We want you to pay close attention today, friends!

Because a bunch of AskReddit users were nice enough to share cooking hacks that they swear are gonna rock your world!

Are you ready to dive in?

Let’s get it started!

There you go.

“If your food is bland even though you’ve added salt then it’s missing acidity.

Lemon juice, lime juice, or vinegar are easy additions.”

Yummy.

“I use soy sauce in a lot of stews and soups to help bring out savory flavors.

My minestrone, for instance, usually has some soy sauce in it.”

Now I’m hungry.

“My wife browns the butter before she adds it to chocolate chip cookie dough and they’re the best freakin cookies I’ve ever eaten!”

Don’t burn yourself.

“Leaving a potholder on the handle of a cleaned cast iron pan to let anyone who might put it away know it may be hot as it cools down.

Ditto for any skillet that comes out of the oven after roasting or braising. A towel immediately goes over the handle to remind myself not to instinctively go for the handle.”

Uh uh.

“If a recipe says to sauté onions and garlic together at the same time, DON’T.

Do the onions first, and then add the garlic when the onions are just about done.

Garlic can be over sautéed and it takes on a bitter flavor.”

Makes it easier.

“Prep everything first.

Have all of your veggies cut and ingredients ready. You will be more relaxed.

Clean as you go. Wash your dishes while waiting for your food to finish cooking. Less dishes to deal with at the end of the night.”

Good advice.

“If your executive function is betraying you and you rely on microwaveable or premade meals, find something small you can add to make them more substantial and to feel more like a meal.

Add chopped broccoli to ramen noodles. Cumin and red pepper flakes are great to toss in, too. Cook minute rice with a chicken boullion cube and some butter and pretend it’s risotto. Personal favorite is to dump a can of corn into a microwave-safe bowl and mix in a bunch of taco seasoning.

And if clean-up is a struggle too, use paper plates and bamboo flatware. Disposable chopsticks are super cheap and easy to find online.

When you’re struggling with depression, fatigue, or anything that makes taking care of yourself harder, taking shortcuts isn’t laziness, it’s how you survive to make those more daunting tasks a little less scary.”

Nice and soft.

“I always take my cookies out of the oven a couple minutes or so before they’re supposed to come out.

They still cook a little bit when they’re cooling on the pan, and as a result they come out nice and soft.”

You can cheat a little.

“Have a “cheat sheet” for times things go in the oven and how long it takes so you can prepare side dishes to go with the entree.”

Roasted.

“Do you not like vegetables but want to learn to love them?

Roast.That.S**t.

Roasted veggies are like ambrosia of the gods. They taste amazing, require virtually no prep, and go with everything.”

Yes!

“Find a seasoning blend you like (pre-blended or not; if not, make your own blend ahead of time for ease), and put it in everything.

Well, not everything, but a lot of things, and use your own judgment on how much of it for each dish, but even a little sprinkle can really do wonders.”

FYI.

“Preheat. Preheat the oven every time. Let your pan heat up, and let the oil heat up.

When I sauté veggies, (chopped onions, bell peppers, etc.) I prep the veggies first, add salt to the prep bowl, and let it sit for 10-20 minutes before adding the veggies to the pan. The salt will penetrate the veggies, and drive water out. Veggies taste better, and take less time to sear and pick up color.

If your frozen food has instructions for cooking from thawed, move that food from the freezer to the fridge the day before and cook it from thawed. It will almost always be better.”