If dinner prep and the minutes or even hours leading up to dinner are the most hectic time of the day in your house, you’re not alone. Getting a healthy, homemade dinner on the table with kids waiting in the wings can seem like an impossible task at times. If things quickly spiral out of control in the kitchen in the evenings, these tips can make dinner prep faster and far less dramatic!

1.Know what to cook

They say that “knowing is half the battle”, and that’s definitely true when it comes to dinner. If you haven’t got even a rough plan, you’re going to waste time looking in your fridge, rifling through your pantry, and looking up recipes that will work with what you’ve got on hand. I like to plan out my menu for the week by Wednesday so I can skip over all that nonsense and get right down to cooking.

2. Pick simple recipes

Great meals don’t have to be complicated. I like to keep my meals simple on weeknights and if I feel like experimenting I’ll save that for the weekends. Stick to foods you’ve cooked before, or recipes which you’re sure you can get out of the way quickly to avoid any last-minute dinner drama. Stews, sheet pan meals, casseroles, pasta or anything that goes in the slow cooker are all simple approaches to dinner that can really save a lot of time.

3. Read the recipe

It sounds simple, but reading the recipe you plan to use in advance can make all the difference during dinner prep. I suggest doing this in the morning just in case you’ve forgotten to thaw something or have run out of an ingredient so there’s time fix it or make a backup plan. Ensure you have everything you need and that you know how much time everything is going to take so you start early enough to get it on the table right on schedule.

4. Use mise-en-place

The French know how to cook, and they definitely have the right idea with mise en place. This means “everything in its place” and it really does help dinner prep go a lot faster.

You want to have all your ingredients measured, peeled, chopped, etc. before you even start cooking. All the pans, mixing bowls, and other tools you’ll need should all be sitting out and ready to go, too. This might not sound like a huge time-saver, but you’ll see what I mean if you try it! 

5. Use time-saving tools

Your grandmother might do everything in the kitchen by hand, but time is not a luxury many mums have these days. There’s no shame in letting modern conveniences pitch in. Some of my favourites are my food processor, my immersion blender, and my garlic press. My slow cooker is my favourite – although that’s an entirely different kind of gadget!

6. Consider batch cooking

Some days are busier than others, and that’s when batch cooking can come in handy. I like to prepare some meals in advance and make additional portions when I cook something so I can have extra meals in my freezer to heat up on busy days. That way, my family still gets a healthy, home-cooked meal even when I can’t (or don’t want to) spend hours in the kitchen.

7. Use an on-counter bin 

When you’re in the middle of dinner prep and cooking, all those trips to the trash can really add up. It might only be a few steps away, but we always have to throw away so many little things as we’re cooking – not to mention make sure they go into the right bag for recycling! I like to keep a bin on the counter – even a big mixing bowl will do – and toss everything in there to sort later. 

8. Clean as you go.

The last thing I want to do is face a sink and counter full of dishes after enjoying dinner with my family – in fact, the idea of this work waiting for me can take some of the joy out of mealtime. That’s why I clean as I go. I put away ingredients while I’m waiting for sauces to reduce, for example, and start cleaning the cutting board and bowls I’ve used while I’m waiting for food to finish cooking.

9. Go for grocery shortcuts.

Tools and gadgets aren’t the only way to save time. I find that having the butcher chop my meat can be a really big help, and I also like to keep things like frozen chopped garlic on hand for those times when peeling and chopping garlic just seems like too much trouble. Other great time-savers are bagged mixed salad greens and pre-chopped vegetables.

10. Cook or dinner prep when young kids are asleep

If your kids are young, getting a decent meal ready every day might seem out of the question. When my daughter was just starting to walk, it felt like nowhere in the house was safe for her, so I was constantly looking out for her. And if you have a baby, you’ll need an extra set of arms to get dinner ready! That’s why I suggest that you cook and/or meal prep when young kids are asleep, whether it’s during their afternoon nap or you’re getting everything ready the night before. It can really cut out a lot of unnecessary stress!

Have you joined my free 5 day challenge?
We’re working on planning this time. That’s because planning = meal planning, batch cooking, freezing food = not cooking everyday + fast (good) meals = less stress + more time with the kids + for yourself = happier, slower life. Need I go on? I speak from experience – and I sooo want this for you too! This is where you sign up!