5 Practical Tips To Simplify Dinner

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Preparing dinner can sometimes feel like a chore after a hard day’s work. As a result, several people cook less, with research revealing that only 28% of people cook daily. However, it’s possible to simplify things and make cooking dinner a breeze. You can do this without compromising taste as long as you know what to do. All you need is to incorporate easy-to-follow tips and tricks to round up your evening. These practical tips can help you simplify dinner

Stick to planning

Meal planning is crucial to saving time in the kitchen and knowing what you’re going to eat in advance. It is an effective way to simplify dinner and continue your week without feeling the drain of cooking. First, make a shopping list based on the ingredients you need and try your best to stick to it when you go grocery shopping. This way, you avoid the stress of having to deal with a cycle of last-minute meal decisions after having a hard day. The best you can do under the circumstances is to ensure you have everything you need on hand when it’s time to whip up dinner. It doesn’t take much time to plan a meal as long as you are sure about the recipes you want. If you’re cooking for the family, it would help to factor individual dietary preferences into your planning. Doing this will help you reduce the likelihood of anyone rejecting what you’ve prepared due to allergy reasons.

Embrace one-pot meals

One-pot meals are easy and time-saving and have become a top pastime for many households. Cooking experts say one-pot meals are a go-to for busy professionals who don’t want to spend time washing several dishes after eating. So, if you are looking forward to simplifying dinner, consider one-pot meals and make it as nutritious as possible. You get to prepare everything in one pot or pan and there are endless possibilities with what you can come up with. Therefore, whether it is a hearty stew, stir-fry, or a comforting gluten-free pasta dish, make dinner time simple and convenient. You can experiment with various ingredients on different nights to vary your diet and nutritional content. You may, at some point, want to combine recipes to find combinations that suit your palate.

Get creative with leftovers

Leftovers can actually be lifesavers when you are hard-pressed for time and want to simplify your dinner. You don’t need to throw away leftover food when you can transform it into something new. Repurposing these meals can also save you money and time you would have spent going to the grocery to shop for new ingredients. For example, you can repurpose leftover roasted vegetables by tossing them into a fresh salad. You can also use these leftover roasted vegetables as topping for homemade pizza. If you prefer something lighter, you can add them to a simple and delicious crab soup that takes only minutes to cook. Even leftover chicken can be useful for something healthier and simple.

Invest in time-saving kitchen gadgets

Poor kitchen tools can cause delayed cooking times and often cause you to lose interest in making dinner. Thankfully, there is no shortage of modern kitchen gadgets, especially at a time when technological advancement is at an all-time high. Many of these gadgets are designed to simplify cooking and make kitchen time more efficient. For starters, consider investing in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot to help you cook with minimal effort. Remember to get a good quality chef’s knife to speed up dicing, chopping, slicing, and any other cutting activity during the cooking process. If you are unsure what to get, take a moment to look around your kitchen and consider the things you eat regularly. Doing this helps you decide on the right appliances or kitchen gadgets most ideal for preparing dinner. Remember to spend on tools that save you time and make your cooking more efficient.

Keep things simple

Dinner doesn’t always have to be something you will find on a restaurant menu. Keeping your recipes simple requires a few high-quality ingredients to cook your preferred recipe. The highlights of your dinner should be nutrition and taste. However, try to vary things as much as possible to avoid getting bored. Moreover, if you are cooking for your family, varied, simple meals will keep the dinner table exciting every night.

With the above tips, preparing dinner will be a stress-free activity you’ll enjoy doing, no matter how busy your day has been.