Two at Once?

Last week when preparing dinner I opted to prepare two dinners at once. This was the first time taking on such a task but I felt it might speed things up. Or at least give multiple options when it was time to eat.

My first attempt involved soup and my peasant potatoes. I remember things being a bit hectic while cooking. Mostly because I had not sorted the lentils for the soup yet and that took time I did not have while attempting a roux in the other pot. Both dishes came out well, and Jennifer got a choice when she woke up.

Last night I tried it again. This time doing two soups with some similar ingredients. The subjects were split pea, and broccoli cheddar. Both soups started with onion and added carrots and potatoes. So most of the ingredients were similar. I prepped a lot before actually starting so I wouldn't run into issues distracting me from the roux on the cheddar soup. As it turns out everything went smoothly this time. The split pea went to boil/simmer just before I started the roux on the broccoli cheddar. The broccoli cheddar finished first however, but we were putting that away for another day.

I'm sure professional kitchens do this sort of thing all the time, but it is new to me. I really like it as it may only add 20% more time, but give you double the meals. Another advantage is that prep/cleanup only happens once for two meals rather than twice. This may be a technique I incorporate more into our dining after the arrival of the baby. Of course, it works best with one dish wonders so you are not so distracted by more than two pots.