Skip to content
Search
Cuisine Noir Magazine
Support Our Work - Donate
Support Our Work - Donate
  • Food & Drink
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Recipes
  • Book Grub
  • Events
  • Print
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Videos
    • CN Review
    • Donate
Cuisine Noir Magazine
  • Food & Drink
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Recipes
  • Book Grub
  • CN Review
  • Marketplace
  • Print
  • The Culinary Scoop (blog)
  • Events
  • Black Wineries
  • Videos
Support Our Work - Donate
Support Our Work - Donate
Search
Cuisine Noir Magazine
Support Our Work - Donate
Support Our Work - Donate
  • Food & Drink
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Recipes
  • Book Grub
  • Events
  • Print
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Videos
    • CN Review
    • Donate
Cuisine Noir Magazine
  • Food & Drink
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Recipes
  • Book Grub
  • CN Review
  • Marketplace
  • Print
  • The Culinary Scoop (blog)
  • Events
  • Black Wineries
  • Videos
Support Our Work - Donate
Support Our Work - Donate

Things You Can Do to Make Cooking at Home Easier

Cooking at home
Photo credit: Viacheslav Yakobchuk
April 19, 2022
CN Staff
Share this article
       

Cooking at home is time- and energy-consuming, but there are plenty of ways to make it easier on yourself. Here’s how you can make cooking at home simpler.

Cooking at home has plenty of benefits, but it can also be hard to pull off on a regular basis. Shopping for ingredients, finding tasty recipes, doing mise en place, cooking, serving, and storing leftovers takes a lot of time and commitment. Isn’t there a way to make it all easier?

Yes! In fact, there are a variety of ways to make the at-home cooking process smoother and less stressful. Here are four simple things you can do to make cooking at home easier.

Buy Pre-Prepared Meals

If you don’t have a ton of time to cook every day, pre-prepared freeze-dried or dehydrated meals can be a lifesaver. You can store them long-term and pull them out when you need a quick and scrumptious meal. All you need to do is heat up or rehydrate the ingredients, mix them according to the recipe, and cook! Pre-prepared meals allow you to skip the mise en place and get straight to cooking.

The best part about freeze-dried and dehydrated meals is that they can be just as nutritious and tasty as fresh meals. The ingredients in pre-prepared meals retain 97 percent of their original nutritional value and rarely lose their flavor.

RELATED: Easy Tips for Serving Wine Like a Professional

Taste Test When Cooking at Home

By taste-testing, you can ensure tasty meals every time and cut down on food waste. As a general rule, every time you add a new spice or herb to your dish, do so slowly, and taste-test along the way. This prevents you from accidentally adding too much or not enough seasoning to your dish. You may also want to periodically test any baked, fried, or grilled foods during the cooking process to avoid under-or overcooking them.

Create a Meal Plan

Instead of coming up with your meals on the spot, grab a piece of paper and a pen, and whip up a weekly meal plan. At the start of each week, devise and jot down seven breakfast ideas, seven lunch ideas (if you eat lunch at home or bring your own food to work), and seven dinner ideas—and don’t forget to add the necessary ingredients to your grocery list.

Meal plans save you a lot of hassle and frustration. You won’t have to spend time deciding what to eat each day and will have all the ingredients you need on hand, so there’s no need for improvisation or last-minute trips to the grocery store!

Store Recipes Digitally

Recipe boxes have their charm, but rummaging through them to find the right recipe isn’t fun at all. Another simple thing you can do to make cooking at home easier is to store your recipes digitally.

RELATED: Why it is Important to Make Homemade Meals

Storing your recipes on a smartphone or tablet makes finding them when you need them so much easier. You can use the search bar to search for certain meals and even jot down digital notes as you cook.

  • under Food & Drink Rhonda McCullough-Gilmore: Memories of Bernie Mac & Cooking with Love
  • South Boston chef Lambert Givens
    under Black Chefs , Food & Drink Executive Chef Lambert Givens Perfects Passion for Comfort Cooking in South Boston
  • JJ Williams and his daughters on the show "Bring It"
    under Food & Drink The New Breakout Culinary Star of Lifetime’s “Bring It” Series, JJ Williams
  • 2023 NFL Top Draft pick Bryce Young
    under Food & Drink SNICKERS® Ice Cream Partners with 2023 NFL Draft Pick Bryce Young
Share this article
CN Staff

A diverse group of global journalists who love to write and talk about all things food, wine and travel.

Related Articles

Loading...
Black Chefs Food & Drink

Armani Bailey’s Fat Boyz Kitchen Cooks Up Food, Fashion and Fun

Tiquette Bramlett, new Chosen Family Wines vice president
Black Winemakers Food & Drink

Tiquette Bramlett Joins Chosen Family Wines Team as Vice President

Dianna King, founder of Eat Unrestricted vegan cheese sauce
Featured Food & Drink

Eat Unrestricted Comforts Food Nostalgia Through the Power of Plants

Be the first to know about the latest online, industry updates, world news, events and promotions that connect the African diaspora through food, drink and travel.

    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising

    #IAmCuisineNoir

    This site participates in affiliate programs. See our full disclosure for more information.

    Copyright© 2023 Cuisine Noir and The Global Food and Drink Initiative. Privacy
    Site by ACS Digital

    Any unauthorized duplication, download or reprint of images or content from this website for promotional or commercial use is strictly prohibited without written permission from The Global Food and Drink Initiative. Violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Trademark pending.

    YES!  We’re excited you are signing up too!  

    Get ready to receive our weekly newsletter about:

    • New articles online
    • World news and industry happenings throughout the African Diaspora
    • Mouthwatering recipes
    • Promotions and giveaways

    Right in your inbox!