Do Ahead Whenever You Can!

I have been a freezer cook for twenty-two years now, but in addition to that, I am truly a "do ahead Momma"! If there is anything that I can do ahead of time to make things run more smoothly later, I try to capitalize on that opportunity (or at least assign it to a child's chore list!).

Here are some examples of some do-aheads that I have done in the kitchen recently to make the next morning or later better:

1. Cook up three pounds of turkey bacon and bag up in fridge for egg frittatas and salads later.
2. Cut up green peppers, onions, celery, and red peppers and bag in fridge for stir fries later.
3. Cream several bars of cream cheese and stick in fridge to pull out some for cheeseballs and cheesecake filling later that week.
4. Fry up eggs, onions, and meat for breakfast pizza--stick in fridge and pull out and assemble quickly.
5. Chop nuts and bag up to sprinkle on a couple of desserts I was going to need them for.
6. Peel and cube potatoes (okay, the boys did it) and put in huge pan of water Saturday night so I can just cook and mash quickly Sunday afternoon.
7. Boil eggs, drain, and put in bag in fridge for salads and quick breakfasts/lunches.
8. Cut ham steaks in chunks to have ready to stir into potato casserole the next day when it is nearly finished baking.
9. Cube Velveeta and bag to make dip the next day.
10. Cook up hamburger and stick in fridge to use over the next couple of days for hamburger stew and taco meat.

Just to get you started....."do aheads" make things easier later!