10 Kitchen Shortcuts That Get Dinner on Your Table Faster

You may be too rushed in the early morning to prepare breakfast for yourself and the kids. Or your partner may tell you that they’re coming back earlier than you were expecting. In cases like these, some simple hacks are necessary to speed up your kitchen routine without sacrificing the quality of your meal.

We at Bright Side always feel delighted when our hacks prove useful to you and would love to share some new kitchen tricks that can shorten your time in the kitchen.

1. Use a slicer to make funny shapes for your pastries.

Sometimes your kids will ask you to bake something special for them or you’ll simply want to try making something for yourself. But if you don’t do this often, you may not have the right tools. But there’s no need to run to the store to buy anything. Just take a look around.

A slicer for veggies or fruit can be the perfect tool to cut through the dough. It will take just a few seconds to make a cute shape for your future cakes and cookies.

2. Use chopsticks to make gnocchi.

If you want to surprise your family or friends, homemade gnocchi can be a brilliant idea. To speed up the process of forming the perfect shape for your gnocchi dish, use chopsticks. You can use 3, 4, or 5 chopsticks for this purpose. It depends on the size of the gnocchi you want.

Put the dough on top of the sticks and cut and roll the pieces with a knife — you don’t even have to use your fingers.

3. Cut the potato in the middle before boiling it to peel it faster.

Peeling a boiled potato is not the most enjoyable thing for some of us and it sure takes some time. Just shorten the procedure by making a cut around your potato before boiling it. After the vegetables are cooked, put them in cold water.

Now peeling is much faster and easier.

4. Use a peeler to cut cheese and cold butter.

This hack is very simple but incredibly useful. Cutting perfect slices of cold butter or cheese can be satisfying for all those perfectionists out there, and all it takes is the peeler you usually use on fruits and vegetables. Start your morning off with a perfect mood and a perfect sandwich.

5. Make quick dumplings by using a soup spoon.

It seems like dumplings are a complicated dish that need plenty of time. But try this hack first! Make dough as you would for pancakes. Then take a soup spoon, heat it, and cook your dumpling right in the spoon like it’s shown in the picture.

Use chopsticks to close your dumpling and put it onto a plate.

6. Use a box from blank CDs for perfect burgers to-go.

Old CD boxes can serve as a handy kitchen device, cutting sandwich prep time in half. Your burger will look superb after layering your fix-ins inside the box.

If you’re in a rush and want to eat your burger on-the-go, just close the CD box and no special equipment is needed.

7. Place your garlic in the microwave to peel it faster.

If you need to peel a large amount of garlic at once, there’s a trick that will make your life easier. Place the entire head of garlic in the microwave and heat it for 20 seconds. Take it out and let it cool for another 20 seconds. Now peeling it will be much easier.

8. Cook your steak in a toaster.

Whipping up a good steak without a grill or a pan is possible. Take some foil and place the steak on top of it. Add spices, oil, and pepper for taste. Now wrap everything in the foil and place it in the toaster for 10 minutes. Steaks are ready!

9. Make quick breakfast wraps without baking a thing.

Delicious breakfast wraps can be made fast. First, mix the eggs and pour them into a pan. Then place the tortilla on top. It should stick to the eggs.

After the whole thing has been baked a little, turn it over and add any necessary spices or vegetables. Then just wrap it up and enjoy!

10. Cover your butter knife with a napkin.

This hack is just perfect when you want to save time washing dishes. Just cover your knife with a simple napkin to avoid getting it dirty after cutting. But there’s just one thing to remember: this hack only works with soft butter or cream cheese.

What’s your favorite dish? What tricks do you use to cut time and ease the process of cooking?