Back-to-school season is here — and if your mornings already feel a little too hectic, you’re not alone. Between packing lunches, finding missing shoes, and making sure everyone actually eats breakfast, it’s no wonder parents are always looking for ways to simplify.

The good news? With just a little planning (and the right tools), meal prep doesn’t have to be stressful. Here are my favorite time-saving tips and recipes to help your family start the school year with less chaos and more delicious food.

Breakfast Ideas:

• Egg Muffins/frittatas: Whisk eggs with veggies, cheese, and ham, then bake in the Brownie Pan. Store in the fridge or freezer and reheat in seconds. Here are some additional yummy flavors!
  Mini Frittatas

FLAVOR	COARSELY PROCESS IN  MANUAL FOOD PROCESSOR	MIX IN CLASSIC BATTER BOWL	TOPPING
Vegetable Primavera	½ lb fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1″ lengths ½ medium red bell pepper, cut into chunks ¼ medium red onion, cut into chunks	8 eggs ½ cup milk ½ tsp salt 1 oz Parmesan cheese (¼ cup grated) Processed vegetables	Cooked crumbled bacon
Ham and Broccoli	2 green onions, cut into 2″ lengths ¾ cup frozen broccoli, thawed	8 eggs ½ cup milk ½ tsp salt ½ cup grated cheddar cheese Processed vegetables	Cooked ham
Bacon and Pepper	½ medium green bell pepper, cut into chunks ¼ medium onion, cut into chunks	8 eggs ½ cup milk ½ tsp salt ½ cup grated Swiss cheese Processed vegetables	Cooked crumbled bacon

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a Brownie Pan with oil or spray with the Kitchen Spritzer and divide 2 cups of refrigerated shredded hash brown potatoes evenly into the wells. Prepare a frittata flavor of your choice, pour the mixture evenly into wells and sprinkle with the topping. Bake 17 – 20 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes in pan, remove with a spatula, and serve.
Yield:
12  servings

Baked Oatmeal

Save time in the mornings — prep this recipe tonight and enjoy fresh-tasting oatmeal bars all week long. This easy recipe tastes just like a freshly baked oatmeal .

Ingredients

•  Canola oil for spraying pan
• 2 cups (500 mL) old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) pecans or walnuts, chopped
• 2 tsp (10 mL) cinnamon
• 1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
• 2 cups (500 mL) milk
• 2   eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) butter, melted
• 2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray the Medium Rectangular Baker with oil using the Kitchen Spritzer. 
2. Combine the oats, sugar, nuts, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in the 4-qt. (4-L) Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl; mix well.
3. In the Small Batter Bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, and vanilla with a Stainless Steel Whisk.
4. Add the milk mixture and butter to the oat mixture; stir until combined.
5. Pour the mixture into the baker.
6. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the oat mixture is set. Cool slightly before cutting into 8 squares.

Yield:

• 8  servings

Lunch Ideas:

Tired of overspending on those little crustless sandwiches?

Tired of overspending on those little crustless sandwiches? You can make your own at home in just minutes — for a fraction of the cost — with the Cut-N-Seal. It quickly seals the edges for that same store-bought look, but with fresher ingredients and your family’s favorite fillings.

The best part? You can prep a whole batch ahead of time, pop them in the freezer, and you’ll have quick grab-and-go lunches ready for busy school mornings all week long..

Bored with the same old PB&J? Switch it up with fun, flavorful pinwheels!

Pinwheel Wraps –

Roll tortillas with cream cheese, deli meat, and spinach or lettuce, then slice into fun bite-sized pinwheels. Get creative and use what your kid loves to eat! These are also great to make the night before for an easy grab and go morning!

Dinner Ideas:

Bulk Cooking Made Easy: Ground Meat Edition

Cook once eat 3 Times!!

One of my favorite time-saving kitchen hacks is bulk cooking ground meat. Instead of browning just a pound for dinner, cook up 3–5 pounds at once. Use what you need that night — usually 1–2 pounds — and then portion the rest into one-pound freezer bags or containers.

The next time you need a quick weeknight dinner, your protein is already cooked and ready to go! Just thaw, reheat, and add it into tacos, spaghetti, casseroles, soups, or whatever’s on your menu.

It’s a simple trick that saves both time and dishes — and helps busy weeknights feel a whole lot easier.

Here is a great recipe idea for your ground meat

Beef Burrito Bowl

This burrito bowl uses our Chipotle Rub to add a smoky, spicy kick to ground beef and fresh tomato salsa.

Use premade ground meat, leftover rice, prep the salsa + avocado crema the night before, dinner comes together in minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. (450 g) ground beef
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) Chipotle Rub
• 1 can (4 oz./113 g) diced green chiles
• 2 cups (500 mL) white, brown, or cauliflower rice, cooked
•  Optional: Shredded iceberg lettuce or cabbage, Monterey Jack or cotija cheese, tortilla chips, sliced green onion, or cilantro

• 4   plum tomatoes, chopped
• ¼ cup (60 mL) red onion, chopped
• ¼ cup (60 mL) fresh cilantro, chopped
• ½   lime, juiced
• 2 tsp (10 mL) Chipotle Rub

• 1   large ripe avocado
• ½ cup (125 mL) sour cream or plain low-fat Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup (60 mL) fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• ½   lime, juiced
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt

Directions

1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking into crumbles until browned, 8–10 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the pan and stir in 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the rub and the chiles. Cook for 1 minute. If you are using premade beef thaw overnight in fridge, heat pan over med-high heat add thawed meat, rub and the chiles.
2. To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients; set aside.
3. Place all the ingredients for the avocado crema in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth.
4. Divide the rice into four bowls. Top with beef, salsa, crema, and any other toppings.

Yield:

• 4  servings

Additional ideas: Sloppy Joes, tacos, spaghetti.