Cooking hacks
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
One approach to making hard shells is spraying soft tortillas with non-stick spray and hanging them over an oven rack while baking at 350 until crispy.
Hanging them allows them to partially close during cooking.
- The shells may break in half.
- The shells may touch residue crusted onto the oven.
one person who lived it
Skip sugar in pizza dough to improve the taste.
It will taste far better.
- It won't rise quite as fast.
one person who lived it
Use pretzel buns as a base for pizza.
they actually work well
- one person's opinion
one person who lived it
- Use tortillas as a base for personal-sized pizzas instead of traditional crust.3
Add a little milk before microwaving to bring back the creamy texture.
This prevents the dish from becoming dry and lumpy, restoring its smooth consistency.
4 people, independently
Bring a spray bottle to the concession stand, have them fill it with butter, and spray the popcorn as needed.
It is way better than using a straw.
one person who lived it
Mix spices directly into cooked meat without adding liquid, provided the meat is not extra-lean.
The rendered fats combine with the spices to coat the meat better.
- Do not use this method if using extra-lean meat.
one person who lived it
Set water and oven temperature to 40°C to 43°C to get the most from dry active yeast activity.
to get the most from yeast activity
one person who lived it
Buy canned pizza sauce instead of making it from scratch if you want a taste closer to what pizzerias use.
Canned sauce is much closer to the kind used by parlors and tastes better than homemade for this purpose.
one person who lived it
Place shredded cheese under the meat in a taco to absorb grease and help the cheese melt via the heat of the meat.
It prevents the cheese from falling off as you eat.
one person who lived it
20 more on this
Properly salt the boiling water for mac and cheese.
It won't taste bland.
one person who lived it
Insert your hand between tortillas when removing one from the bag instead of peeling the top one off.
That works pretty well.
one person who lived it
- Gently bend the stack of tortillas back and forth inside the package to separate them before opening.3
Place lettuce in a hard taco shell before adding meat to keep the shell from getting soggy.
The meat makes the hard shell soggy if it touches directly.
one person who lived it
Spread sour cream or guacamole on the inside of the taco shell first.
This ensures even flavor distribution, protects the tortilla from soupy fillings, and helps other ingredients stick so they do not fall out.
one person who lived it
Mix a teaspoon of butter into spaghetti before microwaving it.
It works wonders for the texture.
one person who lived it
Store tortillas in a cool area rather than the fridge to prevent condensation buildup that causes sticking.
Condensation from temperature changes makes them stick together.
- This may not be feasible in hot climates where no non-fridge cool area exists.
2 people, independently
Use real cheese instead of processed cheese sauce for nachos.
Processed cheese is described as having poor texture and taste.
one person who lived it
Use powdered skim milk mixed with water as a frugal substitute for liquid milk in boxed mac and cheese.
To remain frugal.
one person who lived it
Eat the best-looking, sauce-covered chips first to prevent them from becoming soggy while waiting.
The best chips become soggy if left to sit, ruining the experience.
one person who lived it
Ask staff when the concession stand closes to ensure you can get free refills.
to avoid missing your free refills
one person who lived it
Ensure enough cheese coverage on nachos so that melting locks all toppings in place.
This prevents having leftover toppings on the plate when done.
one person who lived it
- Layer nachos with alternating layers of chips and toppings to ensure even distribution.1
Add chicken bouillon to the water when boiling pasta for boxed macaroni and cheese.
It makes the dish much more delicious.
one person who lived it
Microwave a stack of tortillas for about 18 seconds and fan them out immediately upon removal.
This prevents the tortillas from sticking together or becoming shredded.
one person who lived it
Mix cheese cubes into cooked mashed potatoes before serving.
for occasional large bites of cheese
- some people strongly dislike cheese mixed into their mashed potatoes
one person who lived it
Use shaped macaroni varieties for boxed macaroni and cheese so the powder gets trapped inside the shapes.
The shapes provide more vectors for the powdered cheese to stick to.
one person who lived it
- Buy Kraft mac and cheese with shaped noodles, particularly corkscrew shapes, instead of standard macaroni for better taste.1
Substitute tomato sauce for water when adding taco seasoning to meat.
Improves taste and reduces freezer burn by lowering water content.
one person who lived it
Add crushed stale tortilla chips to scrambled eggs.
A friend found this combination insanely amazing.
one person who lived it
Add chicken stock instead of water to ground beef mixtures for cooking.
Significantly improves flavor.
one person who lived it
Substitute water with beef, chicken, or vegetable stock when preparing instant mashed potatoes.
to add to flavor
one person who lived it
Air fry potatoes and vegetables to create a side dish with minimal cooking effort.
Minimal energy spent cooking
one person who lived it