Everyone has their favorite tips, tricks and clever ways in the kitchen…a few I think are worth passing on below. So here they are, in all their glorious miscellany. If you’re on a post and you see the tag Cooking Hacks, click on it to see others. Or just view them all here. What’s your favorite to add?

Meats & Poultry:

Slice through bacon while frozen, then return to freezer.

Remove silverskin by hanging onto edge and slicing up.

Roll the roll on the counter, letting the ends tighten up.

A potato masher makes short work of breaking down ground meats.

30 to 35 bucks – never buy lunch meat again & cuts so many things a food processor won’t.

If something is too juicy, strain, boil juices down and return,

Scoops portion and make even shapes for rolling & stuffing.

Bacon Drippings can be saved – use instead of cooking more bacon.

Mixers easily shred meats – use the guard if you have one.

Make extra & Freeze for another meal.

Slice through the fat and the pork chop won’t curl when cooking

Miscellaneous Hints:

Make emergency funnel – paper for dry, plastic (sheet protectors?) for liquid.

Homemade Hollandaise

No soggy bottoms; turn & rest of spatula for a minute or place on a grate.

These little clips are super handy& cheaper than “Chip” clips

Use a large skillet like a chef uses a flat top!

Pizza Rollers cut dough – and all kinds of stuff!

Fold over end, then close with rubber band. Pull apart to open.

Use Microwave!

Baking Hacks:

Measure butter/shortening by displacement of water.

A line will help you tell if the dough has doubled in size…

Pizza Rollers cut dough – and all kinds of stuff!

Keep home-made pie shield in with beans.

Make home-made pie shield!

Make your own Bisquick – see Forgotten Arts. So much better!

Have a large bowl out for pie beans/weights

Pie Beans store well in a canister – Keep forever!

Turn bottom lip down before filling and remove desserts intact.

Unless instructions say to use, turn down temperature 25 degrees when using.

The standard rolling pin is 10 1/2 inches – knowing the length saves you from measuring

Streusel is even better frozen – double and freeze

These rings will make sure everything is uniform when rolling dough.

Sticky items will come out cleanly if spoons or cups are sprayed with cooking spray.

Soften butter 5 seconds on DEFROST in the microwave

Keep butter wrappers in freezer to oil pans or press down sticky substances

After you use them for your pan, set messy items on the wrapper for easier cleanup

Portion & Serving:

Use Veggies or Fruit if you’re short on bowls.

Scoops portion perfectly, maximize your time and help avoid a big mess.

Fancy dishes make even ordinary desserts seem special – savor more, eat less.

Egg Hacks:

Push eggs through a cooling rack.

And they’ll be perfectly cubed for egg salad.

The eggs take seconds if grated rather than chopped

Freeze yolks & whites. If refrigerating yolk, cover with water.

Sieve yolks for smooth fluffy deviled eggs

Spices:

No one will tell you to “Doctor” if needed -Check Ethnic section & reduced bin to save money.

Grow your own herbs – bring them inside during winter – photo from outdoor.com

organize & cooking is SO much less of a pain!

store excess spices in jars in cool cupboard – use smaller jars to work from

Freeze ginger & grate while still frozen

Never Waste Bread:

Make herb topping with herbs, spices and either olive oil or melted butter.

For best topping, press buttered crumbs on then gently sprinkle a few on top

Irish Bread Pudding -Bread & Butter Pudding

Improve Health – Prevent  Produce Waste:

Big Fat Green Smoothie

Fruit & Veg waste goes in Spa Water on a Budget

Onion, Carrot, Celery – save for soup; it makes a raft & flavors & clarifies the stock

Save & add one every day to green smoothie

Mushrooms Stems – go in Smoothies

The parings from the stems go in – you got it, Green Smoothies!

use tops of beets, radish, carrot, etc. in salads, smoothies or sautes

lightly steam – microwave – even the “inedible” stem has lots of fiber

Fruit & Veggie Hacks:

Use a SPOON instead of a knife to clean ribs from ANY pepper.

Drain things like olives, capers, etc. over something to catch the liquid, then use the liquid to store what you don’t use.

Whack iceberg lettuce on the core and it will come right out.

Choose citrus by WEIGHT not color – color means nothing.

Many items with seeds can be smashed to make removal easier.

Slice mushrooms & strawberries with egg slicer

Make your own Dressings – most will save money and they’re so good.

Baked Potato Hash Browns from Leftover Potatoes – my original photo

Slice round objects between two lids! Run knife horizontally thru center..

Save extra zest & freeze for emergencies!

Regrow Green Onions in a sunny window.

Grow your own herbs – bring them inside during winter – photo from outdoor.com

Salt & Strain wet veggies so they don’t weep into creamy salads

Don’t automatically toss – Can this be used to flavor something?

Slide mango down the lip of a glass

To separate from skin intact

We all know this trick – but slide it down the glass, too, instead of messing with a knife.

Core Strawberries Easily

Push a straw through from the bottom and the tops pop out!

Avocados:

Slice or dice as you wish

Use an appropriate sized spoon to scoop out the avocado

The slices (or dices) come out beautifully and intact

Beverages:

Big Fat Green Smoothie

Fruit & Veg waste goes in Spa Water on a Budget

Cheese:

Freeze Cheese – it will be crumbly but fine for Casseroles.

It’s almost always cheaper to slice your own cheese.

Cook Grains, Rices, Legumes & Freeze:

Wild Rice takes a long time to cook, cook & portion & freeze for “Instant Wild Rice.”

Bag & Tag long cooking grains and freeze (short term) to make the most of your time

Freeze Short term only!

Make your own “kits” & Convenience Food:

Cook portions of meals ahead!

Bomb Baked Potato Wedges freeze well!

Nix 1x Month Cooking – just increase and freeze using sale priced ingredients:

Many casseroles freeze – line the casserole first then remove and wrap

Grandmother’s Pumpkin Bread

Make large quantities when items are on sale and divide

Grandmother’s Old Fashioned Ham Loaf – this was an original photo, one of the first on my site…

Most Soups Freeze like a Dream. including this Cuban Black Bean Soup

Most dough freezes very well – instant convenience food.

Double & Freeze brownies, bars, cookies, and dough!

Keep items together to make complicated recipes easy:

Spice kits – for Indian, Asian, Barbecue make cooking easy!

Store baking items together in a small box – when ready to bake you won’t have to find items. Salt, vanilla, baking powder, soda, etc.

So much better & cheaper to make your own:

Make your own Bisquick – see Forgotten Arts. So much better!