Raise your hand if you like washing dishes. I said raise your hand. Your…hand.
Maybe you didn’t hear me. Oh, or maybe none of you really like to wash dishes, is that it? Yeah, that’s probably it.
I can’t say that I necessarily hate the job. I mean, it’s one of those jobs that has to be done, and it goes with the territory when you are cooking for yourself or for your family. But if there’s ever a way to avoid dirtying extra dishes, I am all over it. From your response when I asked for a show of hands, I’m guessing you’re with me on that one.
(You didn’t know I could see you from where you are, did you? Creepy, huh?)
One of my favorite ways to save steps and to keep from dirtying extra dishes is to make a casserole on the stovetop, then serve it directly from that pan. The only exception to that is if I’m making extra so that I can freeze a casserole for another time. In that case, I typically scoop out what I’m going to save for later, prepare it for the freezer, then use what is left in the pan to feed my family for the evening. They don’t require fancy serving dishes. They just require food. :)
Click here to read a little more about how to prepare a casserole on the stovetop. You’ll read more information in my Oh, For Real book as well.
Another way I save steps and dirty dishes: When making Easy Breakfast Casserole, crack the eggs directly into the baking dish. There’s no need to use a bowl to mix ingredients when you’re just going to pour everything into a dish for baking. Crack in the eggs, whisk the eggs, add remaining ingredients, top with cheese, and you’re done. All you have to wash is the whisk. And the empty casserole dish later. :)
Lovely, isn’t it?!
What else do I do to cut down on dirty dishes? I typically have a pan on the stove that I use several times a day to melt butter or coconut oil for baking or cooking. No need to wash it when I’m going to use it again later in the day for the same purpose, right?
After using our apple slicer or a sharp knife to cut fruit, usually I just rinse it in hot water and put it in the dish drain.
We’ve already talked about the “If You’re Making One, You Might As Well Make Two (or More)” trick. That way, you’re only dirtying up the cooking pots once, but you get two or three meals out of it!
And my all-time favorite idea is (drum roll please) – Make the kids rinse their dishes after every meal. That isn’t necessarily a way that cuts down on dirty dishes, but it sure does cut down on my dishwashing time and effort!
What tricks have you discovered for cutting down on dirty dishes?
I confess I use a million dishes and glasses, but I only buy things that can go in the dishwasher, so I rarely wash anything by hand unless it is too large for the dishwasher or I need it again right away. When the kiddos were little and went through the glasses, I limited that but now, I just run the dishwasher and don’t worry about it. I will say that having a great dishwasher is worth it’s weight in gold. I did not grow up with one and I LOVE IT. I might add that we don’t have a single paper plate in our household. ;)
I got your book and love it! Thanks so much. I actually stopped using my microwave to melt my oil and butter. I use a small pan and leave it for the day in and day out. Unfortunately, a lot of lint gets into the pan so I will have to find a way to keep it covered. :)
Each member of our family has their own “plowl” (a shallow bowl or a plate with sides) for (most) meals and snacks. We started out with all the same type in different colors (so there was no confusion) but as we needed replacements, everyone picked out their own so now we have a very eclectic dinner table! Each person is responsible for washing their own dish by hand – it does NOT go in the dishwasher! If they do a lousy washing job, it only affects them. We still wash glasses, flatware, and other dishes in the dishwasher.
Something I do that doesn’t eliminate dishes but makes cleanup much easier is to fill a sink with hot soapy water and put things in as in use them. That way cleanup is easy and if I need to use something again it is almost washed and ready for me.
Yes! I found that doing this makes my life so much easier! I’m also way more likely to just go ahead and wash up right away.
Great tips as always!! Just had to take this opportunity to say I am slowly but surely making my way through your new book and the Baked Three Cheese Chicken Pasta was a HUGE hit last night. I made a batch of Whole Wheat Quick Mix yesterday and used that to make the oh so yummy chocolate/chocolate chip pancakes this morning. So quick and easy!!! And did I mention yummy? Thanks again for sharing such great tips and ideas. Keep em comin!!:)
You forgot the best way to avoid doing dishes. No no no – not eating out, silly. The BEST way … make the kids do the dishes!!! Once our kids hit their teens, they took over the chore. One washed – one dried. Rules – the one who washed, had to make sure the table, stove, and sink was clean; the one who dried had to put the dishes away. As they got older, and occasionally made the meal, another rule developed – whoever did the cooking was exempt from dishes. Which meant I occasionally ended up with dishwashing duty, but it was worth it.
That’s funny – I was just reading your book the other day and thought “She cooks all the time, she must have TONS of dirty dishes!” Now I know how you keep it under control. :)
What great ideas from everyone. Many I’ll be putting to use now. Think I need to hit the thrift store for a small pot to melt butter/oil.
Haha, I’m probably rare to say I don’t mind doing dishes. It’s not my favorite job, but I’ll choose dishes over other chores. My MIL however, LOVES doing dishes. When they moved into their current home, first thing she did was get rid of the dishwasher as she hates dishwashers and enjoys washing dishes by hand. She also loves doing laundry. When her youngest son went to college, she said the first time she did laundry she started crying. Not because her baby was out of the house. It was because she wouldn’t have as much laundry to do anymore. Yes, odd, I know. However, my husband doesn’t seem to mind doing laundry either (he doesn’t LOVE it like she does) and so he does all the laundry in the house. I can’t complain there since laundry is one of my least favorite chores.
Thank you for the one about scrambling them in the pan. I have never thought of that! I cut down on dishes by having a special place labeled for my kids cups. They put their cups there so they don’t need a new one several times a day.
Just found your website today and love it. Thanks for the great posts. One trick I have is to use a large measuring cup as my mixing bowl. I measure all the liquids in it, then put in the dry ingredients in. No need to dirty a separate bowl.
I mix things in casserole dishes when I can, but I always worry about if the pan stays greased. Won’t the whisk take the layer of butter off the bottom? Then won’t my casserole stick to the pan, making clean up awful? Any advice with this Laura?
I make two loaves of bread for my family every morning. I used to think I needed to wash them after every use, but honestly that’s just not necessary and it’s wasteful. Now I use them for four or five sets of loaves, and then wash them. It’s saved me both in terms of dirty dishes and worn out loaf pans.
In Christ,
Melissa
Ooh, I like the one about whipping the eggs in the pan. I used to try scrambled eggs that way too, but I didn’t like the resulting texture. But I do rinse the scrambled egg bowl immediately so it’s not hard to wash out later.
Also, I knead a lot of breads right in the bowl. Some bread/bowl combinations don’t work as well as others, but most of the time it works great.
And I rinse a lot of things and put them in the other side of the sink to dry like you do. Anything to cut down on dishwashing time, which seems to take me for.ever.!