Here’s the thing, nothing beats a warm, home-cooked meal . Am I right? But we don’t always have the time to do all the prep work required to do that. Fear not, though. Over the years, people have come up with all sorts of shortcuts that still result in delicious almost-from-scratch meals .
So let’s look at some ideas they have shared online . I hope this will speed up the cooking process for you. You’re welcome.
This Cooking Helper
“Frozen peas have a permanent place in my home. A pasta dish that needs a little green? Add peas. Need a quick side? Peas!”
Haha! It sounds like this person really enjoys their peas. I can take them or leave them.
This Handy Tip
“Get the premade uncooked tortillas. In the cold section near cheese or right next to chorizo. They are sooooo much better than the cooked kind and really close to homemade.”
Oh, my! Why didn’t I think of that? That’s a good tip, huh?
This Onion Idea
“Omg, okay… I buy frozen chopped onions for stews/chili, etc. Not for everything but I always keep a bag in my freezer.”
“When I first started cooking I mocked someone in this forum for using frozen chopped onions. Then I got some more experience and realized that sometimes it just doesn’t make sense to do everything the long way. We all find our shortcuts and prioritize different things…..and now I’m a ‘bag of frozen onions in the freezer’ guy too.
And here I thought that would be an abomination, haha.
This Cheat Meal
“Cheap rotisserie chicken, at least once a week. I break it down and serve it for a couple of 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.”
Hmm, sounds good to me.
This Stock Saver
“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!”
Ain’t nobody got the time to cook that from scratch. Right?
This Shortcut
“Frozen hash browns. Shredding and getting the moisture out of potatoes after a late Friday or Saturday night is not my idea of a relaxing morning.”
I hear this person loud and clear. I, too, rather relax on the weekend.
This Admission
“Frozen biscuits. I am a pastry chef, so this is a bit of heresy. I only use them at home.”
“One of our local grocery stores has their own frozen biscuits from the bakery (I live in the south) so it’s really nice sometimes since biscuits can be a mess to make. I had some with a pastry cutter the other day tho and I felt like they were a lot easier that way tho.”
Aha!
This Handy Tip
“I’ll just use garlic/onion powder sometimes if I’m feeling especially lazy.”
“Garlic and onion powder have their place. Also, they can be bloomed in water to revitalize more of a pungent flavour.”
Wow! Did you know that? I actually didn’t.
This Quick Recipe
“I can’t stand the taste of jarred garlic. Whatever preservative they put in the brands carried at our grocery stores is vile. It takes me less than a minute to prep fresh garlic, and if I need a ton of it, I’ll break out a small food processor.”
I think I’ll rather do that.
This Baking Hack
“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.”
I need to stock up on frozen puff pastry.
This Lemon Shortcut
“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.”
Lemons really went up in price so this might be a good alternative, no?
This Celery Hack
“I’ll buy pre-chopped celery and onions for my stuffing mix so that I don’t buy too much celery and have to rush to use it.”
“If your celery gets soft, put it in an airtight container (plastic baggies work fine) with a few drops of water. The celery ribs will soak it back up and firm up again. If you store your fresh-bought celery in an air-tight container, to begin with, it’ll stay crisp for weeks.”
And now I need an air-tight container for my celery. Thanks a lot.
This Bechamel Tip
“When making bechamel or gravy, I use heavy cream or Mexican crema instead of milk, first. The thicker consistency helps distribute the roux better. Then I add my milk a little at a time. It makes it so much easier. Faster too, since you don’t have to reduce as much.”
I’ll keep that in mind.
These Baking Hacks
“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.”
“There’s so much science and research in the boxed baking mixes to make them good, and it works. …that Belgian waffle mix!”
And here I thought they were no good, haha.
This Hot Chocolate Idea
“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.”
OMG! What? I’m so doing that from now on.
This Southern Trick
“Wife’s aunt is a South Carolina southern Belle and can cook her ASS off. Thanksgiving dinner. She made everything. Including mashed potatoes. I ask her after everything is over, ‘Everything was amazing, as always. But what is the secret to those mashed potatoes?!’ She says ‘ill show you,’ turns around, walks to the kitchen. I get up to follow her. She says ‘stay there, I’ll be right back.'”
“She returns and throws a packet of Idahoan instant mashed potatoes on the table. ‘Right there.’ I am shocked. ‘You mean you CHEATED?’ laughing. She says ‘you damned right I did. In the time it takes to peel, boil, mash, and season, heating up the kitchen even more and taking time and space, I can make these in 4 minutes, and they’re JUST as good.'”
Haha! I love that.
This Asparagus Cooking Hack
“I cook fresh asparagus in the microwave; lay it on some paper towels, sprinkle with salt, roll it up, then wrap the roll in a damp paper towel. Nuke it for 3 minutes, then let it sit in the microwave to steam if needed, depending on how thick the stalks are.”
Hmm, what do you think of that?
This Green Onion Tip
“When I buy green onions, I chop them all at once, put them in a plastic water bottle, and then toss it in the freezer. Put some in eggs before you fry them, on plated dishes still letting off steam, in soups, or whatever while it’s still on the stove. It’s a literal life saver and I don’t have to worry about if I’m going to be able to use it all before it goes bad.”
Okay, that’s pretty genius. I hate throwing out wilted green onions.
So, what do you think of these cooking hacks?
Have you heard of any of them? I admit I don’t make stock from scratch. Instead, I buy bullion cubes and add more spices and herbs depending on the dish. It definitely saves me a ton of time.
I don’t know about you, but I certainly learned a thing or two from this list. What’s the best tip, in your opinion?
