I really love to cook, and I spend part of every day reading or writing about food. I enjoy planning menus, inventing recipes and grocery shopping (most of the time). I go to farmers markets once or twice a week and buy seafood at a seafood market. I am telling you about this to set a context.

Not often but every once and a while, I and others impassioned with cooking draw blanks at the thought of cooking dinner: no inspiration, no interest, and nothing in the refrigerator that excites my taste buds.

If going out is not an option (I live in Carnation Washington, not exactly the restaurant Mecca of the Northwest) I open the freezer and pick from its stash of “Fall Back Entrees”, par cooked chicken, red meat or pasta entrees I made as extras when I was in the mood to cook. Thawed and cooked to finish with a quick sauce added these Fallbacks turn into passable (well certainly edible) entrées in less than 30 minutes.

The message here is that buying and par cooking a couple of portions of chicken when I do feel inspired gets me off the hook quickly and easily when I don’t.

Buy Extra Raw Chicken Thighs to Parcook and Freeze for a Last Minute Dinner

Cooking two extra portions is no big deal. The next time you are at the store buying chicken (or short ribs, or shanks), throw two extra portions into your basket. Then, while you are cooking the planned dinner, lightly slather those extras with Dijon Glaze, add some sliced onion and a couple of peeled garlic cloves, put them in a covered pan and bake them for about ¾ of the time it would take for them to be fully cooked. When they are done and you have 2 minutes, wrap those little Fall Backs in foil and put them in the freezer.

Here are some links to Fallback Entrée recipes using par cooked chicken thighs to make Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Thyme and par cooked short ribs to make Short Ribs with Spicy Ginger Barbecue Sauce. Both recipes call for ingredients I almost always have on hand in the pantry and the refrigerator. A well-stocked larder can be a huge time saver and the key to great fallback meals.