35yoSeeking... lazy cooking

Word Count: 411

My preferred cooking style is perhaps best described as “half-homemade,” “gussied-up store-bought," or even lazy. (There, I said it!) But let's be real—as a single gal living alone, it’s tough to get excited about labor-intensive cooking that uses every pot and pan in my kitchen. Right now, my everyday kitchen goals are quick, easy, tasty, and not totally terrible for me. (The “easy” refers to the clean-up required.) The good news is, some of my favorite go-to meals and treats will (hopefully, eventually) work just as well for an entire family as they do now just for me (scaled up for the number of servings, of course!).

Now, I am definitely a meat eater—but I hate handling raw meat. (Truly. It’s a near-phobia-level situation.) As a result, my at-home meat eating usually consists of rotisserie chicken, frozen chicken breasts, and pre-cooked bacon—and I'm not mad about it. A rotisserie chicken from the grocery store provides me with a week’s worth of protein for pastas, tacos, salads, and grilled sandwiches or flatbreads. And sautéing pre-cooked bacon on the stovetop is the first step in my process for scrambled eggs or omelets. (SO good!)

At least once a week, I dress up a bagged salad kit. I’ll put a frozen, breaded chicken breast in the oven and then get to work prepping the salad with extra cut veggies and a handful of chow mein noodles for some crunch. If it’s a taco salad, I’ll opt for rice (from the microwaveable bag, of course), black beans, and tortilla strips. (As an aside, am I the only one who waters down creamy salad dressings just a smidge? It makes them lighter and runnier. I know it's weird, but don't knock it until you've tried it!)

I use this same "half-homemade" approach for baking—which, truth be told, I enjoy way more than cooking. (What can I say? Something about needing to follow the recipe exactly really speaks to my personality.) But trust me—NO ONE is going to notice or care that you made the cake with a box mix if it’s topped with made-from-scratch, cream cheese frosting (Sally’s Baking Addiction’s is my absolute fave!). For more everyday baking, I recommend starting with a "just add water" muffin mix and adding milk (ALWAYS milk instead of water!), real fruit, and dark chocolate chips. :)

And there you have it—now you know all my secrets. Or at least, the kitchen ones. ;)