There are few things more comforting than a hot, fresh home-cooked meal. Sitting down at the end of the day to devour a slice of lasagna that was made with love can heal any emotional wound. But not everyone feels confident enough in their cooking skills to spend hours making tomato sauce from scratch. And let’s be real, most of us just don’t have the time!
So if you’re looking for tips and tricks that will allow you to spend more time eating delicious meals and less time stressing over the stove, we’ve got you covered. Home cooks have been sharing their most brilliant kitchen and food hacks, so we’ve compiled them all below. Some of this advice may sound unconventional, but it also might make you twice as efficient when whipping up dinner. Enjoy scrolling through, and be sure to upvote the genius ideas that you can’t wait to try!
#1
If you’re cooking or baking something pull out all your ingredients line em up make sure you have enough of everything before you even start. Don’t want to have to go to the store mid process to go get a single ingredient and then surprise you forgot about another ingredient you forgot you were out of. This goes for liquids as well make sure you have plenty. Don’t rush take your time.
Image source: BenderFtMcSzechuan, Critical_Roof8939
#2
Frozen garlic cubes!! And using chicken/veggie/beef broth for most things that say water (cooking rice, soups, etc. etc.).
Image source: cosmeticcrazy, anonymous
#3
Yogurt as a marinade for chicken. makes it so tender!
Image source: radicalresting, cashewbiscuit
#4
To caramelize onions a little faster add water and boil it off a couple times. Then turn to low when they’re brown. Half the time and great flavor.
Image source: Immediate_Thought656, foxhunt-eg
#5
Make soups with a bouquet garni of fresh herbs instead of adding dry herbs.
Image source: Thirty_Helens_Agree, ProfessorJAM
#6
Keep a pot to replant green onion root ends in. You’ll have a mix of newer regrowth that’s thick and green onion like and older regrowth that’s thin and chive like.
Image source: wvraven, Sassmaster008
#7
I make some really simple chicken/rice lunches and found keeping some of the drippings from the chicken and pouring it over the cooked rice right before you throw it in the freezer helps it steam a bit better when you microwave it and tastes great.
Image source: BadMondayThrowaway17, the-realJroll
#8
Cooking corn on the cob in the husk. I’ll never shuck corn again. Told my 95 year old grandma, changed her life.
Image source: beetjuice88, MaximalistVegan
#9
Beans or lentils. Add to just about everything to bulk up a meal to make it more filling and go further. And from a colon cancer survivor, fiber is your friend!
Image source: Very_Vera, Cilantro_Citronella
#10
I started buying salad kits and it’s a 1 min way I can construct a salad and make sure i’m eating healthy veggies without having to think much about it. Otherwise I probably won’t be cooking veggies.
Image source: Unlikely-Lettuce272, relizbat
#11
Using a microplane to grate garlic without removing the skin.
Image source: Inevitable-Kale2759, espressotooloperator
#12
Using AI as an assistant. I’ve been able to eliminate food waste by taking photos of what I’ve got left in my pantry/fridge, uploading to ChatGPT, and have it spit out delicious meals I never thought of.
Best part about is I don’t have do dig thru pages and pages of recipe websites filled with SEO clickbait :).
Image source: jb4647, anonymous
#13
Mayo instead of butter for grilled cheese is an absolute must. The game changer to end all others.
Image source: sincerlyconsiderate, sugarydimples
#14
Hit the top of egg with spoon (gently) before boiling -youll hear a lil crack- it will make peeling them easier. Because with that tap, you break the membrane.
Image source: Personal-Pressure484, EngagingData
#15
You can cook spaghetti faster by using a pan instead of a sauce pan/pot.
Image source: Spicyface86, Delicious_Pop_3762
#16
When making grilled cheese sandwiches I used to spread the butter on the bread before i grilled the sandwich. I got tired of bread tearing because the butter was too firm. So I just take a stick of butter. and melted as much as I need in the pan and dip each slice of bread in the butter and then fill cover one slice of bread with cheese and slap the other coated slice top. Faster and easier and the bread slices don’t get torn.
Image source: Birdywoman4
#17
As the only person in the house, when I buy bell peppers, I get one of each color then cut them up into pieces, freeze on a sheet tray in a single layer, then store in a baggie (color individually) until I need some. Throughout my life I had far too many bell peppers go bad after I used the original part I got them for. I just don’t use the leftover parts quickly enough.
Don’t do that with carrots, though. I learned to my sorrow that thawing raw carrots just turns them into glop. Disgusting glop, at that. You can parboil them and then freeze in a single layer. *Then* they will be fine when thawed.
Get big cans of tomato paste and freeze separately Ina single layer, big dollops in a size typically used, then freeze until needed
If sauces that come in cans/jars can’t all be used when opened, freeze in ice cube trays, until needed.
Image source: Melora_T_Rex714
#18
Idk why it took me forever to figure this out but don’t use pre-shredded cheese if you need to make cheese sauce or melt the cheese down into your dish somehow. It won’t combine correctly because of the anti-caking agents. Instead, grate a block of cheese.
Image source: tenome212
#19
AFTER my kids grew up and left home THEN I discovered I can BAKE bacon in the oven – the whole pound at once – even with strips overlapping – and after baking let them cool then freeze on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper then into a freezer bag. Now when I want or need bacon I just zap as many strips as I want in the microwave.
Similar thing with breakfast sausage except I purchase it in the one-pound log now (instead of patties or links back in the day). Pat the sausage out to about 1/2″ thick onto a baking tray and bake in the oven. When done, cut it into 8 pieces and freeze.
I remember when the kids were young, spending my weekend mornings at the stove frying up bacon and/or sausage and it was a PITA not to mention bacon/sausage grease is HOT!
Image source: Romiha00
#20
Freeze root ginger. When you need some, grate it directly using a microplane, and stick it back in the freezer. Fresh ginger all the time!
Image source: Visual-Candidate3765
#21
Making my own brown sugar substitute.
I don’t buy brown sugar anymore. I realized that all it is is white sugar and molasses. Brown sugar always gets hard as a rock, and you have to do all sorts of tricks to keep it scoopable.
I always have white sugar on hand, and molasses lasts forever, so you just keep both and add molasses to the recipe. The nice thing about it is that you can also add extra to make it a more “dark” brown sugar and I like the extra deep/rich flavor that it adds.
Image source: minuteman_d
#22
I’m tall and very active and often struggled to feed myself adequately.
The Ninja Crispi air fryer has saved the day.
Chicken and potatoes and veg cooked in a glass dish in 20 minutes unattended.
I don’t need to make extra if I don’t want to. Mostly I leave enough seasoned meat and veg in the fridge so I can just make more whenever I want.
Image source: Evil_Mini_Cake
#23
Store fresh basil by putting it in a glass of a few inches of water and keeping the glass on the kitchen counter. It is best to remove any leaves that would be well below the water line. Change the water every few days and recut the stems just a bit to remove the ends. Do not store in the refrigerator! Your basil will keep a good 7-10 days or longer. I did this even when it was hot and humid and the basil kept beautifully. Basil stored in the refrigerator will blacken and rot very quickly.
Image source: Catcollector503
#24
Brown your rice in oil before adding water and bringing to a boil.
Image source: wendytorrence
#25
I’m the only one who eats a specific type of bread in my house. I always eat it toasted. I was getting tired of going through half a loaf before it molded so I started wrapping them individually and freezing them. They toast back up just fine and now I never waste expensive bread. .
Image source: Scarlet-Witch
#26
Storing leftovers in rectangular containers rather than round. When there’s limited space in the fridge or freezer its so much more efficient.
Image source: AdministrationWise56
#27
When frying an egg in a pan, as soon as it goes in to the hot pan, take the sharp part of half the egg shell and use it to poke at the white albumin that forms almost in a bubble around the yolk. Then tilt the pan and let that albumin run out. It makes for an even white section of the fried egg. Otherwise you get that thicker area almost enclosed in its own casing. Also, before frying use mostly avo or olive oil and a small dab of butter. Wait until the butter starts forming tan bits of color and only then crack the egg. Finally, don’t use water and a lid to baste. That makes the whites chewy and rubbery. Use a torch to quickly whiten the yolk skin and any surrounding clear albumin. Best fried egg of your life guaranteed.
Image source: Kosem75
#28
Stopping “sandwich leakage”. I hate when I take a bite and stuff starts falling out the bottom of the sandwich. I like the large slices of deli turkey. So I place my bread bottom to bottom on the plate and put the slices of turkey across both slices of bread. Put on your normal condiments. Now when you fold it and eat it, the bottom gap is covered with that first slice of turkey and nothing falls out.
Image source: LadyA052
#29
Soak lettuce in water first. Invest in a salad spinner if you can. It makes the lettuce very crunchy. Chop lettuce first then soak it in a salad spinner for as long as possible. Then drain and spin out all the water. Now I can’t eat salad without a salad spinner!
Image source: StillStudio5980
#30
I have Corningware covered dishes. I started thick rubber bands to keep the lids from slipping around when they are full and I’m putting. them in the refrigerator. Or even when they are washed & I’m putting them away int the cabinet. I put one end around the handle and pull the other end over the knob and twist to hold and then stretch it around the other handle. For the larger lids I use two rubber bands. One on each handle and both go over the knob, holds securely without sliding around.
Image source: Birdywoman4
#31
When you make something, cookies, lasagna, dal makhani, cottage pie, pot pies, scones… make a double, no make a triple batch, and portion it out into servings that make sense. I make mini one portion lasagna, same with pot pie and cottage pie.
Meatballs too, freeze them then store in a freezer bag. I then bake until halfway done then add to the sauce and finish on stove top.
I freeze what I’m not using on the day and when I have an urge for 1 scone,2 cookies, dal makhani ( takes me a day to make) … it’s all in the freezer for grabs.
I even make samosas and freezethem unfried.I fry them frozen, they are perfect.
The only thing that I bake and freeze are cake. I need a cake,I make an extra and freeze for another occasion. Unfrosted. Frozen cakes are so much easier to frost and I think they are more moist after freezing.
Image source: Lea__________
#32
Not really a hack but I just learned how to use the crisper drawers yesterday and I’m 35.
Image source: Rapidiris1901
#33
Every well-balanced dish or sauce should include three main flavors:
1. Salt (e.g., salt or soy sauce)
2. Acid (e.g., vinegar, lime, lemon, or wine)
3. Sweetness (e.g., sugar, honey, or maple syrup).
Image source: jyrialeksi
#34
Apple cider vinegar in my homemade tartar sauce rather than plain white vinegar.
Tartar sauce recipe:
In one small bowl, combine:
1-2 spoonfuls of Mike’s Amazing Mayonnaise (or your own favorite)
1-2 spoonfuls of pickle relish
1-2 spoonfuls of red cider vinegar
Mix thoroughly
(Amounts depends upon serving size. “Spoonfuls” are regular spoons, not teaspoons or tablespoons).
Image source: thisisntshakespeare
#35
Using scissors instead of knives to cut meats. I began watching some Korean cooking and mukbang videos and noticed they often had a pair of scissors on hand when they were grilling meats. I gave it a try and I am sold on the idea! It is faster and requires less effort than using a knife and fork. I have even used scissors to cut homemade pizza and it worked like a charm.
Image source: Superb_Yak7074
#36
Squeezing the water out of shredded potatoes by putting them into a cloth, twisting the top to close and squeeze! I used to just drain the potatoes through a colander and press the liquid out that way. This is so much easier.
Image source: befitstayyoung
#37
Slow cooker, sous vide machine, and how to (safely) use a mandolin (hint: steel mesh glove).
Image source: elevenblade
#38
Instead of peeling potatoes just cut them in half. Boil water and cook potatoes as usual. When finished potatoes will scoop out of skin.
Image source: Sensitive-Tune-7962
#39
Just throw some veggies in with the pasta halfway through boiling. You can even save the starchy veggie water for soup/stew/chili the next day for a fuller flavor and thicker texture.
Image source: Bill-Bruce
#40
Sheet pan pancakes in a cake pan is lovely, cover roast in sugar and put on high makes it baby spoon tender, pre made items help (bread, pastry dough, rolls ect).
Image source: hotelvampire
#41
You can make boxed pancake and waffle batter and then store them in the fridge. The batter lasts about a month if you store it in smaller containers.
You can mince onions and garlic in the food processor and freeze them. Defrost as per usage.
This is a very specific Canadian hack. You can get the bagged milk and freeze the bags you’re not gonna use immediately. There’s usually 3 bags in a pack so most people don’t use it all at once. I buy these as they’re cheaper than buying per carton.
Make cold brew tea, store in the fridge without adding anything to it. Add in simple syrup and those juice mixes or whatever flavour you want when you make a cup.
Image source: KittyDomoNacionales
#42
I put the date (just the number of day) on the leftovers. This prevents science experiments from hatching.
Image source: Charlie2and4
#43
Crockpot liners. Meat tenderizer (hammer). Good knives. Quality cookware. Meat thermometer.
Image source: mintdream84
#44
Use sugar and butter when frying mushrooms.
Image source: ObsydianGinx
#45
Make your milk and butter hot before adding to mashed potatoes. I was making glue for years, so much so I used powdered potatoes because they tasted better. 😂😂.
Image source: itsbettawithchedda
#46
Cut an onion in half before peeling it. Lets you peel it off with your fingers easily.
Image source: salvevie
#47
Putting a damp paper towel under a cutting board. Sounds tiny, but it stops the board from sliding around, makes chopping like 10x safer and faster.
Image source: etienneerracine
#48
Using eggshell to remove eggshell.
Image source: mofuthyomu
#49
Brining my meat/veggies
Freezer cubes
Using water to store or crisp vegetables and replacing often
Dehydrating and grinding my
Own herbs for seasoning
Remove as much moisture as possible for crispiness for frying or baking
Sharp sharp knife
Letting things cook until they release naturally instead of scraping
Cast iron pans can and should be scrubbed with soap
Make changes to a large dish by adjusting a small bowl or portion of it to see if it works
Portion things before you freeze.
Image source: riverseeker13
#50
– Food needs acid. Salt and fat isn’t enough.
– Sugar goes in places you wouldn’t think it belongs. Don’t fight it
– Brine your white meat and age your red meat.
– Dry your produce after you rinse it. Veggies cook WAY better when they are dry, it is a HUGE difference. (Same goes for meat, actually)
– Clean you area as you go. Seriously, do this.
– Mise en Place is everything. Get some little bowls for specifically this purpose. It might feel extravagant, but it is absolutely worth it. Prep and measure everything ahead and future you will thank you. I got my bowls at Daiso for cheap, and they are cute.
– Use a trash bowl to collect your garbage while prepping food. It’s so much nicer than having to deal with the trash can.
Image source: stellalugosi
#51
When putting leftovers in the fridge, I found that my pot lids fit on my glass bowls. No more fussing with Saran Wrap.
Plus I can see what and how much is in the glass bowls.
Image source: woodwork16
#52
Finish with pasta water.
Image source: Cool_Hand_Lute
#53
Eating Cheetos with chopsticks so my fingers don’t get orange.
They’re also pretty ideal for eating salad. Better than a fork, at least.
Image source: hacksoncode
#54
When peeling LOTS of garlic for processing (dehydrating or freezing), I now soak the cloves for 15-20 min to help remove the residue that causes the skins to stick to fingers when peeling.
Brining pork chops & chicken.
Image source: chalkjb
#55
Put food in vacuum bags before freezing:
1. flat packs of food -> better use of freezer space
2. no frost burn -> food keeps A LOT longer.
Image source: Hadan_
#56
Storing scallions upright with roots in water in the fridge. They last for days that way.
Ice plunge for vhard boiled eggs. I consistently boil up jammy yolks now.
Image source: MuscaMurum
#57
Prechop garlic, flatten it in a ziplock bag, score the garlic and lay it flat in the freezer over night. Congrats, you now have minced garlic that doesn’t have that gross jarlic taste.
Image source: KiwiCat15
#58
Using a tea strainer for woody herbs and things like fennel seeds, ppercorns, chunks of garlic, etc….
Image source: No-Neighborhood1908
#59
I portion the big tubes of Costco hamburger meat into 1lb portions and put them in ziplocks bags. Smash them flat, and they thaw sooooo much quicker.
Image source: Educational-Eye1
#60
You can infuse your own oils with a mug and a microwave, chilli, garlic ginger flavourings herbs etc. in minutes in the container you’ll put in the fridge after it cools down a bit. Awesome for stir frying without a wok, creating condiments etc.
Image source: sinistar2000
#61
An 8X8 metal baking pan fits *perfectly* in a Hefty/Ziploc Gallon-sized sealable bag. I make cornbread and it lasts in there for a week in the fridge, use the same technique for brownies or whatever. (make sure the pan is cool before doing this, duh).
Image source: elmhing
#62
Using the water from your pasta to make a ragu with your sauce.
Image source: cojules69
#63
When seasoning raw meat mixtures like dumpling filling or meatloaf, put a small spoonful of the mixture on a plate and microwave for 30 seconds or however long until the bite is cooked through and then taste to see if anything needs to be adjusted.
Image source: GrayMareCabal
#64
Dry brine for poultry!! has been a game changer requires a little planning ahead and patience but well worth it . Always did a wet brine or marinade before.
Image source: The6Troll
#65
You can pre-cut your green onions and keep them in a little deli container and they’ll remain moist and usable for a surprisingly long time.
You can pre-cut and pre-sautee your mushrooms and keep them in a little deli container and they’ll last a lot longer.
Also little deli containers are the best storage device. They’re cheap, readily available, and the lids interoperate, and if one breaks, no big deal, it cost like 10¢. Plus you can use them to give leftovers to people and feel super fancy.
Image source: fluffycritter
#66
Desk organizers in my fridge. The wire mesh kind work the best.
Image source: Singular_Lens_37
#67
Crushing garlic with the flat of a knife blade rather than peeling them by hand.
Image source: HeyKillerBootsMan
#68
I had this idea that adding water to any dish was watering it down and therefore made things gross, especially if meat was involved.
It never occurred to me that I’m blending the salts and spices with the foods and then essentially cooking the water out, therefore doing the opposite of watering down my foods.
Image source: mEsTiR5679
#69
Heating up the frying pan! So simple but nothing sticks if you heat the pan to temperature for about 4/5 mins before adding your cooking fat. Also someone already said it but it will release when it’s ready, don’t scrape!
Image source: foodfunmenyc
#70
Spray vinegar on roasted potatoes- to get really chrispy on the outside and soft of the inside.
Image source: EasternFox8957
#71
Covering garlic shoots so they are jn complete darkness makes then much longer and taste gentler.
Image source: blackraindark
#72
Refrigerating just ripe avocados makes the last much longer.
Image source: mapett
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