30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

We live in an era of “overpromise-underdeliver” life hacks. From viral beauty tricks to cooking hacks, it’s only fair we’re all a little skeptical about dyeing your brows with scissor handles or chopping an onion with a potato peeler.

But this time we invite you to learn something people really swear by. In a bid to elevate our cooking skills, not just by a little but times ten, we wrapped up a list of the most simple and smart food-related affairs.

From quick and delicious meal recipes to mouth-watering food combos you haven’t thought about, it’s time to put on your aprons, everyone!

If you still want some inspiration to surprise your inner foodie, make sure to check Bored Panda’s previous features here and here with more cooking tips.

#1 Wrap A Piece Of Lettuce Around One Side Of Your Sandwich/Burger To Keep The Goods From Falling Out The Other Side

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: B-ha-P

#2 Smashed Potatoes

You need: smaller potatoes, oil, salt, herbs/spices

1. Wash the potatoes in their skins and boil them for about 30 min.

2. Then line the baking tray with baking paper and grease it with oil. Then place the potatoes on the tray.

3. Cut each potato crosswise and smash it with the back of a cup. Sprinkle them with salt and herbs/spices.

4. Bake the potatoes at 200 degrees for another 30 minutes until crispy.

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: iba.easy.recepty

#3 Grease Your Chocolate Cake Pans And Dust Them With Cocoa Powder Instead Of Flour. Prevents Sticking, Adds A Chocolate Layer, And Prevents Any White Floury Patches

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: Breadaphile

#4 I Really Wanted A Hot Dog But Didn’t Have Any Buns So I Used A Baked Potato Instead

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: Forward_Falcon_3910

#5 Fried Babybell Cheese With Marinara Sauce, A Quick And Delicious Meal

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: Bloodfart2112

#6 Frozen Cubes Of Espresso In My Iced Coffee = Next Level Wife

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: storydwellers

#7 For Easy-To-Eat S’mores, Try Making Them In Ice Cream Cones

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: imagineemiline

#8 I Had A Ton Of Leftover Christmas Ham, So I Rolled It In Puff Pastry, With Some Brie, Cranberry Sauce And Mustard. Here They Are, Freshly Baked In January

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: Objective_Cloud254

#9 One Of My Son’s Favorite Foods Is Sushi. However, I Am Not Very Good At Rolling Them Into Perfect Cylinders. So, My Solution Is To Make Little Sushi Cups

Simply cook up some sushi rice, then divide your Nori sheets into 4 squares. Place a heaped tablespoon of rice into the middle of each nori sheet, then squish them into a muffin tray.

I topped my sushi cups with some Atlantic salmon which I marinated in soy sauce, oyster sauce, five spice powder, sesame oil, and rice wine.

Bake in an oven at 180 degrees for 15 minutes, then garnish with your favorite toppings.

I used avocado, crispy fried onion, sesame seeds, spring onion, kewpie mayo, and of course some extra soy sauce.

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: lapetitepalate

#10 Slow Roasted Beets With Honey, Goat Cheese, And Balsamic Vinegar

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: Dennis_Laid

#11 Freeze Grapes To Chill White Wine Without Watering It Down

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: Tericakes

#12 Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks, A Cheaper Alternative To Wings, Cooks Faster Than Typical Drumsticks, Much More Texture And Flavor

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: Chilesandsmoke

#13 I Am Never Going To Throw Away My Potato Peels Again. My Number 1 Leftover Hack

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: Schnurzlbuz

#14 I Call This “Hunger”

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: Disneykiller1n-only

#15 Chili Crisp Egg Over Birria Ramen

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: thecookingofjoy

#16 Do You Want To End The Year In A Festive Way? Then I Have A Nice Recipe For The Drink, Namely These Onion Flowers. Simple To Make But Festive To Present

Here’s how you make it:

Peel some red onions and cut them 8 times but not completely through. Place them well apart in an oven dish and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Then season with salt and pepper. Then cover the oven dish with aluminum foil and place the dish in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about half an hour. After that half an hour, check whether they have opened (otherwise a little longer in the oven). You can eat them as they are or present them on a toasted bun with goat cheese or cream cheese!

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: dekeukenvan_willemijn

#17 How Do You Like Your Avocados? We Like To Put Valentina Hot Sauce In The Hole With Salt And Pepper. So Simple And Delicious

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: o0angie0o

#18 I Present To You: A Bacon, Egg, And Cheese

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: abeltesgoat

#19 This Is How I Let My Toast Cool, So One Side Doesn’t Get Soggy

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: Hatzi98

#20 You May Like This Take On An Eton Mess – Strawberries, Pomegranate, Cranberry Juice. All The Sweet, Crunchy Zesty Deliciousness

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: Fearless-Height-1031

#21 S’mores Macarons. A Fun Dessert Idea!

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: bardezart

#22 Make Crispy “Fried Pickle” Chips Using Only Pickles, Cheese And A Muffin Pan

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: Thea_From_Juilliard

#23 Tried The Waffle Iron Hack On Leftover Whole Wheat Pepperoni Pizza My Wife Made. Was Not Disappointed

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: cellobarney

#24 I Had Some Leftover Lasagna Trimmings, So I Fried Them, Seasoned Them With Salt, Garlic, And Italian Seasoning. Then Served With Warm Sauce On The Side

A tasty snack to eat while waiting for the actual lasagna to cook!

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: sugurkewbz

#25 How To Make Blistering Biscuits

I used jalapenos, smokey cheddar and swiss, thick bacon, dijon style mustard, and pre-made biscuit mix. I cut jalapenos top and wrapped them with bacon. Then I used wood pellets to grill, but you could use a standard bbq or oven. After it’s done, flatten out the biscuit, spread a thin layer of dijon mustard, stuff the jalapeno with cheese, and close tightly. I also added a little extra cheese here and there. Wrap everything and grill again.

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: AOL_

#26 If You Want Tender Kale In Your Salad, Massage The Leaves With Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, And A Pinch Of Salt Beforehand. But Be Careful Not To Overwork The Greens

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: bringmeturtles, whattocookforwhen

#27 Every Single One Of Our Taco Shells Was Broken, So We Made “Tostatas”

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: rosepetal72

#28 So, I Like Fried Egg Sandwiches With Ketchup, But Hate The Way Ketchup Makes The Bread Soggy. My Solution? A Cheese Crust On The Inside Faces Of The Bread

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: fuhnetically

#29 Pineapple Chicken, A Great Way To Make Cooking More Fun And You Don’t Need To Clean Plates After

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: Mooooore_food

#30 My Two-Year-Old Puts Yogurt On Waffles. It Actually Tastes Really Good

30 Dishes And Cooking Hacks You Probably Never Thought About

Image source: gothguy96