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Cookbooks offer recipes to help save you time

Two new cookbooks are out that will teach you how to use several home cooking accessories, including my favorite, The Instant Pot, as well as how to save time cooking from frozen — something I never especially enjoy doing.

In “Instant Family Meals” by Sarah Copeland, there are plenty of recipes to choose from in finding a meal to feed your family that everyone likes, won’t take too much time to prepare and will save money and mess. They make use of multicookers, pressure cookers, Instant Pots and slow cookers.

Copeland, a mother and cookbook author, knows how much help a great recipe that doesn’t take a lot of time is to working families. There’s breakfast dishes, dinners, side dishes and desserts as well as the main dishes, and a variety of gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and vegetarian dishes for all to access easily.

Examples of dishes include Moroccan Spiced Chicken and Rice, Red Curry Shrimp with Basil and Lime, Stovetop-Style Mac ‘n’ Cheese and Stuffed Sweet Potato ‘Tacos’.

I made Easy Eggplant Parmesan one evening after work. There’s no breading in this, which already makes it a healthier option, and it made a delicious pasta dish that I enjoyed.

“Instant Family Meals” is published by Clarkson Potter and is $22.

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In “The 30-Minute Cooking From Frozen Cookbook,” author Carole Jones of MyKitchenEscapades.com, aims to present 100 recipes that will save time and money by using frozen ingredients.

Whether it’s out of season fruits or vegetables, pre-chopped vegetables or all ready cooked meat, it is a definite shortcut to use frozen foods that will save you time. And none of these recipes involve thawing.

Recipes range from breakfast like Tater Tot Breakfast Stackers, sides like Individual Cheesy Potato Casseroles or Creamy Onion Ring and Green Bean Bake, main dishes like Cheesy Ground Beef Nacho Casserole or Cheesy Italian Zucchini and Spinach Bake and sandwiches like Caramelized Onion and Pear Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

I made Meatball and Mozzarella Stick Subs one evening, because everyone loves meatballs and mozzarella sticks! Since everything was premade it was a literal put in the oven, bake and serve kind of meal, which is really helpful on very busy nights. It was a win-win!

“The 30-Minute Cooking From Frozen Cookbook” is published by Adams Media and is $17.99.

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