MAKE THE MOST OUT OF THESE 4 COMMON APPLIANCES TO PREP AND PLAN YOUR MARCH-MEAL LIKE A PRO

1. Air Fryer (7 Recipes) 

Air fryers are basically countertop convection ovens, so you make just about everything you can come up with, just (basically) not soup. All of the recipes made inside the air fryer meals will make you swear that they were deep-fried or pan-fried, and it is one of those kitchen appliances you wish you had purchased earlier as it not only saves time, strength but also helps you to eat healthier. 

Image Credit: Pillsbury 

Air Fryer Recipes: 

Air-Fried Chicken Sandwich

Skinny Fish And Chips With Tartar Sauce

Honey Sriracha Salmon

Keto Buffalo Chicken Wings

Spicy Fish Street Tacos With Sriracha Slaw 

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Cordon Bleu

Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches 

Tips For Meal-Prep Using Air Fryer:

• Don’t overcrowd the basket as the cooking process may take longer and the results will be inconsistent.

• Shake your food several times or at least midway during the cooking time to prevent it from being burned.

• To prevent your fish from drying out, set your air fryer to a lower temperature. 

• Put the meat side up if you want a crispier exterior.

  
  

2. Baking Oven (7 Recipes) 

Sheet pan meals, also known as one-pan dinners, are the greatest invention of all time; they are practically a daily go-to since you can load them up with vegetables and serve them in a variety of ways; the sky is the limit for your ingenuity! All you have to do is arrange your ingredients on the sheet pan, and the oven will handle the rest. And because everything cooks in one pan, cleanup is a breeze! 

Image Credit: Real Simple 

Tips For Meal-Prep Using Baking Oven:

• Opening the oven door can make the temperature of the oven drop dramatically and affect the final outcome so prevent this action as much as possible. 

• To prevent your chicken and turkeys from drying out, keep them moist by coating it in oil or butter while letting the door remain closed. 

• Leave space around pans so that air can circulate around each item to cook it properly. 

• If you are cooking more than one thing, put them on different racks to save time.

• Aluminum foil is an uninvited guest for your baking party as it will reflect heat, make your stuff cook faster and damage your oven. 

Baking Oven Recipes: 

Parmesan Chicken and Kale Sauté

Vegetarian Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Tacos With Black Beans

Sheet Pan Bruschetta Chicken 

Marinated Rib Eye steak With Mushrooms 

Sheet Pan Sausage and Root Vegetable Scramble

Za’atar Pork Tenderloin

3. Microwave (7 Recipes) 

Due to its short cooking time, the microwave preserves more nutrients than other cooking methods such as boiling or roasting, and there is no clear evidence that microwave ovens emit enough radiation to harm humans.

Image Credit: Cookist 

Tips For Meal-Prep Using Microwave:

• Most microwaves are only capable of penetrating food that is an inch thick or less. So, for the greatest outcomes, cut the meat and ingredients you're cooking in the microwave into 1-inch thick or less bits.

• If you like your foods salty, season them after they've been heated in the microwave or make sure the salt is blended in.

• Preventing rubbery meat: Use the steaming procedure outlined in the previous slide to give the meat a much nicer texture and keep it from drying out.

• To eliminate odors, combine 1 to 2 cups of water and 0.5 cup lemon juice in a small container, cover lightly with a cotton cloth, and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Repeat if needed to remove strong odors.

Microwave Recipes: 

Mushroom Risotto

Summer Salmon Nicoise Salad

Spaghetti Bolognese

Chicken Skewers With Peanut Sauce

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Spinach

Fish Tacos With Cabbage Slaw

Tempeh Gyros with Tzatziki

4. Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker (7 Recipes) 

Instant pot is functioning as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer or rice cooker. You can also use it to sauté veggies, brown meat and make yogurt in it easily. How convenient, right? 

Image Credit: Epicurious 

Tips For Meal-Prep Using Instant Pot

1. Cut down on the pressurizing time by heating it up for 5-10 minutes before adding your food, sealing the lid, and starting the cooking time.

2. The best method to reduce the cooking time is to use warm liquids.

3. It is just simple to use the “keep warm” function and this magical appliance will keep your food at the perfect temperature until you’re ready to eat it. 

4. Delayed cooking with a timer setting to assist you in prepping your food ahead of time and setting it to cook at a specified time.

Instant Pot Recipes: 

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

Honey Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Breasts

Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

Instant Pot Chicken Thighs

Instant Pot Frittata Breakfast Casserole

Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Credit: 

Jamie (Lacademie) 

Kelli Foster (The Kitchn) 

Bintu (Recipes From A Pantry) 

Alina Bradford (Cnet) 

Taylor Stinson

Audrey Bruno (Work Week Lunch)

Denise (Sweet Peas And Saffron)

Amy Richter, RD (Greatist) 

Arielle Weg (My Recipes) 

Kristine’s Kitchen 

Angela Morris (A Pressure Cooker)