We all cook. But, for many of us, it's a necessary evil. Whether it's because you're too busy, too broke or too tired, many of us find ourselves in the kitchen out of pure necessity, not enthusiasm.
But it doesn't have to be. Whether you're already a decent chef or a reluctant prisoner to your own physiological needs, down below we've got a slew of easy cooking hacks to make your life easier when life does force you into the kitchen.
1
Put a little water in your leftovers before you put it in the microwave and cover it. Especially meat. It doesn't dry out and it actually makes turkey more juicy. - SuperstitiousPigeon5
2
Vanilla pudding mix in chocolate cookie recipe. - ShaniquaStringfellow
3
Air is the secret ingredient in deli-style sandwiches. The same amount of meat, arranged loosely, rather than stacked tightly, not only seems more generous, but actually tastes (or at least smells) better, because more flavonoids reach your nose. - Bellsar_Ringing
4
If you're measuring anything sticky like molasses or honey for a recipe use a pastry brush to coat the inside of the measuring cup with a small amount of cooking oil first. Reduces sticking on the inside of the measuring cup. - Imaginary-Ticket-805
5
I don’t know if this is a secret, I feel like every one does this, but when a recipe calls for a teaspoon of vanilla extract I add something closer to two tablespoons. The people making the recipes use higher quality vanilla, the cheap stuff at the store is extremely bland compared to the high quality stuff. - Godmorelikedog_666
6
The recipe on the back of the tollhouse chocolate chip bag, follow it to the letter. Everyone thinks I have the best of the best chocolate chip cookies. - CreepyButterscotch3
7
Don't cook a new recipe if you want to impress people. Cook with the same recipe many times until you're confident you can deliver good results, THEN use the recipe. - Cartossin
8
I reduce five pounds of sweet onions down to 2 cups of deeply caramelized onion. 1/4 cup supercharges any savory soup, stew, etc. - Thirty_Helens_Agree
9
People always say I'm a great baker - thing is that if you actually follow recipes to the letter, know if your oven runs a little hot/cold and know what some basic things like "hand warm" actually mean - it's hard to get it wrong. - InternationalLimit40
10
Softened butter and melted butter are 2 different things that create 2 different results. Don't sub real butter for country crock, - Cracktower
11
Butter. It’s not a new secret by any means, but I feel like people often forget how amazing even just the tiniest bit added to a dish can be. Some of your favorite restaurant meals probably use way more butter than you’d be comfortable knowing. - AmarettoOrWhat
12
Lots of people forget to add acid. Use acid to make flavors pop. - Zmirzlina
13
Cooking korean food? Get the salted shrimp and the fermented chile paste/soybean paste. Korean barbecue marinade? Blend an onion, an apple, garlic, green onion, and a couple pinches of salt together. That’s your base, then add the seasonings. The meat will be more tender with the puree and give you that extra depth that you might have been lacking from ready-made sauces. When I’m lazy I just add that puree to the jars of ready-made sauces. - notasianjim
14
A dash of vinegar livens up any soup/stew/chili - 02K30C1
15
Using Stock and Broth as a partial water replacement in certain dishes is a game changer. - yardslikeswisschard
