Ask anyone who hates cooking what their beef is with it, and you’re likely to hear a host of excuses. “I’m no good at it!” “It’s not fun!” “It’s so booooring!” And you can almost guarantee you’ll hear, “I just don’t have time!”
But nobody will deny that nothing beats a warm, home-cooked meal. The smell of lasagna baking or vegetables roasting in the oven makes me salivate just thinking about it, but unfortunately, we don’t all have time to peel and chop vegetables or blend up a fresh tomato sauce every evening when we get home from work. There is no shame in the shortcut game when it comes to cooking, especially if it means you can still prepare a home-cooked meal, rather than opting for expensive takeout that’ll be cold by the time it reaches your apartment.
Amateur chefs on Reddit have been sharing their best lazy cooking “cheats”, so we’ve gathered the most brilliant tips down below to inspire you all to channel your inner Gordon Ramsay. Whether these suggestions will save you several dollars at the store or keep your fingers from smelling like garlic for days on end, we hope you enjoy this list and learn something that’ll help you out the next time you host a dinner party.
Keep reading to also find interviews with Trevor and Brittany of Mediocre Chef and the home cook on Reddit who started this conversation in the first place. Be sure to upvote the hacks you wish you had thought of yourself, and feel free to share any of your own tips in the comments section. Then, if you’re looking to read another Bored Panda article featuring easy and convenient kitchen swaps that might blow your mind, check out this list next.
#1
Cheap rotisserie chicken, at least once a week. I break it down and serve it for a couple meals, use the little bits stuck on the bones for salads, and I save the bones for stock. I could roast my own, sure. But the rotisserie chicken is
a) already done and
b) cheaper than I can buy raw.
Wins all around.
Image source: MelMickel84, Phil Gwinn
#2
Never waste a precious drop of your Nutella again. Instead, pour warm milk into the dregs of the jar to create Nutella hot chocolate and happiness.
Image source: klaraclarkk, Denys Almeida
#3
Frozen peas have a permanent place in my home. Pasta dish that needs a little green? Add peas. Need a quick side? Peas!
Image source: EclipseoftheHart, Smabs Sputzer (1956-2017)
#4
If I can get away with not peeling a vegetable, I don’t.
Image source: Routine_Cat_9494, Didriks
#5
I like to pride myself on doing everything from scratch. I make my own bread/pastry, my own jam, my own butter, I pickle my own vegetables — I’m not afraid of putting in the work to do things “the right way” (to me).
However, I shamelessly use jars of preminced garlic almost exclusively. I Hate mincing garlic by hand.
Image source: ChallengeLate1947, Colorado State University E
#6
I boil water in my electric kettle instead of in a pan on the stove. Saves time and also money on gas (which is going to cost us 1.5 as much as of next month)
Image source: Celestina-Warbeck, cottonbro
#7
I’ll take a fresh flour tortilla, spread a spoonful of marinara, a sprinkle of mozzarella and pinch of parmesan, and then what ever toppings I have on hand, usually pepperoni or spinach. Throw it in the oven for 5min, and I have an amazing thin crust personal pizza.
#8
You can also thicken soups with instant potatoes! I find it easier than flour or corn starch. No need to make a roux or slurry. Just pour some in and stir until you get a consistency you like.
Image source: christinextine, Natalia Wilson
#9
Frozen puff pastry even though I love to bake. As long as it’s made with all-butter then it’s good enough for me. Making puff pastry from scratch can be such a hassle. Plus, I don’t even like puff pastry all that much anyways. I much rather be making a tart or pie crust because I like them way more.
Image source: Darwin343, Veganbaking.net
#10
Giving things that take forever to heat through (especially roasted/baked items) a running start in the microwave. Frozen lasagnas and casseroles, potatoes, carrots, whatever.
The microwave gets the inside hot first (or at least warm) in a few minutes, then the oven or pan finishes the outside in about half the normal time, and with zero mushy, microwaved texture left at the end.
Image source: theBodyVentura, Chris Bloom
#11
Yacht chef here. I specialize in easy, quick and fancy.
1. Read Harold McGee. Understanding a few basic scientific principles will improve your cooking dramatically.
2. Turn down the heat on the stovetop when cooking everything but meat. Then turn it waaay up.
3. Don’t forget to season with an acid (i.e. citrus or vinegar) just like you would with salt.
4. For great mash potatoes, add xanthan gum to your melted butter and cream for a stable hydrocolloid before adding it to your potatoes. You can add a lot more flavor (butter) without it separating.
5. Xanthan gum works wonders in most homemade salad dressings too. So many uses in a kitchen.
6. Use a digital thermometer with an oven safe probe. Use it for everything. Temperature is really important in everything you do. Even things like bread and pastries.
7. Use the big sheets of parchment paper on all your pans and kitchen surfaces. It makes cleaning up a lot easier. You can get boxes of 3000 sheets for like 40 bucks and it will last you a year. S**t is magic.
8. Sharpen your knives. A sharp knife is not only safer but will change the way you cook. A dull, s***ty knife will slow you down by half during prep.
9. Don’t ‘eyeball’ amounts and don’t cook by time. Cook by weight and temperature. Use a scale. Your pastries and will improve dramatically.
10. Don’t keep eggs in the fridge.
11. Always put a wet rag under your cutting board to keep it from moving.
12. Learn how to blanch vegetables. The first time you see the difference between blanched asparagus and regular asparagus it will blow your mind.
13. Put lemons and limes in the microwave for ten seconds before you juice them. Much easier to juice.
14. Immersion blenders are indispensable.
15. Fish cooks surprisingly well from frozen. Try it, you’ll be amazed at how you can develop great flavors on the outside without overcooking the interior. Just don’t try it on something over about 1.5″ thick.
16. Dried beans taste better, are way cheaper than canned beans and are a lot easier to portion. You might be surprised by how much better they taste. Just soak them overnight.
17. If you have a stand mixer, get the food grinder. Freshly ground meat cooks more evenly, tastes better and is easier to work with.
18. Make your bread awesome by increasing it’s gluten content. Buy gluten at the store and add a tablespoon per 3 cups of regular flour.
19. Cut evenly to cook evenly.
20. Use fresh herbs but don’t buy them in the package if you can. They often sell the plant in a plastic pot in supermarkets and the price is usually about the same for the same amount. The upside is you don’t have to worry about your herbs spoiling.
21. Put an egg yolk, a little salt, a touch of lemon juice and a teaspoon of mustard in a glass bowl. Beat the s**t out of it with a whisk for about thirty seconds. Then slowly add (I mean drop by drop at first) a cup of oil while beating the s**t out of it (wrap a towel in a circle and use it as a base for your bowl if you don’t want to hold it). As it thickens, keep adding oil in a very slow stream. It will slowly form mayonnaise and it if it’s your first time tasting real mayo you might want to give yourself time to forget the mayo lie that you’ve been living. As you get better, this will only take a few minutes to make a bunch of mayo. For me, this is kitchen wizardry.
22. If you’re doing a bunch of cooking (especially with flour) it takes about twenty seconds to plastic wrap your prep counter. It saves about 10 minutes of cleaning.
23. MSG is not bad for you. Use it sparingly and it can really improve your food. Try it with soups first and experiment with it in other things. It’s not for everything but can mean the difference between good and great.
24. Salt your eggs before you cook them. They are more tender.
Image source: foulflaneur
#12
MSG. Yep, just a pinch and you’re done.
Image source: Spymonkey13, Dominik Schwind
#13
Cut up an apple, add a spoon of butter, cover in some brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Microwave until the apples are cooked, then sprinkle crushed graham crackers on top. Now you have a lazy apple desert thing
Image source: berriobvious, Polina Tankilevitch
#14
I use lemon/lime juice from a bottle. I try not to when it matters, but it’s nice to have them on hand.
It’s less of a laziness thing – though I will rarely juice more than one fresh citrus and more of a convenience thing — I’d rather have it in my fridge knowing it’s there if I want it.
Image source: Mortonsaltboy914, Willis Lam
#15
Moderate priced wine… two glasses poured, then the rest into my cheap ice-cube tray. Freeze for a couple days, then add them to my tupperware of wine cubes in the freezer.
Random dishes immensely improved by just dropping in a wine cube or two while cooking…
Image source: PirateKilt, max fuchs
#16
Garlic and onion powder have their place. Also, they can be bloomed in water to revitalize more of a pungent flavour.
Image source: _incredigirl_, Teja J
#17
Some of my cheats:
* smoked paprika when I want some smoke flavour without hours on the grill.
* Some pre-mixed spice grinders (PC Brand) for seafood, chicken, etc. Good mix of seasonings, without much, or any salt.
* Stock concentrates
* A couple slices of Kraft singles in a mornay/cheese sauce will keep everything emulsified (Thanks sodium citrate)
Image source: Eileithia, cookbookman17
#18
If a recipe calls for chopped onions, chopped peppers, and chopped tomatoes, I’ll always use pico de gallo instead.
Image source: EquanimityVibe, jeffreyw
#19
Not a ‘hack’, just a damn good idea.
Slice potatoes chunkily. Parboil as many as will fit in your pot. Drain and store in the fridge.
Then, when you want breakfast taters, you have more than enough to just dump into a hot pan with too much butter. Easy peasy! And also the best damn potatoes you’ll ever have. The key is ‘too much butter.’
Image source: GreenChileEnchiladas
#20
I love to bake but I don’t like to reinvent the wheel. If something is great, why make it from scratch? So I unapologetically use brownie mix. Also, anything Krusteze brand.
Image source: jmac94wp, Teresa Trimm
#21
Immersion blender hollandaise. No more endless whisking on a double-boiler and even if you do it perfect, it can still randomly decide to break. Put ingredients into cup, insert immersion blender, touch a button. boop! It’s done.
Image source: MoonDaddy, madaise
#22
Alton Brown calls quiche refrigerator velcro, and he’s not wrong. Almost any savory item, fresh or leftover, can be worked into a quiche, or a frittata.
Image source: scottvs
#23
Buy the box cake mix, then add double butter for oil and equal milk for water, plus one extra egg. A little vanilla extract and almond extract and NO ONE will ever know.
Image source: FlyingGirlAF, Chris Young
#24
I’m a from scratch person too but I’m a shameless user of instant mashed potatoes.
Image source: throwaway20698059, Andrew Filer
#25
I buy a huge thing of peeled garlic from Costco, chop it in the food processor and then freeze. Whenever I cook with garlic, I just break a chunk off and throw it in the dish.
#26
Leftover mashed potatoes into tater cakes or pierogies
Image source: Runbunnierun, Rebecca Siegel
#27
Boxed pizza, turned deep dish. Thawed 20min to drop into oiled cast iron. Add all the toppings you want, and bake an extra 10min or so.
Image source: _leftbanks_, Ted Barrera
#28
Packaged stock and stock concentrate.
Is it the same as homemade? Not even close. Can I tweak it to make it what I want without spending literal hours doing it the “right way”? Totally.
Take the help where you can get it!
How I modify my stock mix:
1) Use unsalted stock, chicken or beef.
2) Add 1/2 tsp Better Than Bouillon per cup of stock.
3) Throw in some rough chopped mirepoix, herbs, and garlic powder.
4) Simmer like 30 minutes and finish with a tsp or two of bloomed, unflavored gelatin.
This isn’t fancy, it’s not the real thing, and I don’t care. It gets the job done.
Image source: chadjjones89, Bluebird Provisions
#29
I rarely remember to soak beans the night before I want them, so I pressure cook them from dry.
I hate kneading, so all my bread — from baguettes to rolls to pita — is baked from the same no-knead dough I make every ten days and keep in the fridge.
I buy ginger in a tube!
Image source: goblinbox
#30
Frozen biscuits. I am a pastry chef, so this is a bit of a heresy. I only use them at home.
Image source: These-Performer-8795, Wesley Fryer
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