Ways to Take Your Cooking to the Next Level

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I’m not your typical stay at home mom or housewife. I didn’t spend my entire time as a teenager or college student preparing for my life as a mother. Quite the opposite, I focused on choir, tennis, marching band, nursing school, paying for nursing school by working at Dairy Queen, and my social life with friends and a boyfriend during that period of my life. I don’t regret that my first time cooking was the week after I got married; I have a lot of great memories of those single years. I’m also incredibly thankful that the days of frozen dinners, hotdogs, and the same meals every week in a row are behind me (I’m sure Peter is too).

I’ve learned a lot in the past six and a half years about cooking, but I would definitely never say I know all there is to know. There’s so many great ways to improve your cooking, that sometimes it can be overwhelming–especially if you’re new to the game. Here is a list of some simple ways you can take your cooking to the next level, and improve your game.

1. Shred your own cheese

When someone first told me about doing this, I thought it would be such a big deal to do it. It wasn’t until I started reading ingredient labels when I started to care about the food I was eating, that I decided to give it a shot. When you buy pre-shredded cheese at the grocery store, companies add extra preservatives in it in order to keep the cheese from sticking!

One day, I compared the ingredient list of pre-shredded cheese to the ingredient list of the same brand of cheese in a cheese block (selling for the same price/ounce) and I decided to give it a shot. I bought the cheese block, and went to the kitchen supplies aisle and purchased my first grater. That evening cooking supper, I realized it only took me 1-2 minutes longer to shred some cheese. When I tasted my casserole, though, I felt like I had stumbled onto a best-kept secret!

Y’all. The taste difference is honestly mind blowing. The cheese melts so much easier and gives your casserole, soup, salad (or whatever else it is you’re making) a creamier, richer texture and taste. A cheese block lasts me about as long as bag of shredded cheese does. And, clean up is as hard as adding one extra dish (your grater) to the dishwasher. Seriously, this is a game changer.

2. Mince your own garlic

Again, I was wary of adding this to my cooking routine. I am a terrible food chopper/dicer. It takes me forever to dice an onion or pepper for a recipe. Honestly, I still get annoyed when I realize I have to mince a garlic clove down. In my mind, though, it’s definitely worth it.

The flavor you get from a fresh minced garlic added to your meal rather than the minced garlic you buy at the grocery store is incomparable. Additionally, the cost difference is really quite small. One garlic bulb is less than a dollar and can last me anywhere up to two weeks from when I purchased it. For every teaspoon a recipe calls for, I add one garlic clove, crushed by a butter knife and diced. If you really want to go the extra mile, plant it yourself this fall!

3. Cut out the High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

I know cutting out high fructose corn syrup seems more like a crunchy, non-toxic mom thing to do, rather than a way to improve your meals. I also know doing this for sure isn’t a budget-friendly choice to make. Lastly, I would argue that cutting out HFCS in soda, ice cream and marshmallows (for instance) makes things taste worse, not better.

Once you realize how many food items have this ingredient on their list (and how high up the list it is), you can find better options right next to them on the shelves of the grocery store. My first switch was BBQ sauce. I didn’t think there was much of a difference between, say, Kraft’s or Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce and Stubbs (my all time favorite brand). On top of that, realizing there’s a $4 difference on a smaller sold jar, and yeah right. I’ll stick with the cheap stuff.

Honestly, the only reason why I switched to a more expensive brand without HFCS was because I wanted to improve my health and was just starting out on trying to live a more non-toxic life. You can read more about some simple switches I made at the very beginning of my journey here.

Now that I’ve switched, I’ll never go back. I can also tell when a restaurant (or my mother–sorry mom!) uses a brand that has HFCS in it. Sugar is an addicting substance! I think companies use it (and a lot of it) to keep people coming back to purchase it. When you’ve cut that sugar out, you begin to taste foods much better than you otherwise normally would have and realize how much you were missing out beforehand.

4. Grow some herbs

I can hear what you’re saying now. This is not easy, simple, or fun and I don’t have a green thumb. Before you keep scrolling, hear me out. It really is simple and easy, and you don’t need a super huge garden spot to grow them.

Look at what herbs you’re constantly purchasing because you’re using them the most. For me, it’s the Italian seasoning blend–Oregano, Parsley, and Basil (hello pasta). Then all you need is a sunny spot in your home by a window, three clay pots, some seeds and potting soil, and you’re on your way to growing some herbs for yourself.

Why does this make such a difference? Anything grown tastes 100% better than what you can buy at a store. Herbs are no exception. Just adding one fresh basil leaf to your soup gives you more flavor than 10 Tablespoons from a spice jar. Okay, I may be exaggerating, but you get the point.

5. Ditch the Microwave

I totally agree with you–definitely not. Don’t waste your time, you can exit the page now. This took me 5+ years of cooking before I decided to do this one. The only reason why I ditched my microwave was because our reliable microwave Peter had when he moved out on his own 10 years ago ended its life.

By this point in our marriage, it wasn’t hard for me to convince Peter to forgo a microwave completely. He’s used to my constant inclination for choosing a healthier option or yearning for a new kitchen appliance. I told him I wanted to replace it and our toaster with a toaster/convection oven we could use for so many things. We decided on an inexpensive option that ended up being half-price and haven’t looked back.

There’s pros and cons to any switch. The downside to not having a microwave is it takes longer to reheat food for leftovers, and you can’t warm liquids or soften butter easily. Honestly, I think the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Do any research on how bad microwaves are for you, and you’ll realize how beneficial it it is. Furthermore, reheated foods, bagels, and pizza taste so much better now and are worth that extra wait.

6. Cook with Animal Fats

This is for sure a controversial topic. Doctors argue about heart health when it comes to cooking with butter or bacon grease. On the flip side, I’ve heard my fair share of how awful vegetable oils are for you from the crunchy community. Obviously, you have to do what’s best for you.

In my mind, there’s just certain moments where health and wellness go out the window in the name of Christmas, Easter, or Fourth of July holiday food. I’m also a healthy 30 year old. Cooking food with a high smoke point oil like butter, tallow, or bacon grease will also give you a more flavored food when you’re done. Do with this suggestion what you wish.

7. Up Your Seasoning Game

I grew up in the North. Food tastes different. I hated spicy food for the first 20 or so years of my life. I also only ate food that was seasoned with salt, pepper, and maybe garlic powder. Food in the South is just different. One of my favorite spices that I add to literally everything is Slap Ya Mama seasoning.

Slap Ya Mama is Cajun, and gives a soft salty kick to meats, vegetables, and casseroles. My sons even ask for it at every meal. If you’re not fortunate enough to live in the Southlands, it may be difficult for you to get your hands on this seasoning. You can order some here, on Amazon. (As usual, I may get a commission off of your purchase at Amazon at no additional cost to you).

8. Specific Recipe Secrets

There’s a few tips I’ve picked up along the way that can transform how your food tastes. For example, while I was working at a bank, another teller (who was 20 years older than me) told me everyone loves her strawberry cakes. All she does is add a box of strawberry Jell-O to the cake mix.

Anytime a baked good (cakes, breads, etc.) calls for a specific number of eggs, I usually add an extra one. Bam, you have the fluffiest cake you’ll ever eat. Whenever I make deviled eggs or a bruschetta recipe, I use golden balsamic vinegar as opposed to apple cider or white. They are now 10 times more sweeter.

A few years back at an impromptu cookie decorating party, my dear friend told me her biggest pet peeve is when you make sugar cookies and don’t add almond flavoring. When I was focusing on adding more fiber to our family’s diet, I tried adding barley to my chili recipe I was making that night. I’ll never make chili without barley again.

Obviously, you have to be careful. A church friend suggested I put lemon flavoring in my cookie frosting (icing? I don’t know what the difference is!). This friend makes everything homemade and is known as a fantastic cook. She even makes her own pasta noodles and they’re amazing. So, I trusted her advice. Worst thing I’ve ever done when it comes to cookies. So use your own discretion; but again, don’t be afraid to take other people’s advice when it sounds good! You never know what you can learn from others.

In Conclusion

Obviously, this list is not all inclusive. Understandably, you won’t agree with all of these suggestions. I hope you may have learned one or two ways to take your cooking to the next level that you can regularly add to your routines. I still consider myself a newbie compared to others who have been meal preparing for half of their lifetimes. Do you have any tips to add? Drop them in the comments below!