Do you ever find yourself wishing there were 25 hours in a day? Just one more hour, and you could do so much more? Well, while you can’t add more time to the day, you can make the most of what you do have. Save yourself some time and hassle while cooking with these easy meal prep hacks, then test them out with these delicious recipes.
Hack #1: Prepare a Big Pot of Soup
Need a filling dinner option for the week? Make a big pot of soup, stew or chili and portion it off into single meal-size servings for the days you want to eat it. Then put those portions in the freezer. The brilliant thing about soup is that it’s always better once the flavors have had a chance to mingle, so this meal prep hack not only saves you time but also creates a more delicious dinner option with each bowl.
Try this hack with the cozy California Walnut Firehouse Chili. This plant-based dish is a hearty option for the fall and winter months when the weather turns cold and the family needs to warm up from the inside out. It’s complete with a kick of spice and an assortment of veggies! For a rich and creamy dish, try this White Bean, Cauliflower & Walnut Soup.
Hack #2: Just Add (Hot) Water
What’s great about this soup hack is that you can easily carry it and make it piping hot in a snap. Prep all the fixings ahead of time (meat, veggies, noodles, seasonings) and mix them together in a large canning jar. To make things even simpler, choose a jar that is a standard portion size to allow for a quick single meal. Then when you’re ready to eat, add hot water just before serving. Try this Asian Walnut, Chicken and Vegetable Noodle Jar for a savory and salty concoction in minutes. Plus, with teriyaki sauce and a hint of ginger, this soup has a zing to it that will take you by surprise but leave you wanting more.
Hack #3: Prep Breakfast the Night Before
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so make sure to make it a good one. Do yourself a favor and prep a batch or two of breakfast staples on Sundays or the night before. That way, you’ll have a tasty, satisfying jump-start to the day all week long!
Banana Bread Overnight Oats are a delectable choice, especially when you add crunchy walnuts and ripe bananas (that you need to use anyway) flavored with cinnamon, vanilla and sweet maple syrup — it truly tastes like banana bread but will be a healthier and heartier option!
If savory breakfasts are more to your craving, these Walnut & Oat Crusted Veggie Egg Cups are for you. Customize these little bites with your favorite veggies, and keep them in the fridge overnight for a quick grab-and-go breakfast in the morning. They’re complete with a walnut and oat crust for extra nutrients.
Hack #4: Make Extra Sauces in Individual Portions
Sauces can make the meal, but to do them right, it takes skill and time. Combine your efforts in one prep. Make your sauces and then store them in meal-size portions in the freezer. Then, when you’re ready to use them, stick them in the fridge to thaw for the next day’s dinner, and you’ll have the perfect topping for a delicious meal in seconds!
This Walnut Ginger Dipping Sauce is a wonderfully simple, Asian-inspired treat that enhances the salty, umami, earthy taste of soy sauce with sweet maple syrup, fresh ginger and bold red pepper flakes. This sauce adds a complex dimension with the caramel flavor of dates and the bitter citrus note of lime juice.
Cooking up some pasta for an easy dinner? Keep this Walnut Tomato Sauce on hand in the freezer. It looks (and tastes) like your nonna’s Italian perfection, but alongside the robust flavors of tomato, red wine, garlic, onion and thyme is a special surprise. Added to this intense sauce are ground walnuts for extra texture. A classic Pesto Sauce is a great choice too. Make ahead and freeze the sauce in ice cube trays. When you’re ready to make dinner, pop a cube out, cook and enjoy!
Hack #5: Pre-chop Veggies for Salads Fit for Royalty
Who doesn’t love the light taste of a salad? But who wants to spend all that time cutting up vegetables? You just want to eat! Pre-chopping your veggies is the best way to ensure you’ll get a quick and healthy lunch. Set yourself up for a week of lunchtime success by chopping an assortment of vegetables over the weekend, then assemble the options as you see fit each day.
Need some ideas of what those salads could be? For a flavorful option that is full of seasonal ingredients, try our Walnut Balsamic Spinach Salad. The pomegranates and pears mingle with the prosciutto and blue cheese, topped off with hearty California walnuts. Or assemble pre-chopped ingredients like apples, brussels sprouts and cabbage in this delicious Guerneville Grain Salad. Then the next day, you can use those same apples in a Kale, Apple, Pancetta, and Walnut Salad with Creamy Walnut Dressing. The dressing really brings this salad together, and you can make extra to use throughout the week.
Hack #6: Batch Prep for Quick Assembly With All the Flavor
With this hack, you can put a final dish together quickly without sacrificing quality. Make batches of ingredients, like vegetables or grains, but store them separately to keep things fresh. Then when you’re ready to serve, mix them together for the fastest dinner prep yet. This way, you can enjoy the newly combined ingredients as if they were hot off the stove rather than getting that reheated-in-a-microwave vibe. Try these Coconut Curry Lentil and Walnut Meatballs — just before dinner, mix the lightly breaded meatballs in the bright orange sauce for a meal that looks just as good as it tastes.
Although there is no such thing as a 25-hour day, you can make the 24 hours you do have worth it with these six simple hacks. Save some time in the kitchen without sacrificing the delectable flavors and nutrition and by planning ahead and using versatile ingredients.
