Shopping For Quick Fix Meals

One of the ways that I can efficiently create quick meals is by spending a few extra dollars at the grocery store to buy pre-prepped food items. I know it's more expensive, but honestly, a few extra bucks in the grand scheme of my food bill is totally worth the time that it saves me at home.

Chopping veggies, peeling, cutting, de-coring, de-seeding....ugh. No thank you. So here are some of my favorite quick fix assistants that greatly speed up the time I spend in the kitchen.

1. Pre sliced apples
Not only are these great for snacking, but I can make some spectacular faux baked apples in less than 10 minutes. I also enjoy using them as an extra in a variety of pork dishes as well as on salads.

2. Refrigerated pizza crust
This canned delicacy is fantastic for making homemade pizza and one of our household favorites, Stromboli. It can also be cut down to make a fantastic crust for chicken pie. Having a can of pizza crust on hand is one of those items that makes a last minute meal decision much easier.

3. Frozen veggies
Bird's eye, store brand, Green Giant - you name it. I don't discriminate. Frozen veggies are incredibly quick and nutritious.

In particular, Schwanns makes a great bag of prepped peppers and onions that can literally be used in SO many different recipes: Philly cheese steaks, omelets, spaghetti sauce, etc. These bad boys come chunky diced - perfect size in my opinion, and I can just grab a handful and toss them into whatever I'm cooking.

4. Canned pasta sauce
Nothing compares to a from scratch marinara sauce, but have fun with the umteenmillion prep steps. I'll stick to my glass jars and save a tremendous amount of time instead. Remember, you can always doctor up your canned sauce with additional spices and vegetables.

5. Canned, diced tomatoes
I buy them by the case.

6. Fresh, minced garlic
I use this stuff by the spoonful, so not having to chop it up is incredible.


There are many more ingredients that I typically buy in some sort of pre-prepped fashion. I highly recommend choosing this route if your ultimate goal is to save time in the kitchen. What are your must-have, tried and true pre-prepped items that help you? I'd love to hear your suggestions.

xoxo,
Rebel Chef Mom