You can enjoy cooking as much as eating, but let's be honest, it takes longer to prepare a glorious dinner than it does to shovel it into your mouth. So, when you come home on a Wednesday evening, exhausted from work, spending an hour around pots and pans can seem like a second shift.
To avoid this, Reddit user Adamantcondition asked members of r/Cooking to share the simple yet effective tricks they use to make time in the kitchen a whole lot easier—and people delivered! Continue scrolling to see what everyone does to save their energy.
#1
Keeping caramelized onion in the freezer and adding it to everything.
Image credits: potatoaster
Bintu, who shares easy yet exciting recipes on her cooking blog Recipes From A Pantry, acknowledges that applying what you see online may seem daunting at first. "While I absolutely love how cooking is getting its social media due, the downside is that it can intimidate those who are just starting out," she told Bored Panda.
"Viewing a 3-second TikTok video that makes a fairly complex recipe look easy can lead to frustration when the version you make at home doesn’t turn out the same way."
However, as Chris, the man behind the food blog Don't Go Bacon My Heart, explained, if you want to be better, you need to "experiment, be fearless, and break the rules. You'll make many, many mistakes along the way, but we all do. And when that poached egg overcooks or that cheesecake doesn't set, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep on cooking!"
#2
Cooking ears of corn in their husks in the microwave. The whole husk comes right off, silks and everything.
Image credits: rammaunna
#3
Bacon in the Oven.
Image credits: omnipotentsco
"One of the most important factors in creating great food is balancing the flavors," said Chris, a finalist in Netflix's Crazy Delicious and the author of Comfy: Next-level comfort food you’ll actually want to cook.
It doesn't have to be very fancy, either. "A squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of salt, or a drizzle of honey can be the difference between a good and a great dish."
#4
Buying rotisserie chickens hot off the display table right in front of the cash registers on my way home for almost the same price as a raw carcass. A stroke of genius, to cull the expired whole chickens, bake them all, and repackage them as a convenience food.
Image credits: kempff
#5
Keeping ginger in the freezer and microplaning it as needed.
Image credits: potatoaster
Of course, you shouldn't feel bad if at times you just don't feel like cooking and order delivery instead. Maybe it's not in your genes.
According to data compiled by Gallup, the global average of cooking and eating-at-home frequencies mask interesting regional differences.
Northern, Southern, and Western European regions have the most prolific chefs, with locals cooking an average of 7.8 meals per week. The Latin American and Caribbean regions, as well as the Southeast Asian and Pacific regions share second place, with both cooking 7.2 meals per week.
On the other hand, the Arabic States cook the least, with people there preparing an average of 4.6 weekly meals at home.
#6
Just want to remind folks: if it does what need, it’s not cheating. You simply cannot make everything yourself and using modern appliances are good actually. Just because it’s not traditional doesn’t mean you should feel guilty about cooking that way.
Image credits: cprenaissanceman
#7
A lot of my slow cooker meals consist of simply throwing ingredients into it, turning it on and forgetting it until it's done. Maybe I have to chop an onion or something but I feel like I skipped a lot of steps when that's the only work I have to do.
Image credits: hideous_coffee
Cooking at home is a great way not just to save money, but also to create a memorable date night experience, as it allows you and your significant other to bond, be creative together, and enjoy a personal, intimate atmosphere. But if you're inviting someone over, you might have to pay more attention to the presentation, too.
"I'd say visuals are really important when serving a dish. How a dish looks will set the tone of your overall experience," said Chris of Don't Go Bacon My Heart. "If your taste buds aren't tingling before you've started eating you're already on the back foot. You do eat with your eyes after all!"
#8
Frozen puff pastry. I don't know why anyone even makes it by hand, except to pass a culinary school exam, or as practice for a baking show.
Image credits: Morning_lurk
#9
Making curry pastes in the processor instead of in a giant granite mortar and pestle the way my mother did in her teens.
Image credits: setsurenka
But whether you've prepared a lazy one-potter or a fancy dinner, once it gets into your belly, the effort feels worth it.
"Cooking your own meals is incredibly satisfying, and it’s also a great way to let your creativity shine!" Bintu of Recipes From A Pantry added.
"Don't be afraid of trying new things and failing. Some of my most popular recipes are the result of a good deal of trial and error... Emphasis on the error side!" the chef added, laughing.
#10
No knead bread. I actually prefer the flavour of slow proofed breads and the texture is superb but it does feel like I'm skipping a step.
Image credits: ashiepink
#11
Throwing a whole stick of butter in something to make it taste better. Obviously there's stuff this won't work for but plenty of stuff where, to a home cook, an insane amount of butter improves things.
Image credits: QuelleBullshit
#12
Using Thai curry paste out of a can. It's actually really, really good.
#13
(Not sure if it qualifies as a method but) using MSG to season savoury dishes. I do it all the time and still feel weird telling people when they compliment my food and ask me about the ingredients I used. Nobody cares about salt, but glutamate is expected to only be added by using foods where it's found naturally.
Image credits: karateknecht
#14
Microwaving potatoes instead of baking for a quick side dish.
Image credits: comfortablynomad
#15
Completely skipping the cow and just having to reach for a bottle of milk. Wondrous.
Image credits: manfrombelmonty
#16
Butane torch to finish melting cheese when I put a sandwich in the broiler but it's taking too long.
Been my favorite xmas present so far, I'm just looking for excuses to use it.
Image credits: GreenGemsOmally
#17
If you need to boil water for something small, like mac n cheese or top ramen. Use an electric kettle to boil the water then add it to your hot sauce pan. At least for me it cuts down on the time by about 1/2.
If you are missing a spice for a recipe, sometimes those seasoning blends have the spice you need in them. Even with all the other spices it usually ends up coming out pretty good.
Save your veggie scraps in the freezer for making stock later on!
#18
Cooking beans in a pressure cooker in 20-30 minutes feels like hard-core cheating to me, in reality tons of people do it every day in India and south/central america.
#19
OP, you wanna REALLY cheat with that can of Pam? Spray food directly with it. Potatoes for roasting, rolls prior to baking....it's just canola oil (or whatever other kind you get). Besides adding oil for browning, it helps adhere salt or herbs to the food, if they were otherwise on the dry side.
It feels SO weird and SO wrong to spray your food with Pam, but let me tell you, those rolls will be gorgeously, uniformly golden brown, and no one will ever know our little secret unless you want them to!
Image credits: CandOrMD
#20
Pioneer brand packaged gravy mixes. I make excellent homemade gravy but they are as close to homemade as you can get and practically no prep time. *Don't thumb me down until you've tried them.
Image credits: jimmycoed
#21
Steaming veggies in the microwave.
Image credits: Richard_Berg
#22
Food processor for chopping and shredding. I’m never chopping an onion again.
#23
Literally any shortcut. The goal is to make good food, not to break your back trying to use a needlessly difficult method.
#24
Throwing everything in the oven salted and oiled and coming back to roast dinner.
#25
Oh and I buy those pre-frozen minced herbs like garlic from the store and keep them in my freezer. I HATE cleaning my kitchen tools after mincing or grating garlic. I still buy fresh garlic and use it a lot. But I’m fine popping out a cube of garlic for most basic things like flavoring meet as it’s cooked.
#26
Flan in the pressure cooker. It takes just 4 minutes and there's no fiddling with the temperature in the oven. It comes out with a smooth texture, no holes and very creamy.
Image credits: Jocundo
#27
Eating chocolate and fruit instead of making chocolate fondue...
Image credits: simplegrocery3
#28
Rice cookers.
#29
Sous vide
Really the only ways you can screw it up are if you set your machine incorrectly or you leave the food in too long. Or if the bag leaks I suppose.
Image credits: SingAlongBlog
#30
Making pie dough with the food processor instead of by hand.
Image credits: GrizzlyIsland22
#31
Not cutting across the half-onion horizontally when dicing onions.
Image credits: Hrmbee
#32
Store bought stock.
#33
Using a blender for the basil leaves and olive oil when making pesto. Slow pulses so as to not heat anything up. Then add mortar-and-pestle’d toasted pine nuts.
#34
Chinese fermented black bean paste. A tablespoon in a beef stew rocks the taste buds with it's umami bomb, without giving an Asian flavor to the meal.
Also, once, I made stuffed mushrooms and topped them with a local, aged, goat cheese called Midnight Moon, and it stole the show. I didn't feel right taking any credit and, I'm sure, single-handedly surged their cheese sales within my friend/family group with my proselytizing.
#35
Simple, air fryer. So much possibility at the touch of a button.
#36
I recently "discovered" slow roasting. I set the oven a little bit below 200, and I stick a large hunk of meat, or a rack of ribs, or whatever (usually dry rubbed with my favorite ingredient combinations) wrapped in some tinfoil and when I wake up/get off work/ etc I have an excellent main course that lasts me a few days or a gathering (still often with left overs). Doing it right now, in fact.
#37
Using pressure cooking to speed up braised dishes. The flavour and texture are always the same but somehow it feels wrong lol.
Image credits: anon
#38
Reverse searing fat a*s chops and steaks.
Just started doing this about a month ago and holy s**t is it a kitchen hack.
I had known about reverse searing for awhile, but I was bullishly trying to perfect the art of cooking thick cuts of steak and chops on the stove top. That was alot of time wasted, tbh.
Image credits: TheFlyingCocksmiths
#39
Using a microwave to pre-cook ingredients for example to remove moisture from mushrooms before frying.
Edit; Oh, and Sous Vide.
#40
Steaming veggies in a microwave, all u have to do is put veggies in a bowl, add water, salt, MAYBE butter and microwave it.
#41
Blender (or even siphon) hollandaise.
Image credits: elijha
#42
Cake mixes.
Nothing really beats a scratch cake but mixes are more forgiving and the average person can't tell the difference unless they are side by side anyway.
#43
Spaghetti in the Instant Pot. Did it last night and from prep start to eating was less than 30 minutes, and that included hand-forming the meatballs from scratch.
#44
Microwaving leftover pizza and then frying it in the pan to crisp the crust. Almost better than fresh.
#45
It still surprises me how much easier an immersion blender makes some things. I can make mayo, Hollandaise, Bearnaise, or similar sauces/condiments in minutes.
#46
I shred parm and freeze it in a container, and just add it alfredo or pizza or mac or whatever I'm making. Not a big one, but I don't notice any taste difference and it lasts longer. It also seems to melt the same, frozen or not.
Image credits: YetiArmyIsHere
#47
No boil lasagna noodles.
Image credits: CCWaterBug
#48
Instant pot stock. No skimming!!
#49
Making roux in the microwave. Just add the fat and flour to a large pyrex measuring cup and cook in 30 second increments, stirring in between. It's faster than doing it in a pot, and it's harder to scorch.
Image credits: Guazzabuglio
#50
I far prefer using boxed cake mix to making my own. I don’t make them often, so I hate the idea of wasting cake flour.
I love pillsbury brand cake mixes the most. For chocolate, I use hot coffee instead of water. For white, I whip the egg whites a little first for fluffiness. And I always add in vanilla and usually change up the oil to melted butter or something.
#51
Using instant mashed potatoes (dehydrated potatoes) when I make shepherd's pie/cottage pie. That, along with processing the veggies down in a food processor makes it almost a weeknight meal from scratch. It also means we can have mashed potatoes whenever. Previously, mashed would be an option that had to be planned for, or was me using up leftover boiled or baked potatoes.
Passata is my go-to in soups, and when making sauces. I've never loved the bitter taste of seeds or skins, and don't like the texture of lumps of tomato in a cooked dish. I even use it to deglaze the pan (thinned with a bit of water) when cooking chicken. With a pat of butter to finish it off - it makes an excellent pan sauce.
#52
Crispy shallots/garlic in the microwave.
#53
I learned that the best way to make fries at home was use a bag of frozen French fries and spray them with a little cooking spray when they go into the oven; it’s not too much oil & helps them crisp up a little better
Way better than deep frying at home. IMO.
#54
Microwaving water
Edit: do be careful if boiling water in the microwave. It can sometimes exceed it's boiling point while remaining a liquid and when moved suddenly boil in an instant splashing incredibly hot water everywhere.
I THINK you can prevent this by putting in somethign like a wooden spoon but I learned this on a Mythbusters episode years ago so might want to check.
Image credits: atlantis_airlines
#55
Cooking turkey either whole or the breast in an oven bag.
#56
Passing off jarred spaghetti sauce as your own!
#57
Not tempering egg yolks, and just adding them to the pot with everything else.
If you're using an immersion blender for your anglaise/custard afterwards, those lumps - if any - will smooth out anyhow...
#58
Using grands biscuits to make chicken and dumplings.
I always make them homemade, but I used them the other night. Tasted good as f**k too but it does feel like cheating.
#59
You don't have to peel ginger.
#60
Pre-peeled garlic. I feel so dirty but goddamn it saves time.
Image credits: elchinguito
#61
Using cornstarch flurry over making a roux. I don’t give af! Makes life 20 times easier.
#62
Plastic wrapped, microwaved baked potatoes. Theres not really a discernable difference and it takes 10 min vs 1.5 hours.
#63
Velvet Chicken. Basically a whole cooked chicken with only 15 minutes of stove heat.
#64
Buying the cooked chicken from the store and telling my family I did it.
#65
*Bread maker for weekly gluten free bread
*Using frozen veg ( hello Shepard pie!)
*jars of marinara- just add to whatever
*Marinate chicken in salad dressing, freeze in zip bags.
#66
Using frozen mashed potato.
They come in pre-buttered pellets, you just wet them with a bit of milk or water and put them in the microwave for 30 second increments and mix until they're mashed up.
It's the same product, it's literally just more convenient than peeling and cooking yourself.
Also, they're not comparable at all to powdered mash potato, so please don't be concerned that it tastes like Deb.
#67
F**k cookie trays. I have a 6c8 mini muffin tray. Makes cookies in 10 min bc they're small. F*****g 50 at a time with a fraction of the effort. IDGAF what shape they come out in, I can do 300 in 2 hours.
#68
You can use spray can oil with stainless steel, but you shouldn't use it on non-stick cookware. It can f**k with the coating.
#69
Pre cooked pre peeled hard boiled eggs. They’re cheaper than raw eggs I can chunk one up on top of a salad without effort.
#70
Using Eggmates/Eggbeaters (pourable, already mixed eggs) for omlettes or quiches.
I've even made them in the microwave with these and had them turn out great.
