precook
Prepare food early
To precook is to cook food partially or completely before its final preparation: precook the bacon before adding it to the casserole.
Precooked items save time—rice, pasta, and meats often come precooked for convenience.
The practice is common in meal prep and professional kitchens where timing matters.
Partially cook in water
simmer · steam · poach · marinate · brine · tenderize · reduce · caramelize
Moving with speed
- efficientProductive without waste
- shortcutQuicker alternative path
- streamlinedMade smooth and efficient
- speedyCharacterized by quickness
rapid · express · fast-track · ahead-of-time · weeknight · busy · schedule · convenience
Quantity produced together
- portionDivided share given
- containerThing for storing items
- refrigeratePreserve with cold
- freezeBecome solid from cold
label · store · defrost · ingredients · advance · ahead · weekly · Tupperware
Requiring no cooking
- heat-and-eatFood needing only warming
- oven-readyRequiring only cooking
- microwaveRadiation-based kitchen heater
- frozenSolidified by extreme cold
instant · reheat · packaged · store-bought · self-heating · single-serving · canned · deli
parboil
Partially cook in water
sauté · simmer · steam · poach · marinate · brine · tenderize · reduce · caramelize · render
quick
Moving with speed
- efficientProductive without waste
- shortcutQuicker alternative path
- streamlinedMade smooth and efficient
speedy · rapid · express · fast-track · ahead-of-time · weeknight · busy · schedule · convenience · simplified
batch
Quantity produced together
- portionDivided share given
- containerThing for storing items
- refrigeratePreserve with cold
freeze · label · store · defrost · ingredients · advance · ahead · weekly · Tupperware · make-ahead
ready-to-eat
Requiring no cooking
- heat-and-eatFood needing only warming
- oven-readyRequiring only cooking
- microwaveRadiation-based kitchen heater
frozen · instant · reheat · packaged · store-bought · self-heating · single-serving · canned · deli · processed