Whenever I make a dry BBQ rub for pork or chicken, I always add garam masala to my spice mix. It just adds an extra omph to the BBQ and it's so good! Always get compliments!
SO many ideas for chili. Mines already pretty complex, I use like 6 different types / blends of meat along with the beans and spices and such, but I'm intrigued by adding garam and adding a reeses peanut butter cup.
Guess we're having a lot of chili in the near future, haha.
Do you use it instead of cumin, like a 1 to 1 sub?
I have been using both (1/2 garam masala to cumin) but subbing would be interesting given that garam masala is itself a mixture of cumin, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and black pepper. I feel like it gives chili a lovely sweet warmth and depth.
I add garam masala to my lemon pumpkin muffins. My daughter tried to recreate them and couldn’t get them to taste right, and it was skipping the garam masala!
I know it's not quite an addition, but a random technique/failure.
I tried to parboil potatoes to saute them, got distracted, overboiled them to the point where they weren't firm enough to fry. I then had a frying pan full of mashed potatoes that was getting crispy on the bottom.
I scraped up the brown not-fond on the bottom, mixed it in, added oil to fry more brown, added tomato puree, salt, pepper and soy sauce. Served them as it was, as a failure.
They were great, really savoury and the browned potato only added to the flavour. Now my other half regularly requests "red potatoes".
I am lazy and just add the mashed potatoes straight into a pan with butter. Smash down, wait a while for a solid crust to form, carefully flip, wait again.
I don’t even use cheese. I make a vegan version with butternut squash and yeast that is DEElicious. I’m not vegan, I made it for a friend years back and now I don’t think I’ll ever do an actual cheese mac again.
Leftover parm rinds. A BA recipe for risotto called for some, but I now just keep a little baggy in my freezer for all my soups and stews.
Adding a teaspoon of Vegemite to any and all savoury sauces and dishes.
Using maple syrup instead of sugar for salad dressing because I can never be bothered waiting for sugar to dissolve lol.
I usually do a balsamic reduction with shallots for a sauce if I just want a little sauce and to deglaze the pan, but I did it with carrots and maple syrup the other day and it was nice. It doesn't hit you in the sinuses like vinegar and it's not quite so lip puckering.
I specifically buy them at the grocery store because I'm too lazy to grate my own cheese and prefer pecorino (which doesn't have a rind) to parmesan. It's a standard add in all my soups and sauces.
We're a gran padano house haha. It's just easier to say Parm (clearly not Italian lol).
Another life changing cheese related tip from BA - use a blender for hard cheese! No grating needed.. Ever!
I forget her name, but that australian/thai cook did a couple of fusion Italian things that were pretty good. I think one of them was a Bolognese with soy and miso.
I was making chili but for some reason it wasn’t tasting as good as it usually did. I was looking in my spice cabinet and saw my fish sauce. I’ve been adding fish sauce to a lot of savory dishes. It’s so good
I do a glob of apple butter but reading your comment I realize it’s probably the cinnamon that’s really doing the heavy lifting. I’ll try that instead next time.
I think the apple butter could also be helping, depending on the ratios. I make a pumpkin chili that is so delicious - the puree makes it thicker and creamier.
I watched Kenji Lopez Alt do the same thing so I decided to add worcestshire sauce to mine (since its basically british fish sauce) and it has since become one of my go to ingredients.
Try sprinkling some on roasted broccoli. Its really good!
Out of all of the common umami bombs (soy, Worcestershire, and fish sauces, miso, msg, anchovies, strong cheeses, capers, etc), it’s the most easily accessible physically for me that will quickly disperse in food, being a thin liquid and all. So I end up using it first whenever there’s a thought that the dish needs more depth
One day I was getting really sick with a cold and was on the way home from a long trip. I asked my boyfriend to make chicken soup and sent him my recipe as he is not a very experienced cook. The recipe stated to use one to two big garlic cloves. My boyfriend confused garlic cloves with bulbs and used two heads of garlic. The soup was absolutely delicious. I now use way more garlic in my chicken soup and married him one year later, lol.
This is more baking, but adding a *pinch* of cinnamon to my chocolate chip cookies. Not enough to clock it as cinnamon, but just enough to give that sense of warmth. It elevates the chocolate imo.
that does sound really good! I haven't tried making brown butter chocolate chip cookies yet but I need to! my normal recipe is just softened butter lol
Heres a recipe from Kenji lopez
[https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-best-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe](https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-best-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe)
I add a dash of cinnamon, and when I'm browning the butter, I add two tablespoons of dry milk, for more browned milk solids. Its fantastic.
Came here to say this! I made a mistake and added cinnamon to a peanut-butter, chocolate-chip cookie recipe and it really enhanced the flavor, made them a "step up" from the regular recipe.
Haha, I had mixed up the cinnamon and cocoa powder in double chocolate chip cookies. I liked it so much that I intentionally added it to regular chocolate chip cookies. Now I make them with cinnamon every time.
I was making meatloaf once when I realized I didn’t have any breadcrumbs or crackers to add. I found I had a bag of garlic and herbs croutons in the cabinet, so I put them in a bag and crushed them with my tenderizing mallet. Added them to the mix and they made the meatloaf incredible tasting. So now I use them every time.
One time I wanted carbonara but I didn’t have bacon, pancetta, or guanciale, so instead I cut up tiny cubes of spam and shallow fried until nice and crispy. I liked it so much that now it’s my default way of making it!
If you do this then go with the low sodium variant because Parmesan and pecorino add plenty of saltiness.
A few years ago I rediscovered a love of spam and was looking for just about anything I could put it in. Spam carbonara has been my favorite so far. It's absolutely delicious and has been a huge hit with everyone I've made it for.
Spam is underrated. One of my favorite breakfasts is a Hawaiian classic: fried spam and eggs on rice. So simple but so good. Kimchi works well as a condiment for it.
No problem, the only complaint I get is, some people feel it has a sour after taste. Depends if your horseradish has vinegar in it.
But over all I get a 9/10.
Good luck.
Greek yogurt as a thickener in sloppy joes. I was cooking as a personal chef for some rich people in a completely empty kitchen in the middle of nowhere, with no way to get back to the store and find something else. I panicked.
Turns the sloppy joes neon orange but is WAY better than it has any right to be. Sorry Grandma for the sacrilege to your recipe.
I ran out of milk at Christmas and still needed to make my daughter’s vanilla pudding birthday “cake.” I used eggnog and OMG. It’s my favorite pudding now!
When I started making mujadara in my rice cooker I stopped using a regular cup to measure out rice and lentils, but started using the rice cooker cup (180mL), while keeping the amount of spices the same.
I don't know, i always eyeball it.
For the dry ingredients, I usually do 100g of oatmeal, 200g of grated apple (for bulk, flavor and sweetness,), 250g of mashed up Bananas, and around 25-50g of orange peel. Be careful with citruses and acids, they're a must in your oatmeal, but too much will ruin it.
This makes a big portion, mind you.
Similar but not the same, I once had instant oatmeal and no sugar, cinnamon or butter to add to it, so I threw in a good spoonful of orange marmalade. I loved it and now I do it quite often
I had a bunch of leftover smoked ribs and used them in chili for a chili competition. It won't, so needless to say, that's how I make it now. Rib meat has a different mouth feel than ground beef and that's how I prefer it now.
*Won, not won't. Jeez, learn how to type Shazam
My husband’s first brisket on the smoker wasn’t great. Not sure where he went wrong. But I diced it up, threw it in a pot with chili ingredients but added a few chilies in adobo and omg, it’s the best thing I ever cooked. I just ate the last batch from the freezer and it was still incredible.
I dehydrate my tomatoes, yes. But also use a mortar and pestle and/or a food mill. I jar mine. And use the food grade silica packets. A food mill is the easiest method. Mortar and pestle is so time consuming. It works though.
I was making chili, ages ago, for me and my roommates around Halloween, and while trying to drunkenly stir and eat a Reese’s, I dropped the cup in the chili. I said, “fuck it”, stirred it in, and everybody went nuts over it. No left overs. Kinda gives the chili (no beans!) a vague molé sauce vibe.
My friend’s mom makes really good cheese (kinda like parm but way stronger and funkier). I decided to grate some into my bread dough and it was so good! Now it goes into my dough every time!
I'm Guatemalan so our version of Mexican corn is elote Loco basically corn on the Cobb with mayo, ketchup, mustard and parmesan cheese. The other day I tried just butter and tajin on it absolutely amazing
I like to add a piece of mild blue cheese to tomato soup, when I serve it. I don't know why, one day I thought it would work, and to me I was right. I do the same to cauliflower and broccoli soup, as a way to elevate simple packaged soups
Curry powder in my whipped cream. That's right, the stuff you put on berries or pie.
Like just 1/4 teaspoon in 1 cup of 35% whipping cream. A bit of sugar and whip away.
You know something is there but not sure what. Masala would work too.
I use this kimchi sriracha I like in my steak pan sauces. The touch of heat and super flavorful kimchi and chili pairs very well with beef. I also throw in black vinegar for an extra dash of acid.
I was getting dissatisfied with the quality of jarred tomato sauce when I came across an Internet Shaquille video about making a simple sauce with crushed tomatoes, and a diced onion. Tried it myself and now I don't think I'm ever going back.
Can of Whole San Marzano’s. Crushed them in pan with a fork depending on how chunky you like your sauce. Cut an onion into quarters (quicker and easier to remove if desired). And add butter. Best sauce always 1000x better than a can
I think you would like this recipe which contains ginger: [Moroccan Chickpea Soup](https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/moroccan-chickpea-carrot-and-spinach-soup). I make it over and over. I add a pound of ground turkey and teaspoon of curry powder also. It’s just so good.
We had leftover lentils so I threw them into a salad with spinach, ranch, & crispy onions. I was just trying to use them before they went bad, but my husband absolutely loved it & expects a salad in his lunchbox if we have everything.
Yes! I love adding lentils to my leafy salads, adds such good heft.
Also, I've roasted sliced fennel and beets, let them cool and added those. Oddly pleasant.
We’ve called the salad a happy accident, and I typically have dry ones in the cabinet. Our youngest won’t touch meat but likes lentils so I keep them on hand.
When I make chicken salad (the kind with the grapes and toasted pecans), I add a pinch or two of cumin to the mayo. It's been to many potlucks, and I never leave it without giving out the recipe at least a half dozen times.
This one’s kind of basic, but I once got take-out ramen and the broth was really bland. I didn’t have any salt but I did have to-go packets of Tajín, so I added that instead and whoa. Delicious.
Now I always add Tajín to ramen.
I always add a can (or slightly less) or tomato paste and a pinch of sugar when making taco meat. It just elevates the dish so much imo
I also marinate chicken in white wine for a few hours before making chicken tenders. I learned it from my late father
Squeeze of lemon to my grilled vegetables. Completely brightens them up!
Quick clarifying question, do you mean you add the cheese and tomatoes to the dressing and then blend it up? Or are these left whole?
You ever grill the lemon, too? Cut it in half, little bit of oil, grill them cut side down until caramelized. They get so juicy and sweet (it takes that metallic edge off) and you can just squeeze them right over those veggies 😋
I generally would follow a very basic fried rice “recipe” but it just never got to the color I wanted and I didn’t want to buy dark soy sauce so I figured hoisin sauce is really brown and that’s what I wanted. Turned out it tasted much better with it so now I always add it.
Turns out that’s a pretty common ingredient but I figured it out by accident lol
I’m nowhere near the cook most of yall are on this sub. I cook like my grandma did. So my answer is probably underwhelming. But adding cream cheese to spaghetti sauce was it for me. I don’t do it every time. But a few times a year maybe. It makes it so creamy and delicious.
Did something similar but as like a zucchini boat. Scooped out the guts of the zucchini and mixed it with leftover stuffing, cheese, sausage, and sauteed onions and put this back in the hollowed out zucchini. More cheese on top and it was awesome.
I gotta believe it would work well with some other squashes, too.
I was making green bean casserole from an old Martha Stewart cook book for Thanksgiving. Pages either got stuck together or I lost my place. Ended up adding cheddar cheese to the cream of soup and cream cheese. It was amazing. It’s the only way some of my family will eat that dish now.
Dried cranberries to stuffing mix.
Now I add them to chicken salad.
Also a few to Quinoa.
Add while cooking the stuffing or Quinoa to plump
Mayo in the chicken salad is sufficient moisture, but occasionally plump them a bit first, even in microwave w a bit of water if in a hurry.
Balsamic vinegar in the glaze for meatloaf with the ketchup & sugar.
Making butter chicken without doing the marinade. Using half qty of spices to cook the chicken in then adding cream & pureed tomatoes for the sauce. Spicier and tastes better.
I can my own tomatoes, sauce, etc. and accidentally grabbed a quart of my homemade V8 juice when making a pot of chili. I didn’t)t realize it was V8 until I had poured it into the pot with the meat, veggies, and seasonings. Turns out it was the best pot of chili I had ever had. I now add V8 to my chili every time.
I like it best in veg soups - I save my scraps (celery, onion, carrot, cabbage, etc) and teabags in the freezer, toss them in with the cold water and heat up the pot to simmer, and strain it out whenever I've finished prepping whatever soup I'm making. I like doing this as a free vege broth base for continuing on with beans, rice, cabbage soups, barley, stuff like that. If I have any bones saved in the freezer I might throw them in at the start too to get strained out, very nice way to get to a vegge chicken broth for example for continuing to a chicken/noodle soup or something. Pretty versatile really, but I do love some tea so I might just be biased haha
Jarred Italian hot cherry peppers to a lot of things. I essentially add that or Calabrian chili to almost anything and it depends on if I want the acidity of the hot peppers in the brine.
Added anchovies to a savoury porridge to add some umami to it. It and the chilli crunch on the top, are really helping me ignore the grief, of losing my morning eggs on toast to cholestoral concerns.
Potato salad, but instead of paprika sprinkled on top, I use ground cayenne. Gives it a little kick. My family loves it, and anywhere I've taken it I've gotten compliments.
I made a “pumpkin spice chili” for a fall party one time, with pumpkin puree, cloves, cinnamon etc. because of the theme and it ended up being so good we make it like once a month when it’s cold.
1% fat cottage cheese in mac & cheese. It boosts up the protein a bunch, provides creamy cheese without all the fat, and it’s delicious!
Also mix ketchup with cottage cheese & put on baked potato’s. Sounds weird buts it’s so good. Cheap, fast EZ snack or dinner. Extra yummy with some hot sauce.
I make Brennan’s recipe for grits with milk for my grillades and grits. One time we tried my gumbo over the grits instead of rice or potato salad. Only way we’ve had gumbo since and I’ve recruited others with a tasting.
I needed to make crab cakes at work (I used to cook for a senior living house), and the recipe called for some chopped red pepper, which we were out of. I subbed grated carrot instead to get that color and sweetness, and the residents went ape over them. Never used the red bell pepper again.
Same job, we had Snicker/Apple Salad on the menu. No apples, but a resident's daughter had brought us a box of pears from her tree. Subbed the pears for the apples, and it was even better!
I always dream of making chimichurri when we BBQ. I usually fail because the parsley cilantro rot before I work up the energy to do it. Enter trader Joe's chimichurri. It goes on every sandwich, every sauce, eggs, chicken.. it is wonderful. Same with toom. It is sooo good.
Whenever I make a dry BBQ rub for pork or chicken, I always add garam masala to my spice mix. It just adds an extra omph to the BBQ and it's so good! Always get compliments!
Garam masala was my answer too, but for chili. I once grabbed it instead of cumin by mistake and now it's a MUST.
Same, always add it to black beans too! Really rounds out the other spices like cumin and chili powder.
SO many ideas for chili. Mines already pretty complex, I use like 6 different types / blends of meat along with the beans and spices and such, but I'm intrigued by adding garam and adding a reeses peanut butter cup. Guess we're having a lot of chili in the near future, haha. Do you use it instead of cumin, like a 1 to 1 sub?
I have been using both (1/2 garam masala to cumin) but subbing would be interesting given that garam masala is itself a mixture of cumin, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and black pepper. I feel like it gives chili a lovely sweet warmth and depth.
I add it to pasta sauce to get a deeper flavor to it
Def going to try this winter when I make my chili. Sounds amazing!
Ras el-hanout for chili here! Very similar but less clovey flavor profile (more savory cinnamony)
I add it to oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and people go nuts over them!
Recipe?
Garam Masala on acorn or butternut squash is way better than anything else I've tried.
I often add curry powder but haven’t tried garam masala, def gonna try that next time!
Garam Masala can make so many things better. I have started putting it in Mac and cheese, potato soup, and squash soup.
Ohhhh im going to do this. I do a BBQ rub for sockeye salmon and this would be delicious
I once added it to eggs just to see how it tastes, now I buy it just so I can put it on eggs
I add garam masala to my lemon pumpkin muffins. My daughter tried to recreate them and couldn’t get them to taste right, and it was skipping the garam masala!
Love garam, see my edit.
Garam masala was mine too! Applesauce in this case!
I know it's not quite an addition, but a random technique/failure. I tried to parboil potatoes to saute them, got distracted, overboiled them to the point where they weren't firm enough to fry. I then had a frying pan full of mashed potatoes that was getting crispy on the bottom. I scraped up the brown not-fond on the bottom, mixed it in, added oil to fry more brown, added tomato puree, salt, pepper and soy sauce. Served them as it was, as a failure. They were great, really savoury and the browned potato only added to the flavour. Now my other half regularly requests "red potatoes".
Whenever I have leftover mashed potatoes I just add some egg, flour, spices etc and fry them into potato pancakes.
Half the reason for making mashed potatoes in the first place is to have enough left over to do this.
Yup once I discovered this awhile back my girlfriend requests mashed potatoes way more often for dinner haha
I am lazy and just add the mashed potatoes straight into a pan with butter. Smash down, wait a while for a solid crust to form, carefully flip, wait again.
Saving this for later.
A bit of nutritional yeast to Mac and cheese boosts cheesiness and umami without adding saltiness
I don’t even use cheese. I make a vegan version with butternut squash and yeast that is DEElicious. I’m not vegan, I made it for a friend years back and now I don’t think I’ll ever do an actual cheese mac again.
Leftover parm rinds. A BA recipe for risotto called for some, but I now just keep a little baggy in my freezer for all my soups and stews. Adding a teaspoon of Vegemite to any and all savoury sauces and dishes. Using maple syrup instead of sugar for salad dressing because I can never be bothered waiting for sugar to dissolve lol.
I add maple syrup any time a dish needs a little pop of sweetness. It's easy to pour and has an extra depth of flavor that honey doesn't have.
I usually do a balsamic reduction with shallots for a sauce if I just want a little sauce and to deglaze the pan, but I did it with carrots and maple syrup the other day and it was nice. It doesn't hit you in the sinuses like vinegar and it's not quite so lip puckering.
I specifically buy them at the grocery store because I'm too lazy to grate my own cheese and prefer pecorino (which doesn't have a rind) to parmesan. It's a standard add in all my soups and sauces.
We're a gran padano house haha. It's just easier to say Parm (clearly not Italian lol). Another life changing cheese related tip from BA - use a blender for hard cheese! No grating needed.. Ever!
Or honey to salad dressings.
My local grocery store sells boxes of just the parm rinds chopped up
Soy sauce in bolognese.
Fish sauce is a win too, just don’t tell the Italians.
Eh, one of the most important culinary goods in the Roman empire was a similar fermented fish sauce called garum, they'll live.
I call Worcestershire sauce Garum.
Colatura is still a thing in that area too!
I forget her name, but that australian/thai cook did a couple of fusion Italian things that were pretty good. I think one of them was a Bolognese with soy and miso.
Or Vegemite!
I was making chili but for some reason it wasn’t tasting as good as it usually did. I was looking in my spice cabinet and saw my fish sauce. I’ve been adding fish sauce to a lot of savory dishes. It’s so good
A pinch of cocoa powder to chili...!
A dash of cinnamon also is nice.
I do a glob of apple butter but reading your comment I realize it’s probably the cinnamon that’s really doing the heavy lifting. I’ll try that instead next time.
I think the apple butter could also be helping, depending on the ratios. I make a pumpkin chili that is so delicious - the puree makes it thicker and creamier.
I always add a pinch near the end of spaghetti sauce prep. It adds a nice hint of sweetness without cutting the savory.
I use a small block of baker’s chocolate.
This is what I use
My nail tech (Vietnamese) said she adds it to literally everything she cooks even if she’s making “American food”
It’s the umami effect. I add Worcestershire sauce to mine and have added soy sauce if I run out.
This. I also keep anchovy paste and miso paste in my fridge for this, as well as powdered mushrooms.
Fish sauce is amazing! I always add a little to tomato soup and spag bol
A small amount adds depth to lots of food. Great in scrambled eggs, too.
I watched Kenji Lopez Alt do the same thing so I decided to add worcestshire sauce to mine (since its basically british fish sauce) and it has since become one of my go to ingredients. Try sprinkling some on roasted broccoli. Its really good!
I add it to homemade chicken soup. So good.
I take a cue from the Vietnamese and add a little splash of fish sauce to any dish that needs umami
Kenji Lopez Alt talks about this in his serious eats beef stew recipe. Rule #7 break out the umami bombs
Out of all of the common umami bombs (soy, Worcestershire, and fish sauces, miso, msg, anchovies, strong cheeses, capers, etc), it’s the most easily accessible physically for me that will quickly disperse in food, being a thin liquid and all. So I end up using it first whenever there’s a thought that the dish needs more depth
Fish sauce is my not so secret weapon in my red sauces.
I alwayssss add fish sauce to chili, soups, and marinades! Total game changer
One day I was getting really sick with a cold and was on the way home from a long trip. I asked my boyfriend to make chicken soup and sent him my recipe as he is not a very experienced cook. The recipe stated to use one to two big garlic cloves. My boyfriend confused garlic cloves with bulbs and used two heads of garlic. The soup was absolutely delicious. I now use way more garlic in my chicken soup and married him one year later, lol.
Hahaha love it. I use so much garlic in most of my cooking, I love this.
This is more baking, but adding a *pinch* of cinnamon to my chocolate chip cookies. Not enough to clock it as cinnamon, but just enough to give that sense of warmth. It elevates the chocolate imo.
I make brown butter chocolate chip cookies, I add the pinch of cinnamon at the end of browning to bloom it, it’s wonderful.
that does sound really good! I haven't tried making brown butter chocolate chip cookies yet but I need to! my normal recipe is just softened butter lol
Heres a recipe from Kenji lopez [https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-best-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe](https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-best-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe) I add a dash of cinnamon, and when I'm browning the butter, I add two tablespoons of dry milk, for more browned milk solids. Its fantastic.
oh thanks for the recipe!! Now I need to go to the store and get more butter so I can make these hahaha
Want more brown butter flavor? Add milk powder to your melted butter before any browning has happened and watch that brown too! Extra brown bits!
I use brown butter and a tablespoon or so of molasses. So flavorful.
I tried rye flour for chocolate chip cookies and it totally transformed them. Same sort of warmth in a sense.
I would love to try this! Did you do all rye flour or is it a combo of rye and AP?
I did all rye, it does change the texture a bit, but I liked them. Please let me know if you try them, and if you you liked them.
Thanks! I will try to remember to report back 🙂
Came here to say this! I made a mistake and added cinnamon to a peanut-butter, chocolate-chip cookie recipe and it really enhanced the flavor, made them a "step up" from the regular recipe.
Haha, I had mixed up the cinnamon and cocoa powder in double chocolate chip cookies. I liked it so much that I intentionally added it to regular chocolate chip cookies. Now I make them with cinnamon every time.
Mistakes CAN be good! 😆
I was making meatloaf once when I realized I didn’t have any breadcrumbs or crackers to add. I found I had a bag of garlic and herbs croutons in the cabinet, so I put them in a bag and crushed them with my tenderizing mallet. Added them to the mix and they made the meatloaf incredible tasting. So now I use them every time.
I’ve used crushed stale Funyuns before, turned out awesome
One time I wanted carbonara but I didn’t have bacon, pancetta, or guanciale, so instead I cut up tiny cubes of spam and shallow fried until nice and crispy. I liked it so much that now it’s my default way of making it! If you do this then go with the low sodium variant because Parmesan and pecorino add plenty of saltiness.
A few years ago I rediscovered a love of spam and was looking for just about anything I could put it in. Spam carbonara has been my favorite so far. It's absolutely delicious and has been a huge hit with everyone I've made it for.
Spam is underrated. One of my favorite breakfasts is a Hawaiian classic: fried spam and eggs on rice. So simple but so good. Kimchi works well as a condiment for it.
This sounds delicious!!
I had the same experience. The wife and I kinda hate how much we like it, but damn is it good.
I'm definitely gonna try this
Horse Radish in mashed potatoes.
Ooh. I'll be making mashed potatoes very soon now, great idea!
No problem, the only complaint I get is, some people feel it has a sour after taste. Depends if your horseradish has vinegar in it. But over all I get a 9/10. Good luck.
If I can find the actual root, I'll grate it in there myself, otherwise I'll prepare everyone for the possible sour.
Greek yogurt as a thickener in sloppy joes. I was cooking as a personal chef for some rich people in a completely empty kitchen in the middle of nowhere, with no way to get back to the store and find something else. I panicked. Turns the sloppy joes neon orange but is WAY better than it has any right to be. Sorry Grandma for the sacrilege to your recipe.
I ran out of milk at Christmas and still needed to make my daughter’s vanilla pudding birthday “cake.” I used eggnog and OMG. It’s my favorite pudding now!
When I started making mujadara in my rice cooker I stopped using a regular cup to measure out rice and lentils, but started using the rice cooker cup (180mL), while keeping the amount of spices the same.
I boil my oatmeal with orange peel.
That sounds delicious! How much orange peel do you use roughly?
Oh I buy dehydrated orange peel. Might chop it up more in my coffee grinder that is designated for herbs.
I don't know, i always eyeball it. For the dry ingredients, I usually do 100g of oatmeal, 200g of grated apple (for bulk, flavor and sweetness,), 250g of mashed up Bananas, and around 25-50g of orange peel. Be careful with citruses and acids, they're a must in your oatmeal, but too much will ruin it. This makes a big portion, mind you.
Similar but not the same, I once had instant oatmeal and no sugar, cinnamon or butter to add to it, so I threw in a good spoonful of orange marmalade. I loved it and now I do it quite often
I do the same with crushed graham crackers, pumpkin butter, and maybe a few walnuts or pecans if I’m feeling extra.
I had a bunch of leftover smoked ribs and used them in chili for a chili competition. It won't, so needless to say, that's how I make it now. Rib meat has a different mouth feel than ground beef and that's how I prefer it now. *Won, not won't. Jeez, learn how to type Shazam
Leftover smoked ribs? I wish I had this ingredient laying around.
That was also my first thought
My husband’s first brisket on the smoker wasn’t great. Not sure where he went wrong. But I diced it up, threw it in a pot with chili ingredients but added a few chilies in adobo and omg, it’s the best thing I ever cooked. I just ate the last batch from the freezer and it was still incredible.
You mean it WON? “Won’t” cracked me up!
Homemade tomato powder instead of paprika in my homemade rub. Takes it to a whole different level.
Do you just keep dehydrating tomatoes until they become powder? I've never really dehydrated anything but I am curious about the process.
I dehydrate my tomatoes, yes. But also use a mortar and pestle and/or a food mill. I jar mine. And use the food grade silica packets. A food mill is the easiest method. Mortar and pestle is so time consuming. It works though.
Thanks for the details :)
Nutmeg in my potato soup. Just a little though! Really gives it a full bodied flavor with minimal effort.
I add the slightest pinch of nutmeg to beef stew and beef gravy, it makes it taste beefier.
Try it with mace instead. They are almost the same thing, but for some reason mace tastes better in savory dishes IMO.
Miso, I was making a pan sauce and through in some miso, it was surprisingly good so I do it nearly every time now.
I add a Reese’s peanut butter cup to my pot of chili once it starts bubbling
I need the origin story
I was making chili, ages ago, for me and my roommates around Halloween, and while trying to drunkenly stir and eat a Reese’s, I dropped the cup in the chili. I said, “fuck it”, stirred it in, and everybody went nuts over it. No left overs. Kinda gives the chili (no beans!) a vague molé sauce vibe.
Pickled ginger to a traditional Caesar salad
I'll be doing that imminently.
It's especially good if you make the dressing with anchovies, as is traditional, because pickled ginger is meant to go with fish.
Dijon mustard in pan sauteed green beans
My friend’s mom makes really good cheese (kinda like parm but way stronger and funkier). I decided to grate some into my bread dough and it was so good! Now it goes into my dough every time!
I'm Guatemalan so our version of Mexican corn is elote Loco basically corn on the Cobb with mayo, ketchup, mustard and parmesan cheese. The other day I tried just butter and tajin on it absolutely amazing
I like to add a piece of mild blue cheese to tomato soup, when I serve it. I don't know why, one day I thought it would work, and to me I was right. I do the same to cauliflower and broccoli soup, as a way to elevate simple packaged soups
Italian dressing and steak go brilliantly together.
Curry powder in my whipped cream. That's right, the stuff you put on berries or pie. Like just 1/4 teaspoon in 1 cup of 35% whipping cream. A bit of sugar and whip away. You know something is there but not sure what. Masala would work too.
That sounds amazing. I love masala and curry powder.
I use this kimchi sriracha I like in my steak pan sauces. The touch of heat and super flavorful kimchi and chili pairs very well with beef. I also throw in black vinegar for an extra dash of acid.
I was getting dissatisfied with the quality of jarred tomato sauce when I came across an Internet Shaquille video about making a simple sauce with crushed tomatoes, and a diced onion. Tried it myself and now I don't think I'm ever going back.
Can of Whole San Marzano’s. Crushed them in pan with a fork depending on how chunky you like your sauce. Cut an onion into quarters (quicker and easier to remove if desired). And add butter. Best sauce always 1000x better than a can
Marcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce, delicious
Grated ginger in chicken soup.
I think you would like this recipe which contains ginger: [Moroccan Chickpea Soup](https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/moroccan-chickpea-carrot-and-spinach-soup). I make it over and over. I add a pound of ground turkey and teaspoon of curry powder also. It’s just so good.
Thanks!
We had leftover lentils so I threw them into a salad with spinach, ranch, & crispy onions. I was just trying to use them before they went bad, but my husband absolutely loved it & expects a salad in his lunchbox if we have everything.
Yes! I love adding lentils to my leafy salads, adds such good heft. Also, I've roasted sliced fennel and beets, let them cool and added those. Oddly pleasant.
We’ve called the salad a happy accident, and I typically have dry ones in the cabinet. Our youngest won’t touch meat but likes lentils so I keep them on hand.
When I make chicken salad (the kind with the grapes and toasted pecans), I add a pinch or two of cumin to the mayo. It's been to many potlucks, and I never leave it without giving out the recipe at least a half dozen times.
I add a bit of curry powder, like coronation chicken as mentioned by absolute-cat
You might really enjoy coronation chicken! Makes lovely sandwiches :)
A local restaurant adds curry powder to the grapes/ pecan chicken salad! Yum!
Add drained pineapple tidbits. You will thank me later
Keep your grapes and pineapple out of here
This one’s kind of basic, but I once got take-out ramen and the broth was really bland. I didn’t have any salt but I did have to-go packets of Tajín, so I added that instead and whoa. Delicious. Now I always add Tajín to ramen.
I always add a can (or slightly less) or tomato paste and a pinch of sugar when making taco meat. It just elevates the dish so much imo I also marinate chicken in white wine for a few hours before making chicken tenders. I learned it from my late father
Squeeze of lemon to my grilled vegetables. Completely brightens them up! Quick clarifying question, do you mean you add the cheese and tomatoes to the dressing and then blend it up? Or are these left whole?
You ever grill the lemon, too? Cut it in half, little bit of oil, grill them cut side down until caramelized. They get so juicy and sweet (it takes that metallic edge off) and you can just squeeze them right over those veggies 😋
Micro-planed nutmeg in cream sauces.
- Salsa on a hot dog - Salsa in grilled cheese - Spinach in grilled cheese (But not spinach *and* salsa in a grilled cheese. That's just nasty.)
I generally would follow a very basic fried rice “recipe” but it just never got to the color I wanted and I didn’t want to buy dark soy sauce so I figured hoisin sauce is really brown and that’s what I wanted. Turned out it tasted much better with it so now I always add it. Turns out that’s a pretty common ingredient but I figured it out by accident lol
Hoisin is my favorite Asian sauce.
I’m nowhere near the cook most of yall are on this sub. I cook like my grandma did. So my answer is probably underwhelming. But adding cream cheese to spaghetti sauce was it for me. I don’t do it every time. But a few times a year maybe. It makes it so creamy and delicious.
Steak marinades with Italian salad dressing. Works really well
My mother used to do that with London broil when I was a kid. So good. That was when I realized beef was maybe my favorite thing to eat.
My mom did it with chicken breast and it was called Italian chicken. This would’ve been early 80s, so calling something “Italian” didn’t take much
Same!!
I had leftover turkey stuffing and roasted squash. Added some sausage, and had it all together. Now I make it as a winter casserole, esp for potlucks.
Did something similar but as like a zucchini boat. Scooped out the guts of the zucchini and mixed it with leftover stuffing, cheese, sausage, and sauteed onions and put this back in the hollowed out zucchini. More cheese on top and it was awesome. I gotta believe it would work well with some other squashes, too.
A little bit of Cumin into anything with pineapple. Add cumin to the dredge if making a pineapple based sauce for example.
I started adding some Dijon mustard whisked into eggs if I’m making omelettes or frittatas. It’s really good and won’t go it any other way now.
Interesting! I’m going to try this 👍
I was making green bean casserole from an old Martha Stewart cook book for Thanksgiving. Pages either got stuck together or I lost my place. Ended up adding cheddar cheese to the cream of soup and cream cheese. It was amazing. It’s the only way some of my family will eat that dish now.
That sounds pretty great, I may try that.
Dried cranberries to stuffing mix. Now I add them to chicken salad. Also a few to Quinoa. Add while cooking the stuffing or Quinoa to plump Mayo in the chicken salad is sufficient moisture, but occasionally plump them a bit first, even in microwave w a bit of water if in a hurry.
Horseradish sauce to mashed potatoes Tabasco to lettuce (crazy what it does) A few grains of salt to coffee (natural bitterness suppressant)
Balsamic vinegar in the glaze for meatloaf with the ketchup & sugar. Making butter chicken without doing the marinade. Using half qty of spices to cook the chicken in then adding cream & pureed tomatoes for the sauce. Spicier and tastes better.
Balsamic vinegar in Shepherds pie (actually cottage pie, but who calls it that?)
Shepherds is made with lamb mince, cottage is made with beef mince. Both delicious.
As a Brit, I can tell you that people round my way get quite upset if you get it wrong.
English myself, and Mum always called it Shepherds pie.
I sprinkle Trader Joe's Green Goddess flakes on chicken before roasting, or on roasted veggies. It's great sprinkled in salad. Very versatile.
I can my own tomatoes, sauce, etc. and accidentally grabbed a quart of my homemade V8 juice when making a pot of chili. I didn’t)t realize it was V8 until I had poured it into the pot with the meat, veggies, and seasonings. Turns out it was the best pot of chili I had ever had. I now add V8 to my chili every time.
spent tea bags get saved and added to (some) soups / stews - adds depth bitterness earthiness astringency.
I've never considered this! Which soups would you suggest it works for?
I like it best in veg soups - I save my scraps (celery, onion, carrot, cabbage, etc) and teabags in the freezer, toss them in with the cold water and heat up the pot to simmer, and strain it out whenever I've finished prepping whatever soup I'm making. I like doing this as a free vege broth base for continuing on with beans, rice, cabbage soups, barley, stuff like that. If I have any bones saved in the freezer I might throw them in at the start too to get strained out, very nice way to get to a vegge chicken broth for example for continuing to a chicken/noodle soup or something. Pretty versatile really, but I do love some tea so I might just be biased haha
Brilliant, thanks, I can't wait to try this when I've got enough scraps for my big pot 😁
bon appetite! i learned to cook from grandma, she grew up on the dust farm in the great depression so I have some poor ways haha but I am what I am :)
Jarred Italian hot cherry peppers to a lot of things. I essentially add that or Calabrian chili to almost anything and it depends on if I want the acidity of the hot peppers in the brine.
Added anchovies to a savoury porridge to add some umami to it. It and the chilli crunch on the top, are really helping me ignore the grief, of losing my morning eggs on toast to cholestoral concerns.
Plain yogurt in jello
Potato salad, but instead of paprika sprinkled on top, I use ground cayenne. Gives it a little kick. My family loves it, and anywhere I've taken it I've gotten compliments.
I made a “pumpkin spice chili” for a fall party one time, with pumpkin puree, cloves, cinnamon etc. because of the theme and it ended up being so good we make it like once a month when it’s cold.
1% fat cottage cheese in mac & cheese. It boosts up the protein a bunch, provides creamy cheese without all the fat, and it’s delicious! Also mix ketchup with cottage cheese & put on baked potato’s. Sounds weird buts it’s so good. Cheap, fast EZ snack or dinner. Extra yummy with some hot sauce.
I sprinkled some garam masala on kraft mac once. Its pretty tempting to do it all the time now.
Adding a pinch of ground cloves to blueberry pie filling, somehow makes for a stronger blueberry taste.
I make Brennan’s recipe for grits with milk for my grillades and grits. One time we tried my gumbo over the grits instead of rice or potato salad. Only way we’ve had gumbo since and I’ve recruited others with a tasting.
I thought I was the only wierdo who made grits with milk!?
So much tastier than plain water or a broth!
I needed to make crab cakes at work (I used to cook for a senior living house), and the recipe called for some chopped red pepper, which we were out of. I subbed grated carrot instead to get that color and sweetness, and the residents went ape over them. Never used the red bell pepper again. Same job, we had Snicker/Apple Salad on the menu. No apples, but a resident's daughter had brought us a box of pears from her tree. Subbed the pears for the apples, and it was even better!
I sub A1 in anything where Worcestershire sauce is called for. I add mustard powder to most savory recipes.
MSG (Accent) on all the things. I'm convinced it was the super secret ingredient on all my granny and auntie's southern cooking.
Dashi powder mixed into scrambled eggs. It somehow makes the eggs taste more like eggs, and it has a slight smoky flavor from the bonito. Yum!
Caribbean seasoning in pasta sauce (marinara)
I add a can of Rotel to my homemade chicken soup. It gives it a little kick and a boost of flavor
Mayonnaise to my cheese grits. 🤫
OP- what’s the recipe? It sounds tasty!
Maple syrup in whipped cream
I once heard a story about someone's mom using cinnamon on accident in chili- I tried it and it's SO good
Wanted to make chili but no ground beef. I did have stewing beef and now I will never again make chili with ground beef
I add soy sauce to marinara sauce when I make spaghetti! It really adds depth and depth umami.
Chinese five spice to my ramen.
I always dream of making chimichurri when we BBQ. I usually fail because the parsley cilantro rot before I work up the energy to do it. Enter trader Joe's chimichurri. It goes on every sandwich, every sauce, eggs, chicken.. it is wonderful. Same with toom. It is sooo good.