Great tasting food has nothing to do with how many pots or pans you use in the process. Perfect pasta can be had without a lot of cleanup. Follow these simple suggestions and save yourself a lot of time. Leaving you with more to enjoy your meals and your family.
Cook pasta with only one pot and no colander. Boil the pasta as you normally would in a large pot of water. When it’s done cooking remove to a serving dish or storage container using a large slotted spoon. Return hot pasta pot back to hot burner on stove. Add your sauce and add back your strained pasta. Heat on medium until everything is warmed through.
Make a complete rice dish in only one pot. Start with a rice a roni or some kinda flavored rice packet. Cook according to the package directions. When there are only a few minutes left in the cooking process add about 1 cup of some fresh or frozen vegetables and 1/2 can of beans. Continue cooking until the rice is done and everything is hot.
Use the sandwich to your advantage. Sandwiches are a great way to create a quick and fulfilling meal. A great sandwich does not require lunch meat and cheese. Almost anything can make a great sandwich. Try some hummus, black beans and pickle for starters. Anything you might have sitting left over in the fridge. Cucumber, salad dressing and tofu. Cheddar, broccoli and red onion. Left over chili with rice. Pasta salad and potato chips. Put pretty much anything on a hearty roll and it’ll make a fantastic sandwich.
Mashed potatoes are your ally. Most folks think of mashed taters as a side dish, but they can be so much more. That box of flakes is easy to make and doesn’t cost much per serving and has way more potential than most people give it credit for. Instead of bringing plain water to a boil to make your potatoes, add some frozen broccoli, cauliflower or spinach. When the water comes to a boil add potato flakes, then also throw in some frozen green peas or other legume. Stir untiil your potatoes are well mixed. Then cover and leave hot pot of food on hot burner on stove for a few more minutes to let everything warm through. A super easy meal in one pot in just a a few minutes times. You can replace the peas with a cooked left over meat. You can top the hot potato mix with some shredded cheese.
For easier and lower fat grilled cheese sandwiches use your toaster. Toast two slices of bread til a deep golden brown. Using one slice of cheese assemble immediately into a sandwich and apply gentle pressure for 30 seconds using your fingertips. Let sandwich sit about 1 minute. Slice and enjoy your melty cheese.
Cooking vegetable, protein and starch all in the same pot is a huge time saver and actually enhances the flavors of your meals. While having less to do to create the meal and less to clean up from it afterwards allows for more time for doing the things you really want to do with the people that you love.