The summer season can be quite busy, but the warm weather can also cause many to feel a little lazy, especially when it comes to preparing meals. You may be involved in a lot of activities, especially if you have children, and no one wants to spend hours in the kitchen when the weather is so nice outside. Plus, cooking a lot can heat up your kitchen, which not only makes the inside of your home uncomfortable but can also make the AC work harder leading to higher cooling costs. Try some of these time-saving summer meal ideas to limit your time in the kitchen and keep your house cooler.
Think simple
Summer meals can be simple and easy. Think salads with grilled meats, Italian pasta salad and reinventing leftovers for simple meals that don’t require a lot of cooking. You can cook once to use those ingredients in different dishes throughout the week. This saves energy and time, and it ensures that you don’t have to heat up your kitchen every day. With the abundance of local produce available during the summer, it’s easy to put together a fresh meal using in-season fruits and vegetables.
Cook outdoors
Grilled food tastes great and it’s easy to prepare. You don’t have to put a lot of effort into cooking foods when you use your grill. Prep ahead some easy sides, or grill some vegetables, for a quick and easy meal. Kids can also have a great time with a meal cooked over the fire pit. You can use extendable roasting sticks to safely cook hot dogs outdoors and all you need to add is buns, hot dog fixings, and a veggie tray or potato chips for a fun and easy summer meal. End your cookout with roasted marshmallows or s’mores.
Summer is a busy season for many, and most people would prefer not to be in a hot kitchen every day preparing meals. There’s no reason to stress about summer meals and to feel that you must spend a lot of time cooking just to put a healthy meal on the table. Think simple and easy when it comes to summer cooking by including in-season produce, cooking outdoors and lessening your time in the kitchen by batch cooking certain foods to use them for several meals throughout the week.