Cooking shortcuts

[ThatsNotEvenAWord]

What cooking shortcuts can you not live without and which would you never use?

I’ve recently discovered ready made crumble mix (I hate crumbling the flour and butter together it hurts my thumbs) but I always make my own roast potatoes.

I also want to learn how to make my own gravy but not quite got round to that yet. Can you tell I’m having a roast today?

I never thought I'd become the kind of person who bought ready rolled (or even ready made) pastry, but it's bloody brilliant.

I can make gravy, but rarely do. I actually really like Bisto! I also unashamedly buy ready made Yorkies.

Frozen chopped onions and frozen mash.
I know onions are cheap, but when you just cannot be arsed to chop one, just grab a handful from the freezer.
When I’m making a cottage pie, it’s so much easier to defrost a load of mash to put on top rather than mess about with peeling, boiling and mashing. And they taste really good!

Also, packet cheese sauce. I add extra grated cheese and mustard powder and it’s lovely.

Frozen: mushrooms, onions, and sweet corn
Curry paste
Using an Instapot as pressure cooker and slow cooker is my best and most favourite shortcut!

...also tubes of chopped garlic and the combinations now available, like garlic and Tomato paste together

Frozen chopped onions and peppers for bolognaise and chilli
Jars of chopped chillis, garlic, ginger
Keep stock of fresh pasta sauces in freezer, defrost and add to tin of chopped tomatoes for quick meatball sauce, cook quote meatballs from frozen too
Tinned new potatoes for potato salad