Penny-Pinching Cooking Tips for the Week

Who doesn’t like to save time and money in the kitchen? Here are some of my favorite money-saving tips to try at home this week.

Sunday – Waffle Ironing

If you love waffles, a good basic waffle iron will set you back around $25. But consider this: if you forgo a complete breakfast for two at a restaurant one time — and make  your own waffles instead — that iron will have paid for itself! 

I like to make more waffles than I need, so I can freeze and reheat them later in the week. Just make sure the waffles are completely cool before bagging and freezing them.

Monday – Salad for Days

Pick out a nice large head of lettuce or package of Romaine hearts, prep it, and you’ll have salad at the ready for up to several days.

After washing the lettuce, just remember these three steps: chop, spin, and store.

Stack the leaves, and slice lengthwise and crosswise. Then in batches, spin chopped lettuce in your salad spinner. Finally, store it all in a large bowl. Place a folded paper towel on top (for more water absorption), cover, and refrigerate.

Tuesday – “Leftover” Fried Rice

Make easy fried rice with leftover plain rice. Scramble a large egg in a bowl. Then in a large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium high. 

Add about 2 cups of cooked rice, and stir fry for a few minutes. Then add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and mix well.

Once the rice is heated through, add the scrambled egg and mix thoroughly until cooked. Stir in chopped green onion (and other diced, cooked ingredients if you want) until heated through. Serves two.

Wednesday – Dinner a la Slow Cooker

I love slow cookers. You literally just fill the stoneware crock with ingredients, close the lid, turn on the heat and walk away.

There are an infinite number of slow cooker recipes, everything from soup to deserts. And many grocery stores even carry frozen meals designed just for a slow cooker.

The only rule of thumb on slow cookers is that you must not lift the lid to peek, or your dish will lose valuable heat and steam.

Thursday – Custom Frozen Pizza

I’ve found quality frozen cheese pizza for as low as $3. One of these is perfect for a busy weeknight. Bake as is, or top with extras you already have on hand. Dinner will be ready in 20 minutes.

My favorite combo is salami, artichoke hearts, and red onion. I’ll bake a couple of these when my father in law comes over and he loves it.

Friday – The Giving Chicken

Take home a rotisserie chicken, and get up to three meals out of it. Carve and enjoy it the first night. Then shred leftover meat for a chicken salad the next day. And then refrigerate the carcass to make chicken stock (for soup) the day after that.

For basic stock: in a large pot add carcass and water to cover. Toss in onion wedges and a couple of carrots and celery stalks all cut into large pieces. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cover and simmer for at least four hours. Afterwards, strain and discard all bits and pieces. You can make a soup right away, or chill the stock overnight to skim the fat.

Saturday – Cookie Assembly Line

When you bake cookies, always bake more than you need. That way, you can freeze the rest and enjoy them all week. I like to bake enough for two weeks so I don’t have to bake as often.

Cookies keep well in the freezer, and taste just fine after thawing. Plus, by freezing them you’re less likely to “cheat” and overeat them.

For my favorite shortcut: find a good price on  ready-made cookie dough, and bake your cookies with that. You can still call it baking!