I had a bit of a surprise recently when I started to pull together my grocery list. I had more in my pantry than I thought and, as a result, my grocery list was considerably smaller (i.e. cheaper) than I had anticipated.

Yes, I refer to my pantry as ‘The Magic Pantry’ because of the magic that I can create from the contents. I keep a variety of pastas, proteins, and vegetables, in addition to rice on hand. As a result I’m not locked into a specified meal plan, I can pick and choose what appeals to me because I’ve stocked the things that I need to make the meals I enjoy.

It really is magic!

To be clear, I’ve tried a variety of meal planning ideas and tools but I don’t care for limitations. As much as I enjoy leftovers, there are times when I really want chicken and rice. Or a nice pasta with a simple sauce. Having a well stocked pantry allows me to create a meal that appeals to me rather than something I have on the day’s menu.

How did I get here? I often add an extra something to my grocery shop. An extra jar of my favorite pasta sauce (Rao’s) along with an extra carton of pasta. I make sure to have a variety of cheeses in the fridge (you never know when you want macaroni and cheese). I have a particular fondness for canned green beans, so I make sure to pick up an extra can every once in a while.

I don’t do all of that at every shopping trip, though. That could potentially blow the budget. When I prepare my grocery list, I look for those things I use a lot: Butter. Milk. Cheese. Chicken. Pasta. Pork. I build menus around those items and if I don’t use them up, they go into the pantry for a later meal.

One thing I try to do is purchase some items during off times. For example canned pumpkin or cranberry sauce. The prices go up during the holidays, so I try to make sure I have what I need on hand well before the holiday shopping commences.

Lately I’ve found myself not being all that interested in salads but really looking forward to simple pasta dishes. I don’t eat bread a lot, so I don’t buy it often. If I get the urge, I have the things I need on hand to make bread.

When you consider building your Magic Pantry, I’d suggest sitting down and making a list of your favorite meals and then creating a list of ingredients you need to create them. Focus on that list and soon you will have what you need on hand for a last minute ‘what’s for dinner?’

It goes without saying (or at least it should) that you always look at sales to see what you might pick up while saving money. Pay close attention to unit cost – some of those ‘bargains’ aren’t. If you are a small household (one or two people) don’t ignore family packs. They are a great way to save money and stock up the freezer.

Don’t be afraid to try other brands. Many of the name brand foods are packaged at the same place as the off-brands. You could find a lower cost option that you like better. Now that’s a win/win!

I’m really enjoying my Schwan’s Home Delivery service! I get top quality products and comparable prices in quantities that go farther than what I might find at my local market. You can check them out by clicking HERE. I love their Italian Style Chicken Breasts and their Six Cheese Tortellini! And, oddly enough, their tater tots are better than the named brand I used to purchase.

These are all great meal builders.

As we head into Fall and Winter, not to mention Holiday Meal Season, creating a magic pantry will be very helpful and economical. When you start thinking about holiday gifting, and you should be doing that now, homemade gifts from the kitchen might be the most welcome.

Pardon the pun, but food for thought.

Happy planning and cooking!

Psst! If you like this post please let me know by clicking the Like button below. Also, please share with friends or family. Thank you!

I recently picked up a pork roast and eagerly added it to my menu. The tender juicy meat can be used for the center piece of a meal or added to casseroles or sandwiches.

I love the ease of a slow cooker method as more often than not I get a tender juicy result with little effort. I’ve even been known to put it together the night before and let the slow cooker work overnight. I admit I wake up HUNGRY but dinner is pretty much done by the time I get up in the morning. LOL!

Here’s my recipe:

Or, tips and tricks to make Summer meals a lot less, less.

I’ve had a few ‘head-slap’ moments lately and thought I should share. After all, you might not have thought of these, either. 🙂

Batch Cooking

As you contemplate your weekly meals, if you are planning on using, say, a lot of oven-baked chicken across many meals, why not put it all in the oven at the same time and use the oven once instead of several times heating the kitchen when it really is too hot already?

My range has a convection oven and, along with all the other bells and whistles, has a dedicated button for chicken nuggets. Yeah, really. I used to chuckle a lot at that, too. But you know what? Filling the oven with baking sheets full of chicken to be cooked and used for several different meals saves time, energy (i.e.: money), and work. You can even prep different flavor profiles if you want. Even if it really is just chicken nuggets.

If you are able to find a flat of meats you will be able to use in a variety of meals, take advantage of pre-prepping and batch cooking. You can fill up the slow cooker in addition to filling up the oven or making use of your grill. You’ll save money and time.

Think Ahead

If you like to make tuna or chicken salad don’t forget to put the tuna or cooked chicken in the fridge before you start making the salads. I keep my canned tuna in the fridge so when I’m ready for a tasty lunch, the tuna is already cold. All I need to do is make the salad and eat. No waiting for the mixture to cool off.

Batch Prepping

I recently picked up a bag of sweet mini peppers to see if I would like them. I don’t care for hot peppers and while I enjoy sweet bell peppers many times one is just too much. On top of all of that, I hate waste.

I liked the sweet mini peppers but I knew I wasn’t going to be able to eat them all before they went bad, so I pulled out my mini chopper, grabbed a paring knife along with a couple of small freezer containers and started in. I split each pepper after I took off the top, cleaned the seeds out and then cut into smaller pieces that I put into the chopper. Once the chopper was full, I pulsed it until the peppers were coarsely chopped and then moved the chopped peppers to the freezer containers. I can now use what I need for a recipe without waste!

Do you have ‘issues’ with green peppers? As I got older my digestive system no longer tolerated green peppers. Until I learned this secret: Peel the peppers. Yep, pull out your vegetable peeler and remove that outer skin. No more uncomfortable tummy!

If you find a good deal on onions or other vegetables but don’t want to let them go to waste why not prep them and tuck them away in the freezer?

Best Tip: Use an ice cube tray to create cubes of these veggies. When they are frozen, pop them into freezer bags and put them away. Don’t forget to thoroughly clean the ice cube tray for the next round! You can use this trick for left over wine, tomato paste, fresh herbs, and probably more things than I’ve thought of here.

Start looking at different eye levels.

It is easy to forget than there could be great bargains on your grocery shelves just waiting to be found. All you have to do is look up and then look down.

Many grocery stores stock shelves based on what they want the buyer to purchase. They know shoppers don’t always look above or below eye level. What can you gain by looking up or down? Better prices. Better quality. Better options.

Don’t get caught up in purchasing brand names, either. You’ve probably heard that store brands are often the same as name brands other than the prices. That is true more often than we think. By trying off brand items you could find something you like better – and at a better price.

There is a time and place to purchase name brand items. But it might not be a bad idea to check around and see what you are missing, especially when there are limits on what you can find on the shelves.

I hope these few tips are helpful. If so, please click on the ‘Like’ button below!

Enjoy!

Cook once, eat twice, thrice or more!

Want to save yourself time and money in the kitchen? Start by buying and cooking larger quantities to use in later meals.

I know some folks just don’t love leftovers. I get it, I really do. But when you take a moment to change ‘left overs’ to ‘meal prep’ or ‘meal planning’ things change a bit.

Consider: You pick up a family pack of chicken, cook all and portion for the freezer. By tossing that chicken into a slow cooker or your oven you’ve prepped enough chicken for enchiladas, a casserole or two, maybe a chicken soup. All from one pack of chicken and session in the cooker.

What if you pick up a larger roast than you might need for Sunday dinner? You can save what you haven’t eaten, portion it up and freeze it for later use in pulled sandwiches, use with au jus over noodles, or top nachos.

Same with ground beef. You might be considering tacos for dinner but buy purchasing more than what you need for that meal and cooking before adding the seasoning for the tacos, you have the makings for a pasta sauce, pizza topping, sloppy joes, to name but a few ideas.

You can do the same with veggies, too! Picking up a large quantity of onions could lead to tucking some away in the freezer for later cooking projects (soup, anyone?). Peppers and celery can also be prepped and tucked into the freezer without need of cooking.

We hear a lot about meal prep these days, but what I’ve suggested is a tried and true method that actually is part of meal prep. In this time of shortages and higher prices, it is important that shoppers look for ways to economize where they can – and not just in the wallet but in the time spent in the kitchen.

This works no matter how many people are in your home, too!

If this has given you, pardon the pun, food for thought, please let me know by clicking the ‘like’ button!

Do you love to make meals using precooked chicken? Casseroles, salads, additions to noodles or rice on the side? Do you look for options that don’t require getting a rotisserie chicken and taking the meat off the bones?

I admit it. I’m a lazy cook. I like to get the best flavor, easiest preparation with the least amount of effort. I also like to take advantage of what is on offer at my local market. How do I do this? Easy.

Pick up family packs or flat packs of chicken pieces and cook them the easy way. These larger sized packages are easier on the budget, provide a lot of product for multiple uses, and can be cooked for later use.

Option One: Slow Cooker

One of my favorite things to do is to line my slow cooker with a liner, put all the chicken in it, set it on Low for 8 to 10 hours and walk away. You can set up your slow cooker to work overnight. The only problem is you will wake up to a house filled with wonderful smells. 🙂

Why do I leave it in for eight to ten hours? You can cook it until the 165 degree temperature but chances are the meat will be a bit tough and dry. By leaving it in a bit longer, the meat will soften and be a bit juicier.

You can season or not as you like. I prefer not to season. I also don’t add any liquid to the pot. The meat will have its own juices which, if you use boneless skinless pieces will render a mostly fat free but lusciously flavored broth that can be used for making rice or soups.

Option Two: Oven Roasting

Don’t have a slow cooker or in a bit of a hurry? You can put the flat of meat into a roasting pan and into the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour or until fully cooked. You might want to add a little bit of water to the pan to prevent the meat from sticking or burning.

What Next?

Okay, you’ve cooked your chicken. Frankly, it is quite a bit of chicken. What to do with it?

You can chop up the chicken into fork sized pieces, separate it in one cup measures into freezer bags and then freeze it. Don’t forget to mark the bags with the contents and the date you froze it.

When you want to put together a recipe that requires cooked chicken, take out the appropriate amount to defrost and then make your recipe.

When you consider the average boneless chicken breast equals one cup, and the family sized package usually contains ten breasts, you will have ten cups of chicken for, say, ten different meals.

You can do the same with boneless chicken thighs. Thigh meat tends to be juicier but its smaller size won’t equal the same amount as the breasts.

Why use boneless rather than bone in? Frankly it is easier to cook and you won’t have to remove the meat from the bone. However, bones do provide flavor, so if you don’t object to the extra step after cooking, go for it!

Want an easy dinner for the holidays? If you can get a breast of turkey, put it in the slow cooker and cook it the same as for the chicken. By using the long slow cooking method the meat will be tender, juicy, and flavorful. Not to mention stress free. 🙂

If this is helpful, please let me know by clicking the Like button below.