Let’s share our best cooking tips

[Metoodear]

Never put milk in mash when making a shepherds or cottage pie just butter you want a stiff robust mash that will support the pie
Creamy mash is for sides not on top

Squirt of Yoghurt Mint sauce in spaghetti bolognese, makes it taste like minted chops.

Get someone else to do it.

No?

Ummm... how about...

Only batch cook if you have willpower and won't eat all the batches at once.

Yoghurt Mint sauce

What?!🤢

I'm 50 and only twigged about the mash/milk thing very recently!! So much better with just butter!

I use chilli flakes a lot just to liven up a bolognese or cottage pie etc. Joining thread more for the tips really 😬

Oh no! I love creamy mash on top of my veggie shepherds pie!
I can only eat shepherds pie I've made myself. I'm very very fussy (not something I'm proud of, I'd love to be an adventurous eater)

I'm 50 and only twigged about the mash/milk thing very recently!! So much better with just butter!

Older than that and I finally worked this out for myself a couple of years ago.

If you can't be arsed to make a proper white sauce, crème fraîche will do instead

Use turkey instead of beef for a light and healthy bolognaise sauce

If you've opened a massive pack of crisps and don't finish them they freeze really well (who knew!?). Leftover roast potatoes can be frozen as well saves loads of time next time

What’s the aibu?

Ok, I’ll play anyway. Put toasted hazelnuts and a squeeze of lemon on your green beans. Delicious.

Wisk a spoon full of Greek yogurt in with eggs for creamy scrambled egg. Also don’t salt until it’s cooked to stop watery eggs.

Make stick blender mayonnaise with a whole egg and a cup of light olive oil. So much cheaper than shop bought and no preservatives etc.

Don't make mash, life's too short. Frozen is just as good.

Don't fry or grill sausages...stick them in the oven. They come out much better.

Don't use milk in scrambled eggs...just butter

Add a little butter to the oil fat when making roast potatoes..makes them even better

Add a pinch of cinnamon to your chilli con carne

If you're making fried potatoes, don't boil or par boil them. Microwave them like a jacket, let it cool then cut into cubes and fry. They cook quicker and are crisper as less moisture.

When making a curry from scratch, don't brown the meat separately before adding to the curry sauce. Brown the meat with the spice base so the flavours get sealed in with the meat juices. Everyone on the subcontinent does this so there you go.

The use of parchment paper while cooking or baking has changed my life.

I'm not a great cook so don't have many (looking forward to more).

Only one I can think of is to make double the mash and freeze it for another time to save hassle. Too much fat (butter) might make it watery when you start to defrost it but stick with it and it will be fine. Or be more organised than me and take out half to freeze before adding the butter.

I'd second using frozen mash , saves so much time

Don't throw away brown bananas, freeze then put in blender to make healthy banana ice cream - no other ingredients

But a meat thermometer

You can freeze crisps?!?!

@cornishmumtobe I'm more shocked that people actually have leftover crisps 😂

marry a man that can cook :)

couple of squares of dark choc in your chilli con carne makes it extra yum!

Frozen chopped onions.

Lazy garlic or garlic purée.

Freeze fresh herbs in a takeaway box and just use when you need rather than them wilting in the fridge and being thrown away.

A bit of star anise in ragu bolognese, I know Italian’s would faint, but it does add something.

You can use milk in mash because you would bake the pie for a bit in the oven which firms it up nicely.