8 Secret Pantry Ingredients that Make Your Recipes Better!
Squeeze Lemon Over Pasta
Skip the salt when you boil the pasta, instead squeeze in half a lemon. You’ll give your pasta some zip, and cut down on your sodium intake.
Perk Up Your Steak With Coffee
Mix fine coffee grounds into a spice rub for a rich, aromatic flavor. For an especially good combination, mix together ground espresso or other coffee, paprika, chili powder (or pure ancho chile powder,) cumin, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Add a touch of sugar.
Amp Up Your Eggs With Cream Cheese
Once you try this dish, you may never want your eggs any other way. Cream cheese gives the eggs a smooth texture that is irresistible. Melt 2 tbsp. butter and 1/4 cup cream cheese in a skillet before adding the beaten egg mixture. Cook over medium-low heat until the eggs are just firm yet moist.
Add Sour Cream to Pasta Sauce
To give your sauce a rich flavor, stir in 1/4 cup sour cream per 2 cups sauce. Cook over low heat until sour cream blends into the sauce. Keep the sauce warm over low heat, but don’t allow it to boil or the sour cream may curdle.
Add Salad Dressing to Soup
Stir in some bottled blue cheese salad dressing toward the end of cooking your soup and enjoy the mouthwatering results!
Make Meatballs Juicier With Applesauce
Grandmas have used this trick for decades. Combine 1-1/2 pounds of ground beef, 2 slightly beaten eggs, 1 cup bread crumbs, 1 cup applesauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Shape into balls and roll in flour. Brown them in a skillet and then add your favorite pasta sauce and simmer until cooked through.
Put Cheese Crackers on Your Chicken
Use cheese crackers in the breading. First soak the chicken in evaporated milk and fresh lemon juice for 2 to 4 hours, then dip in seasoned flour, beaten egg, and finally the crushed cheese crackers. Pan-fry or bake as usual.
Put Chocolate Chips in Your Chili
For deep, rich tasting vegetarian chili, stir in semi-sweet chocolate chips at the end of cooking. After you’ve cooked the chili, remove from the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips, salt and pepper.
source: readersdigest.ca
