Moms: Shortcuts for budget-friendly dinners

As a chef, nutrition expert and mother of two boys, Robin Miller, host of the Food Network's "Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller," knows the challenges of fitting a family dinner into a jam-packed, busy schedule.

Here are Miller's ideas for simple and speedy dinnertime shortcuts:

Quick fix stash

You can assemble a home-cooked meal in just minutes if you plan ahead and have your own "quick fix stash" of stored food. Stocking up on items like bottled sauces, frozen chopped vegetables and fruits and pre-cooked meat (like Tyson chicken and steak strips) will help dramatically cut down on preparation time for your favorite recipes. And, a great way to keep your "quick fix stash" organized is to create your very own fridge and freezer diary. Make a list of all of the food items you have stored and tape it to the outside of your fridge. This list will help you plan meals and ensure you use all of your stored items while they're fresh.

Design weekly dinner menu

Dinnertime can roll around fast, leaving you fresh out of ideas as your family waits around the kitchen table. To have dinnertime solutions readily available, take time on a weekend afternoon to create a dinner directory, which can serve as your one-stop shop for the upcoming week's dinnertime dishes. Browse food Web sites and your favorite cookbooks, and also get input from your family on meals they'd like to eat. Then, take an empty notebook and fill it with fast family meals for Monday through Friday. By making meal decisions at the beginning of the week, you'll save yourself time on both planning and preparation.

Learn to use leftovers

Don't be too quick to label your leftovers as boring — they can be a key ingredient for future family meals. For example, green peppers and onions from yesterday's stir-fry can be combined with Tyson Fully Cooked Fajita Chicken Breast Strips for tonight's fajita dinner. Or take extra potatoes from dinner and use them to create a delicious baked potato soup for lunch. This approach will save you time in the kitchen, giving you an opportunity to reconnect with your family, help the kids with homework or just take a breather.

Bank a batch

Keeping extra meals in your freezer or refrigerator "bank" to withdraw as necessary is a simple solution for even the busiest of days. When you're making a dish, cook double the servings and stash the rest in your freezer or fridge for another day. That way, when you're starved for time and you're family is just starved, you can pull out your dinner of choice, pop it in the microwave and have a delicious dish on the table in no time.