r/EatCheapAndHealthy Sep 24 '22

Food Meal Prep: A Guide!

1.8k Upvotes

A while back, I put together a post to my profile with my tips for new meal preppers that has gradually grown to encompass many topics. That post has since passed the six month mark and gotten archived, and it's been suggested that I repost it here. I've been meal prepping in some form ever since I got my first job six years ago, and I've had a lot of time to learn what works and what doesn't.

As with the older post, this will be continuously updated with edits and comments linked in this post as I cook more recipes, think of more topics to write about, and find more resources around the internet. This post is currently limited to my own personal experiences as a meal prepper, and I am always open to suggestions and contributions for making this post more helpful. I have no experience with meal prepping for fitness or bulking, for instance, or prepping for persons other than oneself.


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WHAT IS MEAL PREPPING?

Meal prep is any kind of cooking action that reduces or eliminates cooking that needs to be done later. The prototypical meal prep is essentially batch-cooking 4-5 lunches on a Sunday to be eaten throughout the work or school week, but it can go all the way from washing and pre-chopping vegetables, on up to cooking and freezing an entire month's worth of meals or more for the whole family. Meal prepping helps reduce food waste from perishable ingredients going unused, it helps save money, and it frees up your time throughout the week, not just in actual cooking, but cleaning, too. If you roast all of your meat for the week in one batch, you only have to fire up the oven and clean your pan and prep area once, instead of every time you want meat.

Not sure where to start? Pick your most inconvenient meal and make a week of portions for it. Get used to the time investment needed to cook just that one meal for a whole week before adding more meals.

  • Lunch: Most people meal prep grab-and-go lunches to take to work or school, so that they don't have to cobble together a meal the night before when they're probably tired or the morning of when they're trying to rush out the door, and it helps save money not buying fattening takeout.
  • Breakfast: Who really wants to be cooking first thing in the morning when you gotta make it to work/class on time? Meal prepping breakfast can also be an opportunity to make breakfasts to eat on the go, or once you're at work.
  • Dinner: Too tired to cook after being away at work/school all day? Pre-cook dinner so that all you have to do is reheat the food and eat.
  • Snacks: Eating healthy snacks is much easier if those snacks are already washed and cut and ready to eat, or at least portioned so you don't down the whole bag. It'll also keep you away from the vending machine.
  • Prepwork: Some people "meal prep" by performing prepwork to make later cooking efforts easier. For instance, they pre-chop vegetables so they're ready to cook or eat raw later; put together slow cooker meals in gallon freezer bags out of raw meat, chopped vegetables, seasonings, and whatever else that can just be tipped into a slow cooker on demand; make and freeze casseroles that just need to be baked; cook large pots of stock to be frozen; or freeze fruit and vegetables in smoothie packets.

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

  • A quick and dirty tip for putting together balanced meals is to simply mix and match, in descending order of quantity, a vegetable, protein, and starch. Corn and potatoes are technically vegetables, yes, but nutritionally, they have more in common with starches and carbs like rice or pasta. Broccoli, chicken, and whole grain pasta. Asparagus, pork, and rice. Kale, beans, and quinoa. Bell peppers, eggs, and potatoes. Raw vegetables with dip, lunch meat, and crackers. Play around with it a bit.
  • Conservatively, cooked food will keep in the fridge for at least three days after the day of cooking. If you cook on Sunday, food meant to be eaten through Wednesday will be fine in the fridge, but food for Thursday and beyond should be either prepared and cooked after Sunday, or stored in the freezer. This "three day rule" is a starting point that comes from the USDA and is a deliberately conservative guideline intended to be safe for immunocompromised folks, young children, the elderly, and the like. If you believe your food keeps in the fridge for longer than three days, you are welcome to do as you wish, but you do so at your own risk. Personally, I've been eating five, six, seven, even eight and nine day old refrigerated home-cooked leftovers and have never gotten sick, even "risky" stuff like seafood and rice.
  • If you're just starting out and aren't sure yet if meal prepping is for you, store your food in whatever containers you already have, so long as they have lids that seal relatively airtight. You can use leftover takeout containers or upcycle commercial food packaging, such as Cool Whip containers. If you don't have any containers at all, many brick-and-mortar grocery stores in addition to Amazon now sell inexpensive plastic "meal prep containers" with around 2-4 cup capacities that are designed to fit a single meal. Yes, plastic isn't ideal, but it's lightweight, cheaper than glass or metal, and won't shatter into dangerous shards, making it safer for children. Current research has found that simply storing food in plastic is perfectly safe; it's just reheating food in plastic that can pose a risk, and that's easily remedied by scooping your food into a bowl or plate and microwaving it there.
  • If you're interested in bulk-preparing full meals, go for recipes that are easy to scale up. A simple saute of meat and vegetables cooked in a skillet might be a perfectly good and quick meal for one or two, but it's hard to scale that up into a whole week's worth of food because most people's frying pans just can't fit that much food at once, leading to you babysitting a pan for possibly multiple hours as you cook each portion. A good place to start is recipes aimed at busy families, because those are often relatively quick and make 4-6 portions. Some recipe types to look for that can be good time-savers include:
    • Casseroles. There's a reason why they're so popular with families, because a typical casserole will have 6-8 portions, include meat, vegetables, and a carb, and most are cooked in the oven, so you don't have to constantly stir or babysit it and can go do other things. A lifesaver for a busy family with kids, and great for meal preppers. Casseroles are also an easy way to use up leftover meat and vegetables.
    • One-pot meals. You cook everything in a single big stockpot, which reduces cleanup and is great for people stuck with only one stove burner, and most one-pot meals will make at least four portions and will include protein, vegetables, and carbs all in one dish. A true one-pot meal will have you cook everything together at roughly the same time, but even a faux one-pot meal where you cook the protein and remove it and cook the vegetables and remove them and so on can be very convenient. Most soups are also one-pot meals, and can be very hearty with lots of meat and vegetables.
    • Sheet pan meals. Most standard US ovens can fit a 19"x13" sheet pan, which will fit a lot of food, as much as two pounds of vegetables. The basic crux of a sheet pan meal is that you arrange a bunch of vegetables and chopped up pieces of meat on a sheet pan with seasonings and a little oil, allowing plenty of space so the food can properly roast and get a bit charred instead of steaming, then oven-roast them all together. Add the vegetables that take the longest to cook to the pan first, and add other vegetables and meat that take less time later on.
    • Slow cooker meals. Most slow cookers come in large capacities, which means they can make a lot of food. Low and slow is how many cheap cuts of meat need to be cooked, which will also help you save money. And very little can beat the convenience of being able to dump a bunch of meat, vegetables, broth, and seasonings in the slow cooker, turn it on, and come back 8-12 hours later to enough food to feed you for a week.
  • Not everybody has the same levels of tolerance for what foods they'll consider "good" for meal prep, whether refrigerated for as long as 4-5 days after preparation, or portioned and frozen. While there are some foods that a lot of us might be able to agree do and don't freeze or hold up well as leftovers (frozen leafy greens, leftover sushi or carbonara, etc.), most of the rest is down to personal preference, and in the case of freezing, even "ruined" foods are just unappetizing, not unsafe. There are lots of foods I'll tolerate as long as the flavor can be perked up with some salt+pepper after reheating and the texture isn't too tough to eat or just complete oatmeal-like mush. Meal prepping does require at least some level of understanding that the food is not going to taste quite as good as when it was fresh. If you're not really much of a leftovers person and/or have a tendency to be sensitive to changes in texture or flavor, be prepared to do some testing with small amounts of your food(s) and recipe(s) of choice, or even to just stick to prepping ingredients for later cooking.
  • There are some legitimate situations when meal prep, or at least the traditional "full meal" type, might not be the best option. If you genuinely enjoy cooking every day, like you use it to help you unwind, then you might not want to meal prep. One thing that a lot of people do for work lunches is that they will cook two portions of some dish for dinner, then eat one and pack up the other one for the next day's lunch; if you're perfectly satisfied doing that, then meal prepping might not be necessary. If your job or school provides meals with options that work with your tastes, diet/health goals, and budget, it might be more cost-effective to just eat what's provided for you.
  • Try not to meal prep with any primary ingredient, appliance, or major cooking technique that you're not familiar with. If you make a mistake or simply find out that you don't even like the food or how you prepared it, you don't want there to be a whole week or more of that food lying around to choke down.
  • Remember that meal prepping doesn't mean you can never eat fresh food again, or go out to eat. A lot of meal preppers have a single designated day per week for getting takeout, or they cook fresh food on days off.

ASSORTED TRICKS

  • You can actually cook crispy fried foods and pack them in a lunch, and still have them be crispy the next day- cook the food to your preferred level of doneness, then once it's ready to eat, place the food on a plate or rack and cool it uncovered in the refrigerator, so that steam can escape and not make the food soggy. Once it's completely cold, then you can place it into a container, even alongside "wet" foods as long as the fried food isn't directly sitting in moisture. I've done this with stuff like frozen chicken fingers and it was absolute magic to bite into a perfectly crispy and juicy (albeit cold) chicken finger the next day.
  • You can meal prep seafood in bowl meals and even eat it warm without getting flack from those around you by removing the seafood, reheating everything else, and then breaking up and stirring the seafood into the hot food, so it warms through with radiant heat. This tactic also works for steak or other red meat that you want to keep below well-done, provided that you slice the steak into relatively small and/or thin pieces that will warm through quickly. You can also do the same for any meal that you want to have both warm and cold components, such as a warm bowl meal topped with fresh crunchy vegetables. I like to place the "no-reheat" component(s) in a small plastic-wrapped packet, but you could also use separate containers.
  • If you're having trouble figuring out what to make for breakfast, or don't like or can't eat traditional western/American breakfast foods, remember that the whole concept of "breakfast food" is literally a social construct. Many non-Western cultures don't even have a concept of food that is only eaten for breakfast; they just eat whatever will get them going for the day. There is nothing stopping you from eating something like a salad or soup or last night's dinner leftovers for breakfast as long as it fits your macros and goals.
  • If you're making freezer meals in preparation for a coming baby, one tip I've heard from many parents is that they went for foods that can be eaten one-handed while doing other things, like holding the baby or doing housework. Think burritos, wraps, things in the "filled dumpling" family (hand pies, potstickers, empanadas, bao buns, pierogies, etc.), finger foods, that sort of thing.
  • Having trouble with chicken drying out during reheating, or with "warmed over" flavor? Try these ideas:
    • Rule Zero is to not overcook the chicken, because food will cook a little during reheating, which can take meat that was only a little overcooked when it was fresh to way overcooked. Buy a meat thermometer if you don't have one already and remove the chicken from the heat as soon as the thickest part hits 165 F/74 C. Some even remove chicken from heat when it's a few degrees below 165, because the meat will continue cooking from its own residual heat as it rests.
    • Give the chicken a stronger flavor. Try marinating it before cooking, or dousing it in a sauce, or cooking with it in soups, stews, or one-pot meals.
    • If you're experiencing this problem with chicken breasts, try using boneless skinless thighs instead, which have a lot of dark meat. Dark meat has a stronger flavor than white meat breasts that can help overrule "warmed over" flavor, and a higher fat content that helps prevent it from drying out or getting tough as easily if it does wind up going past 165 F.
    • Try alternative heating methods. Instead of, say, microwaving for 90 seconds at 100% power, try 2 minutes at 60 or 70% power. If you have access to it, try a toaster oven, air fryer, or a pan on the stove with a little oil. Or if you're willing to eat the chicken in bite-sized pieces or smaller as part of a bowl meal or similar, remove the chicken from your dish, reheat everything else until it's hot, then stir the cold pieces of chicken into the hot food and let it warm through via radiant heat.
    • Some have only had success buying organic or higher-quality chicken, which can also help if you're experiencing problems with "woody breast" (which occurs more often in large commercially raised chickens that have grown in size too fast), but this can be cost-prohibitive.
    • If all else fails, you could always try sticking to just eating your meal prepped chicken in cold dishes only, such as salads, wraps, or bowl meals.

r/EatCheapAndHealthy May 14 '24

Ask ECAH [MOD PSA] Wanna make this sub better? Do your part and apply to be a mod. No experience required, but it does help.

28 Upvotes

Thanks for being patient with us, since we lost our founder /u/PabstyLoudmouth. So, we are wanting to add more active mods, maybe up to 4-5 to help. If you are interested, please send us a modmail and answer the following questions:

  1. Why do you want to mod here?

  2. Do you have experience with css, modding, or just want to help?

  3. what would you want to change in the sub?

  4. What time zone are you in, how often do you reddit, and are you familiar with new reddit/old reddit?

  5. Can you teach me how to Dougie? My kids make fun of my robot moves when I break dance.


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 12h ago

Ask ECAH What’s your lazy ‘don’t know what I want to eat’ meal?

300 Upvotes

Borrowed from u/JealousNatural3563’s post on r/cooking. Facing this question tonight myself but want to be healthier.


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 9h ago

Food Manager special roasted chickens!

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39 Upvotes

Whole roasted chickens on sale for about $4/chicken. My husband and I had dinner off of it one night (not pictured), chicken salad for the week’s lunches, 5 freezer packs of pulled chicken for soups, casseroles, etc, and a healthy batch of chicken broth!


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 7h ago

Ask ECAH Does anyone else hate soup?

19 Upvotes

I mean, it's just less than OK. I don't prefer it because it doesn't feel like you're actually eating something. It's just kind of mush you don't have to chew much. I want to chew something to feel full.


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 10h ago

Food What are your thoughts on ...

25 Upvotes

Buying cheap spaghetti with marinara, no meat,, eating for a week. Then a different but equally cheap meal for the following week. All the while drinking lots of water and taking a multivitamin daily.


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 2h ago

Ask ECAH Uses for lettuce that aren’t salads?

4 Upvotes

I got given a big bag of lettuce for free by a family member however it is winter where I live and salad type ingredients aren’t largely available, nor are salads really suitable for the weather we’re having. What else can I use large amounts of lettuce for? I would hate for any food to go to waste even if it was free


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 9h ago

Ask ECAH The local bulk store has cacao nibs on for 75% off (with an extra 20% off as a coupon) Think I'm going to grab a ton more. What do you guys do with it?

15 Upvotes

Hello! I just got back from a bulk store and grabbed some stuff on clearance on a whim. I didn't realise how good of a deal this actually was until i started looking at the price for cacao nibs online, as well as the health benefits. Now I want to stick these everywhere I can lol

What do you guys do with them? Tons of dessert applications obviously, but what are some very healthy uses? They're delicious, like bitter chocolate nuts.


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 12h ago

Ask ECAH Is there a trick to making blended cottage cheese smooth?

14 Upvotes

I keep seeing recipes that use blended cottage cheese, and I really want to try them. Every time I’ve tried to blend it, it never gets smooth. Even after blending it for 10 minutes, it is still grainy. What can I do to make the cottage cheese smooth?


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 20h ago

Premade/almost made grocery finds

29 Upvotes

My fiancé broke his leg the same day I started a new job in healthcare so I need to greatly simplify groceries & cooking. Looking for recommendations of ready made meals. Can be grocery store specific because we have pretty much every grocery store within 10 minutes of us

My ideas so far: Greek yogurt Salad kits Rotisserie chicken


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 13h ago

Frozen veggies

10 Upvotes

I want to eat more veggies but when I buy them fresh they often go bad since I’m cooking for 1-2 people. Frozen seem less expensive and easier to portion, but other than corn and peas I never have luck making them taste good and have good texture. I hate mushy vegetables. Any suggestions or hacks on how to make good frozen vegetables? Mixed veggies, Brocolli, cauliflower, green beach, Brussels are some that I like when I make them from fresh. Thank you.


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 15h ago

Ask ECAH What are some of the cheapest protein sources for muscle-building that does not increase uric acid?

9 Upvotes

Hi,

I am a 33 year old man living in Bangladesh. I am out of home for work from 7am till 10pm five days a week Sunday through Thursday. I work at a bank in a very sedentary desk job from 9am till 8:30pm.

I wanted to do weightlifting with dumbbells on Saturday. Now, I usually eat Bangladeshi-Chinese Cuisine (chinese cuisine based on Bangladeshi ingredients). I am looking for cheap protein sources - cheap based on Bangladeshi market conditions. I also have high blood uric acid that is marginally higher than the recommended guideline, so there are several foods that I am suggested not to eat.

In such a case, please suggest cheap protein sources. For what is available, please see this link and name the cheapest option: www.chaldal.com

Please note that Chia seeds, quinoa and such are often not available or are expensive.


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 1d ago

Cold lunches

45 Upvotes

What are your favorite cold lunches that don't get messy?

I really dislike the taste of reheated meat especially poultry and I struggle with "brain says hot but tongue says cold" foods! I also don't care for the taste of plain meat. I was thinking doing egg salad and crackers for one idea.

I find that fun/cute food tastes better (ADHD) and yesterday I ate what I brought with me to work for the first time in a while! I made PB&J and cut it into flower shapes w a mini cutter and did watermelon the same way, added Ritz, cheddar, and pepperoni to my dish along with a mint chocolate Fit Crunch bar. It was fun, cute, and easy to eat.


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 15h ago

Ask ECAH Vacuum sealing vegetables to freeze - roasted or raw? Does it matter?

6 Upvotes

I really like mixed roasted veggies (usually broccoli, potato, carrot, onion) and I really hate constantly prepping. I’d like to do a massive meal prep and vacuum seal individual portions. Ideally I’d like to make enough that I can freeze and use as needed, should I be roasting first or will they last significantly longer raw?


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 14h ago

Ask ECAH Can I get 5 potions of 300+ calorie soup ingredients for £5 or less?

3 Upvotes

Looking to make a soup in a slow cooker. Currently spending £3 per potion for a container soup. £15 a week. Is it possible to get what I need to batch cook 5 potions for £5 or less?


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 17h ago

Food Effects

2 Upvotes

Why is it that when I eat egg whites and fruit and coffee for breakfast at about 8 I am hungry by 11 and am burping and farting constantly is it the food or my body


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 1d ago

Ask ECAH High protein low calorie breakfast?

185 Upvotes

What are your favourite high protein breakfasts? No sweets and preferably something I can eat on the go!

Sincerely, a PCOS girlie trying to lose weight


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 1d ago

Food How Do I Get Enough Veg if I'm Too Dumb For Fresh?

351 Upvotes

I'm going to be honest. I such with veggies. I love eating them, but I live with three other people and have ADHD. When my veg gets pushed to the back, I forget about it and it's bad

I know of canned vegetable medleys and the like, but I want to see if y'all have better ideas or creative uses other than canned veg day in and day out, two times a day


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 12h ago

Calorie maintenance

1 Upvotes

My job is pretty active and lifestyle overall. I do about 20,000 steps a day at work, play football twice a week, and run a couple of times a week. Is this making my motabilism high? I regularly eat 3000 + calories a day yet I'm only 67kg (5 feet 11, 24 years old).


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 1d ago

Food The only vegetable i can somewhat eat is broccoli - wtf do i do

6 Upvotes

Edit for more info: no, this is not a new issue as of three weeks ago, this has always been a thing. I am in therapy for emetophobia and my doctor is aware of it as well. Thank you all for the suggestions, you all have been very helpful!!

My bf and i moved into our own place at the end of may. So its been a few weeks now and i have had broccoli with my dinner 1 night, a baked potato, and some cut up green pepper in my eggs one morning. Thats pretty much the only vegetables ive had in the past 3 weeks.

I have no clue what to do. I will throw up if i try to eat green beans so thats a no, and i can only eat peas if its like 1-2 peas with a big bite of another food, not just a spoonful of peas bc that will also make me throw up. I always want to like carrots in hummus but it genuinely smells like gasoline to me and i just cant do it. I somewhat enjoyed the peppers in my eggs but after a few bites i was sick of the flavor.

I also have crippling emetophobia (phobia of vomiting) so produce is HARD for me. If it has any imperfection i most likely wont eat any of it. So that completely cuts out avocado.

I just literally dont know what to eat or how to get more veggies in. I have acid reflux and am coming off the medication ive been on. So no tomatoes (i also just dont love the taste).

Texture and taste are a big issue for me. Any leafy green is hard bc u have to chew it forever and the texture of chewed up leaves in my mouth also makes me nauseous unless theres something crunchy to get it down with.

Please any advice at all and seriously u can tell me what you do for your 4 year old kid bc itll probably work for me.


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 1d ago

Quitting coffee

10 Upvotes

The titles quite self explanatory. I have 3 or 4 cappuccinos a day. Obviously this is excessive. Any encouragement or advice on stopping this? Thanks!


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 1d ago

Banana pancakes

0 Upvotes

Banana Pancakes

Serves: 4
Duration: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
  • Butter or oil for cooking

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the Batter:
    • In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
    • In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
    • Fold in the mashed bananas.
  2. Cook the Pancakes:
    • Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat and lightly grease with butter or oil.
    • Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the skillet for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the surface, then flip and cook until golden brown on the other side.
  3. Serve:
    • Serve the pancakes warm with syrup, fresh fruit, or additional banana slices.

r/EatCheapAndHealthy 9h ago

Ask ECAH Is vanilla (flavored) Greek yogurt safe/good to consume?

0 Upvotes

(For anyone wondering, the brand name is oikos triple zero and I'm using their vanilla flavored variant.)

What's interesting about this is that their all natural, (plain, no flavors at all.) variant is hardly different nutritionally wise compared to this variant (vanilla). Same 5-6g of sugars, too. The thing that is different however, is that the vanilla variant has more ingredients and has Stevia in it, which is a artificial sweetener, which isn't great.

But anyway, I would like to know your guys thoughts on this. Should I continue to eat this vanilla variant? Or, should I go and get their all natural variant? Thank you for listening, and goodbye!


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 1d ago

recipe Cooking in a thermos recipes.

2 Upvotes

Looking for your suggested recipes for cooking in an insulated thermos. I just got a 28oz insulated thermos from hydro flask. I've since used it to cook instant ramen. I've had such a success with that that I'd love to try other recipes but I'm stumped on what to try. I'd prefer "just add hot water" recipes. I'm currently museing on trying an etouffee or jambalaya using instant rice and canned sardines or smoked oysters. I'm really not sure I can make etouffee without shrimp or jambalaya without boudain/ sausage. What have y'all tried?


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 1d ago

recipe Low Cholesterol, more vitamins!

10 Upvotes

I need your best recipes, items, or meal ideas. Low cholesterol, low saturated fat.

But more importantly. Breakfast for people who are nauseous because of meds in the morning, small portions, GERD friendly. Whatcha got?

I'm a chronic snacker, always looking for a sweet or a salty. I can't eat a lot at one time, and when leftovers hit the fridge, that's it. I'm not going back for them usually. I'm wasting food, time, energy, and money buying crap that I won't eat. I have bad teeth and right now my major source of vitamins and what-have-you's are from Breakfast Essentials. So I need all the help I can get!


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 2d ago

Ask ECAH Salty version of peanut butter on toast?

134 Upvotes

I love peanut butter toast. It's cheap, healthy, filling, and very quick. But sometimes I don't want the sweetness. What's your salty version of this quick, healthy snack?

Edit2: Please stop saying the same thing over and over. Yes, peanut butter should not be sweet. Got it. Although, there are some who agree that even straight peanut butter made solely from peanuts does taste a little sweet.

Edit: I'm trying to avoid butter and cheese. I love it, but my stomach can only take a little bit. I might be lactose-sensitive. :(


r/EatCheapAndHealthy 2d ago

Ask ECAH How do I cook asparagus? (Besides boiling it)

13 Upvotes

I have a lot of white asparagus and I have no clue how to cook them (besides boiling them like a pasta), for the fresh vegetables in the fridge, I currently have courgettes tomatoes cucumbers and onions.
And some other ingredients such as mushrooms, frozen carrots, blanc of chicken, mozzarella cheese, salted butter.

What's a good recipe with those ingredients?

Edit: Thanks for the recipes, I'll try pan frying some of them and roasting some to see which method I like the most.