Tuesday, October 16, 2007

One Way to Domestic Sanity

Years ago I discovered that I could cut time and effort by having the meat dish done ahead of time. I buy meats in bulk and then cook them all at once. Today I'm doing meatloaf, browned hamburg, parboiled Italian sausage, and oven-made "fried" chicken. I also have to get some pork chops to prepare.

Why browned hamburg? It is all ready to add to sauces, to use in dishes like Spanish rice, chili, or stuffed peppers. The parboiled sausages can be grilled or broiled very quickly. Also parboiling gets rid of a lot of the fat and in my opinion, enhances the flavor. The chicken, pork chops, and meat loaf can be popped in the microwave and be ready in less than five minutes.

I package the meats in meal sizes and store them in the freezer. At meal time all I have to do is make a couple of side dishes, nuke the meat, and call my husband to the table. The pressure of getting meals disappears and the insanity of figuring out a menu goes with it. I have the comfort of knowing all that meat is waiting in the freezer. It works for me.

1 comment:

Stacy said...

That's a really good idea! I'll have to try that, as I am always trying to make the 'main course' on the fly it seems. Thanks!