not just about batch cooking, but batch prepping as well. For instance, if I’m making a quick shaksuka (using bell peppers, tinned tomatoes, onions, aubergine, eggs, and lots of paprika and spices) for an easy and delicious dinner, I don’t just prep enough aubergine for the three of us to eat that one time.
I will prepare all the aubergines in my fridge crisper drawer, and freeze the excess, already peeled and chopped to size.
That means next time I’m making that meal, or need that ingredient elsewhere, I have it ready to go in the freezer. Freezing fresh produce in this way also means you will reduce food wastage.
I like using dishwasher-safe silicone bags from Amazon that I can freeze them flat and stack to save space in my freezer. Clever freezer bag moulds from QVC are also very handy for easy stacking of soups, sauces, or other meals you have made.
What to Shop
Having the most useful kitchen appliances for your household’s needs will mean that any countertop or cabinet space allocated to them isn’t wasted. Look for quality items that are built to last, especially appliances made with non-toxic materials such as ceramic, stainless steel, and glass.
Coupling that with useful food storage containers will mean that you will have everything you need to plan, prep, and cook ahead for easy weeknight meals you can defrost and heat in minutes.
With programmable and auto-detect features, this makes slow cooking easier than ever. Our chef tested and reviewed this as our best overall in our best slow cooker buying guide. I have an older Crock-Pot model that is 7.5 qt and I swear it.
You can use this non-toxic glass set, which includes a range of 13.5-oz to 35-oz food storage containers, in the dishwasher, microwave, freezer, and oven. The lids can’t go in the dishwasher or oven; however, the entire set is leakproof.
The thick silicone brings added durability, whilst the BPA-free plastic lids keep freezer smells away from your carefully cooked or prepped portions. The silicone base can go in the oven as well.
Pack lunches, freeze ingredients, or pack soups in these leakproof silicone food bags. This will cut down your plastic use at home, when taking food with you on days out, or to work, and can be cleaned in the dishwasher for ease.
If you love the idea of a food processor to speed up chopping, but don’t have the room for one, this manual 8-in-1 slicer does the job easily, and only needs a fraction of the countertop or cabinet space for storage, or use.
I like using glass containers that are airtight and have non-toxic bamboo lids for storing homemade herb mixes. You can also make overnight oats in these, use them for condiments, or store any other smaller items you’d store in your pantry.
If you're new to batch cooking, try our chef-approved slow cooker recipes and delve into why I am upgrading my trusty Ninja Steami for lazy, hot week-day lunches.
