Prep-Ahead Meals from Scratch: Quick & Easy Batch Cooking Techniques and Recipes That Save You Time and Money

Food blogger Milham (premeditatedleftovers.com) introduces readers to a budget-friendly style of convenience cooking that calls for precooking and freezing key ingredients. Each chapter begins with methods for using an oven, broiler, stovetop, slow cooker, or pressure cooker to prepare large batches of staples such as shredded pork, chicken breast strips, ground beef, meatballs, and beans. Properly portioned and stored in the freezer, these can quickly be incorporated into easy recipes for buffalo ranch chicken squash boats, Southwestern sloppy joes, fajita frittata, garlic-ginger green beans, and more. Milham offers smart tips on how to stretch a food budget (e.g., buy inexpensive cuts, add beans to traditionally meat-only taco fillings), and her recipes for homemade spice mixes and salad dressings add to further cost savings.