How to cook once and eat twice so you save time in the kitchen

In this season of life I learned I need to be very selective of my time.

I am constantly running the kids somewhere or trying to attempt our mountains of laundry(I actually think my kids make me wash clean clothes on purpose)

And I do not have hours to spend in the kitchen every day.

Don’t get me wrong I love making dinner for my family.

I love the way fresh ingredients come together to create something healthy and tasty.

And there is a sense of ownership in your creation when you know not only what each ingredient is, but also how they benefit your family.

But sometimes life just gets busy and I don’t have the time to spend cooking extravagant meals.

Or my kids are hangry and I need supper done yesterday.

We’ve ALL been there before: Your Mr. No patience 3 year old who is irrational is pulling on your leg because he could actually die of starvation right this second.

And you realize you have NOTHING out for supper. Yup been there done that.

It’s STRESSFUL.

That’s were double duty dinners come in handy.

Double-duty dinners are a great way to cut down on extra cooking.

You can make meat once and use the leftovers to create a new meal the next night.

Perfect for when you are too busy running the kids to baseball and don’t have time to cook something.

Here are my secrets for making meals that can transform from one dish into another with fresh flavors all on their own.

• Start with a base meal, something easy that you can transform into something else.

• Don’t be afraid to get creative!

• I plan this for at least 2 meals a week

Double Duty Recipe Ideas:

1. Pork Roast— Pulled Pork Philly Sandwiches

2. Rotisserie Chicken with carrots and potatoes— Southwest chicken wraps

3. Tacos—Stuffed Peppers

4. Sloppy Joe,— sautee extra ground beef for Enchilada Stir-Fry

5. Italian Beef Skillet— Italian Beef Tortellini Soup

6. Beef Roast— Beef Roast Tostada

My favorite double duty dinner is to roast a chicken one night and the next day for lunch I make this easy Chicken Salad.

It makes a nice lunch that we pair with fresh veggies and dip and fruit.

Plus it’s so easy to clean up.

Chicken Salad Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3-4c shredded chicken

• 1 cup chopped celery

• 1 1/2 cups halved seedless red grapes

• 3 green onions ,chopped

• 1 cup mayonnaise (for a healthier choice use Avocado Oil Mayonnaise)

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Place the diced chicken, celery, green onions and grapes in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, add the remaining ingredients to make the sauce and stir to combine. Pour the mayo sauce over the chicken salad and stir to combine and thoroughly coat the salad.

3. Serve on sandwiches, croissants or in wraps with some lettuce.

I hope this inspires you to try something new that will save you time.

My life is too valuable arguing with my kids about not having supper ready on time.

If “failing to plan is planning to fail” ... Then let’s STOP failing to plan!

If you could compare my “double duty dinner” weeks to the ones where I forgot to do it, you’d see more stress, frustration, impatience, and if I can change that with one simple thing…then sign me up!

Do YOU have a mom-hack that’s saving your life? TELL ME! Comment below share it! (or even better yet! - shoot me an email. I LOVE email :)

Hi, I’m Rachelle Meyer fellow mom and farm wife.

I help moms feel confident nourishing their families.

Ready for some farm fresh meat and milk?

Let me help. Just click the button below to reserve yours today.