Is it really possible to plan, prep, and serve delicious meals and still spend quality time with the people you love? The answer is yes! With a few simple strategies, you too can spend less time with your back to the family while you cook—and more time face-to-face at the table!
Plan the week – Sunday night is a good time to review everyone’s schedule for the week and determine who’ll be sitting down to dinner when. That way you’ll know how many meals you’ll need for the week, and for how many people.
Favor the favorites – Compile a collection of go-to recipes that everyone in your family enjoys, and rotate and refresh them with simple change-ups like new sauces or sides.
Here are a couple of dishes that draw rave reviews from kids and adults alike:
Make an organized list – Whether it’s by meal, food type, or store layout, a list ensures you have all the ingredients you need. And, it can help you stay within your food budget as you’re less likely to go off-list and indulge in spur-of-the-moment purchases that may not work within your weekly meal plan.
Set up to save – Don’t shop until you’ve checked supermarket circulars and inserts for coupons and weekly promotions, and your favorite brands’ websites for even more ways to save. Click here to see how you can save on the Hormel® products your family is sure to love.
Prepare to enjoy
When you want to serve up a hot meal for dinner but don’t have time for the prep, it’s good to know about shortcuts that don’t sacrifice taste or satisfaction. Hormel® Always Tender® Oven Ready™ meats are a savory solution to the dinnertime dilemma. They’re pre-marinated for perfect flavor and tenderness—no advance work necessary to enjoy these pork chops or chicken breasts. They go right from your refrigerator to your oven to your table. With the centerpiece of your meal all ready, all you have to do is add your own personal touch.
Bake some oven-ready biscuits or toss a simple salad. And don’t forget the vegetables. Did you know that if your family’s favorites are out-of-season, frozen vegetables are a good-for-you option? Experts say that vegetables chosen for freezing tend to be processed at their peak ripeness, a time when—as a general rule—they are most nutrient-packed.
Time is on your side
Want to serve your family a meal with all the fixin’s—but don’t have time to fix ‘em? With Hormel™ Country Crock® Side Dishes, traditionally time-consuming side dishes like mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and broccoli cheddar rice are hot and ready in just five minutes. Find Hormel™ Country Crock® Side Dishes in the refrigerated—not frozen or packaged foods—section of your favorite grocery store or supermarket. And you’ll have dinner tonight solved.
Spend more time at the dinner table, when you add any of these recipes into your weeknight routine:
Barbequed Beef Roast
Triple Macaroni and Cheese
Roasted Garlic and Tomato Bow-Ties