Make a Timeline

Decide on when dinner is going to be served, then work backwards from there. Write down what you’re making, with recipe times and cooking temperatures beside each item.

For example:

• Pan-fried chicken breasts—30 minutes, stove top
• Roasted carrots—45 minutes, including washing/peeling/chopping
• Salad with blue cheese and red onion—10 minutes
• Bacon—About 7 minutes

Given these prep times, you will need an hour, considering that the chicken and carrots can cook at the same time.