Planning Ahead
Making Double
It's often not much more work to be make a double recipe of something and then freeze portions for later use. My family can't eat a whole lasagna, for example, so I make the recipe in two separate 9x9 containers and freeze one for later. Meatloaves, meatballs, soups, ground beef mix, and stews all thaw and reheat fine. If you're home for lunch or pack your lunch, freeze some in single portion servings as well.
Planning
If you've got a menu planned for the week, while you are fixing one meal look ahead and see what you can do ahead of time. If you need rice two different nights, cook up a double batch one night and reheat it when you need it.
Roast chicken turns into chicken tacos or burritos, various casseroles or chicken soup. Can't cook right now? Chop it up and put a 2 cup portion in the freezer for a later recipe. Make chicken salad with it for lunches (mix with mayonnaise, chopped pickles and celery, a bit of salt, and some lemon juice or vinegar).
Plain steamed broccoli can be used in tomorrow's pasta primavera.
Pork loin turns into bbq pork sandwiches or pork tacos or burritos.
Meatloaf can be cut up into squarish meatballs and used for meatball hero sandwiches.
Any leftover meat (steak, chicken, pork) can be made into fried rice or lo mein.
Leftover steak or roast beef makes a great hash. Chop it small and fry it up with some diced, cooked potatoes, a diced onion, and a little leftover gravy.
Make Crockpot Rump Roast one night. Save the leftover juices and meet and have French Dip Sandwiches a couple of nights later. Or freeze the leftovers if you don't like eating the same thing twice in one week.
Rice becomes fried rice or rice pudding. I often make extra on purpose.
