When you’re often busy, preparing meals can be a hassle. There are fast food options, but they can be costly and unhealthy. So what can you do? How about you try to apply these easy food hacks when you’re cooking?
As they make it easier to cook, it doesn’t mean that the meals won’t be delicious and healthy. Some things just need to be made with creativity. Listed below are 8 food hacks that you can try.
Clever Kitchen Hacks: Cut Butternut Squash with Ease
If you’ve ever tried slicing through the middle of a raw butternut squash before, then you don’t need us to tell you how ridiculously impossible it is to work with sometimes.
Next time you need to chunk up some of this nutty goodness, do yourself a major favor by poking a few holes through it and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes. You won’t believe how much easier it is to work with.
Laziest Caramel Sauce Ever
Sinful sweetness doesn’t get any lazier than this.
Rather than whisking away at a pot of butter, milk, and sugar that’s always threatening to boil over, just boil a can or two of sweetened condensed milk for 3 hours.
You’ll have some of the richest, creamiest caramel sauce you’ve ever experienced, with almost none of the effort! This is actually much simpler and easier than beginner cooking recipes you can find online.
Lazy Doesn’t Always Mean Unhealthy
If you’re in the mood for a sweet snack that also magically fits the “healthy” bill, look no further than your banana and your freezer.
That’s right, just toss your bananas in the freezer and when they’re fully frozen, pull them out and either mash them or give them a few pulses in your blender.
Throw in a little peanut butter for an added touch of flavor and creaminess.
Easy Food Hacks With a Wine Bottle
How to be a better cook? It’s when you know how to be resourceful and think outside the box when basic cooking supplies are not available.
Can’t find the rolling pin? No need to dig it out. Just put a cork in that wine bottle nearby and get to rolling!
How to Peel Garlic Easily: Peel It in a Pinch
Finally, no more dealing with finicky, sticky garlic skins!
Just slice off the bottom of the whole bulb and microwave for 1 minute at 550-watt power. Temperature and timing ARE important here, so make sure you’re set at 550w or adjust your timing accordingly.
After you pull them from the microwave, hold over a bowl or plate while you pinch the top skin of the bulb downward, and voila! It falls right out and you’re done.
Boxed Cakes Food Hack
We know boxed cakes are already pretty darn easy to make, but it still requires several ingredients to get the job done (eggs, oil or butter, and water). Well, why not swap the three out for one?
That’s right, you can ditch out the required ingredients on the box by swapping it out for a can of soda. Just pick your flavor, pour, and mix! Then, you just bake the cake as instructed on the box.
Not only do you save on the other ingredients, but your cake comes out with a delicious hint of flavor. (For chocolate cakes, we suggest cherry cola).
Waffle Maker Hashbrowns
Waffles aren’t the only thing that cooks up to perfection in your handy waffle iron.
Try making your hashbrown in there, too, the next time you’re feeling lazy. They’ll turn out perfect, crispy, and golden every single time.
How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream
Fresh whipped cream has never been so easy to make especially if you want a stiff peak whipped cream. It likewisebeats the pants off of the store-bought variety. Just take a frozen mason jar and pour in some heavy whipping cream, a little powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
Then, just screw the cap on and shake that sucker until it fluffs up. To make things even easier, throw in one of those spiraled share balls.
Takeaway
If you’re feeling tired of cooking because it always seems arduous, these easy food hacks are a game changer and can definitely help you change your outlook on cooking. After all, cooking is also like the food we eat — it will be more enjoyable if you spice it up a little with extra flavor and creativity.