A hectic day (let’s face it—we have more of those than we can count) means you need to get a meal ready pronto. Follow a few suggestions for speedy prep, and relax…you’ve got it covered.

1. Plan. Sounds painful, but if you get in the habit of getting at least a general idea of what you’d like to make for the upcoming week, it saves the day. Really.
   
   

2. Shop with a list. No more wandering the supermarket aimlessly. Shop for specific ingredients to get in and out quickly.
   
   

3. Simplify. When there’s a need for speed, use convenient ingredients like bagged salads, canned tomatoes and boned chicken breasts…or even better, rotisserie chicken. Leave the guilt behind.
   
   

4. Stock. It’s easy to fix a quick meal at home if you keep staples on hand. Check out our pantry guide for ideas.
   
   

5. Freeze. Recipes like Pizza in a Crescent and Double Cheese Sandwiches go together quickly. On the weekend, assemble and freeze recipes unbaked, then on the day you eat it, bake about 10 minutes longer than the recipe’s bake time. (Frozen dishes take awhile to bake, but it’s time you can use doing something else. No kitchen time tonight!)
   
   

6. Chop. Use a kitchen scissors instead of chopping with a knife. Saves cleanup (no cutting board) and it’s super speedy. Works really well on fresh herbs, green onions…even marshmallows!
   
   

7. Double up. When you’re cutting up ingredients for something like Easy Crescent Muffulettas, chop double the amount you need. Freeze the extra, and next time you make it, no chopping.
   
   

8. Get it together. Gather all your ingredients, tools, cutting boards, bowls and pans before you begin. Keep a bowl handy for garbage. Fewer steps in the kitchen, faster prep.
   
   

9. Expect the unexpected. Think of a super-easy meal your family loves that you can whip up in a hurry (like Ham and Cheese Crescent Roll-Ups). Always (and we mean always) keep those ingredients on hand for those emergency times when you’re home later than usual, you didn’t think you’d be cooking, someone extra showed up for dinner…you get the picture.
   
   

10. Enjoy. Sitting down with your family is worth a little up-front effort! With a little preparation, you may find that dinnertime is something to savor.