Make Mealtime Easier with Shortcut Cooking

Semi-homemade cooking is a delightful and time-saving approach to preparing delicious meals. It strikes a balance between convenience and homemade flavor, making it an ideal choice for busy people who still want to enjoy home-cooked dishes. Whether you're a novice in the kitchen or a seasoned cook looking to save time without compromising on taste, semi-homemade recipes are the way to go.

So what is semi-homemade or shortcut cooking? It involves combining store-bought or pre-packaged ingredients with fresh or homemade elements to create a well-balanced meal. It offers the best of both worlds by leveraging the convenience of pre-made and pre-prepped products while allowing for customization and creativity in the kitchen.

One of the primary benefits of shortcut cooking is its time-saving nature. With pre-prepped ingredients, you can cut down on time in the kitchen significantly. This is especially helpful on busy days when you want to put a delicious meal on the table fast.

Here are some of our favorite semi-homemade shortcuts:

• Look for pre-cut fruits and vegetables, like cubed butternut squash or chunks of fresh pineapple. 

• Hit the salad bar if your grocery store has one to buy small amounts of pre-chopped ingredients. 

• Load up on pre-cut and frozen fruits and vegetables to use anytime.

• Choose pre-sliced or cubed meats, or ask the meat department to cut them for you.

• Opt for frozen or pre-cooked pouches of brown rice and other grains.

• Buy unseasoned rotisserie chicken and cans of sardines and tuna to add ready-to-eat proteins to a variety of dishes.

• Invest in an Air Fryer, Instant Pot, or Slow Cooker to whip up dinner with minimal effort.

• Grab cans or jars of roasted peppers to add deep flavor and heat to recipes without fuss.

Most of Season’s recipes are designed to utilize shortcut ingredients when possible, while also keeping costs low, but use your best judgment to decide which shortcuts work best for you and which you prefer to spend a little more time on. Maybe you enjoy the process of making homemade tomato sauce, but if not, there’s always a premade jar ready for you at the store for your next recipe. Enjoy and happy cooking!