Brit's 10 Favorite Cooking Hacks
Well, it's been another wild and historic week. I don't know about you, but my emotions have never been so up and down, all in the same day. Not only that, but I'm more exhausted than ever, now dealing with twice as much child care and house cleaning as before. But I'll be honest when I say that something I'm actually *glad* to have more time for is cooking.
Why, you ask? Well, if there's one thing I've learned, it's that food brings us together. (If there are two things I've learned, it's that I need a second dishwasher for all these dirty plates and pans! How do four people amass so many dishes?!) Not only that, but cooking in itself is somewhat of a meditation — it takes focus and allows for creativity, both of which are the perfect distraction to our current anxiety-inducing reality.
So, in light of this, we at Brit + Co decided that this week should be dedicated to food and cooking. It's actually one of our most popular topics! And while we offer thousands of incredible recipes, Brit + Co is best known for the shortcuts, the hacks, the 5-ingredients-or-less (and ideally 10 minutes or less!) kind of cooking. Beginners... we got you!
Scroll on for some of my go-to tips, plus creative ways to throw together a dish or two in your own home this week.
1. Bacon in a pan
Line it with parchment or aluminum and sprinkle on some brown sugar before you toss it in the oven. No mess and crispy sweet goodness awaits.
2. Frozen bananas = healthy ice cream
Seriously, just throw some in the freezer and when you want ice cream, toss in the blender to mash them up a bit. (I like to add whipped cream on top for an extra touch.) Ta-da!
3. The waffle iron
One of my go-to appliances. Throw in some hash browns for a new twist. Toss in some cake or brownie batter for a waffle dessert. Heck, even try waffle tacos!
5. Pre-heat your sheet pan
Place your sheet pan in the oven as your oven pre-heats to save time roasting veggies.
6. Substitute apple sauce for oil
Add a little health kick to your baked goods by swapping a 1:1 ratio of applesauce to oil in recipes.
4. The Instant Pot
If you don't have one yet, you aren't living life. You HAVE to try this thing!
7. Reheat pizza in a pan, not a microwave
To keep the crust crispy, put pizza cheese side DOWN first till it gets a little greasy, then flip over in the skillet. The grease will crisp up the crust perfectly. (Note: I also only cook frozen pizzas with NO pan in the oven -- just directly on the rack!)
8. The June Oven
It's on the pricier side, but trust me when I say this thing can DO. IT. ALL. And typically in half the time. There are legit CAMERAS inside that can recognize the food you put in and how to cook it! If I could only have one kitchen device, it would be this one... and that's saying a lot.
9. Veggies disguised as rice
That's right, people. RightRice is the real deal. I'm putting this stuff in just about everything these days. (Bonus: my kids have no clue!)
10. Cupcake tins are EVERYTHING
Mac and cheese bites? Check. Snack sorter for a movie night? Check. You can even make mini cheeseburger muffins with these things! (See below.)
Psst! Did you know I wrote a book and dedicated a huge part of it to cooking and baking!? It's called Homemakers: A Domestic Handbook for the Digital Generation and also includes basically every other home and life hack I've amassed over the years, plus 1000+ DIY projects.
Alright y'all... what are YOUR go-to recipes and hacks? Any clever cooking products we should share back with the community? What parts of cooking do you struggle with most? I'd love to hear about all of it. Email me (hello@brit.co) or DM us on Instagram (@britandco or @brit).
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