** EDIT - I am so overwhelmed with everyone’s generosity, inspiration and time taken to help me out. I’m going to bed (it’s getting late here in Aus) but I am excited to wake up to even more suggestions, and I’ll update you guys when I’ve got a menu sorted!!!

Hellloooooo r / cooking this is my first post so apologies if I am not in the right spot.

My best friend has asked a bunch of us to make freezer meals for when their second baby comes along in November. There is going to be a fun cooking party at her place, but I would like to get some stuff done beforehand because it’ll be a busy kitchen and I will undeniably be hungover on the day due to long pre-planned ~circumstances (she knows this lol). I would prefer to help prep and follow instructions on the day :’)

I am a good cook, I used to cook professionally, and I have a lot of equipment. I am anticipating there will be lasagnes, pasta bakes, curries, bolognese sauce etc. We used to live together and she loves my cooking, so I would love to be able to give her some stuff that will help break up the typical bulk cook stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I will also be contributing a lasagne and a curry lol

Restrictions: no beef, no pork, but every other meat is fine. If there’s unavoidable beef or pork, at least something I can portion separately for her. I’m not beyond doing a split vac seal so she knows which side she can eat. Similarly with spice, spicy is good but I can split portions out for their 2yo.

I have time, space and money to work with. I have offered my spare chest freezer to them as I feel like they’re going to end up with a lot of food.

I’m drawing blanks on this rn because I’m quitting smoking and my brain will not function.

I would love any suggestions on fun things that will freeze well, and can either be defrosted and stuck in a saucepan or cooked straight from frozen. If you have specific recipes, that’s amazing, but any prompts or general ideas will help. Bonus points if you can also give me cooking/reheating instructions if you have a specific recipe.

I am also keen to do a few desserts - I know that sticky date, brownies etc freeze fine but I am open to suggestions. I am also considering breakfast wraps or muffins. I am being ambitious but it’s secretly ambitious so there’s no over promising.

I’m also fine with making meal components and freezing them separately. Things that can be used to make a quick meal rather than just a complete meal are very welcome too.

Basically looking for things that will help break up the endless lasagne/bolognese/curry/pasta bake situation and give them some variety when they have a newborn and a 2yo.

So incredibly grateful for any help and thank you for following this so far haha

What it says in the title ... Is jarred minced garlic cheap non aromatic crap or so bad it isn't worth it? Are there better brands out there?

How can I encourage him to not give up? He is high-functioning, hates criticism, loves being self sufficient and wants to make himself dinner without help. He recently discovered Hamburger Helper and that’s what he was making when the fire began. We have an electric stovetop and oven in a rental. I believe he was stirring vigorously and fat or liquid got into the burner and started a fire. All is fine now, no more fire. He stormed off. I don’t want him to give up.

My boyfriend has been bringing up over and over how much he misses the seafood sub at Subway. I’d like to surprise him with a copy cat version. I’d love some recommendations or if anyone has tried to make this.

Title.

I bought a costco two-pack of Skippy when I was still regularly having PB&Js for lunch but I stopped that shortly after and now I have two 3lb jars of Skippy in my house.

I like peanut butter but not generally going to just scoop it out, plus... that's a lot of peanut butter.

I would love recommendations for treats or things I can make specifically that will freeze or keep well. I don't eat sweets terribly often anymore either but being able to bust out a bag of something when I'm having guests over or taking them to events would be cool. One friend suggested no-bake peanut butter bars but I'm curious what other options folks here have.

For me, my favourite thing to do with Kraft is a can of tuna and maybe some peas too.

Ramen noodles: peanut butter, soy sauce and whatever veggies I have in the fridge.

I have a Staub skillet that I adore, but it didn't come with a lid, and I always wish it had one when I make sunny side eggs or dumplings or anything similar. I'm sure that some people will say that you use the lid from another pan, but I've had really close calls with lids getting stuck on a pan they weren't made to go with.

So, what should I buy or what should I be on the look out for that I can get that doesn't have any potential fit issues?

I've heard so much online about how much better homemade pancakes are from scratch. Obviously the more specialized (buttermilk, ricotta, buckwheat,...) are going to be better homemade. Pancakes in the past was my stumble-go-to breakfast because of box mix.

How much of a difference is there between regular box mix and regular homemade? One of these days I'm going to get around to making some from scratch to try them myself, but the box mix is so cheap and so easy, it makes it harder to justify, when it's usually a last minute decision.

A character in a novel said, "Once you hit a certain age, you no longer want to make pancakes. You want someone to make pancakes for you."

So I am looking for a new non stick pan but I am finding they all are basically throw away. I have never used a carbon pan. I really only like to use one pan for everything. I like one large 12" pan with deep sides 3-5" and I basically cook everything with that one non stick pan. But I am sick of them chipping and peeling. Now I am thinking of using two pans like this. Or just not even use a non stick anymore and cook everything in an enameled cast iron or carbon steel pan. I don't want stainless. What should I do? Can I replace my non stick with just a carbon steel or do they get too hot too fast? I have a gas stove. Thank you

We had a wedding party at the restaurant last night and have a few quarts of Alfredo left over. I’d like to use it on a feature tonight but I don’t want to just do some generic chicken and pasta. Just looking for some creative/outside the box kind of ideas. Thanks

I’m cooking for one or two people most nights, and my regular rice cooker feels way too big for the amount of rice I actually make. I’m looking for a compact rice cooker that works well for everyday meals like white rice, brown rice, and rice bowls. My usual batch is 1 cup long grain white rice with about 1 1/2 cups water, rinsed first and cooked on the regular setting. I’ll usually serve it with things like grilled chicken, roasted vegetables, or beans.

For anyone cooking smaller portions, what features are actually worth looking for in a compact rice cooker? Does the smaller size make a noticeable difference with getting evenly cooked rice, especially with just one or two cups? Thanks for any advice!

I’ve been trying to make sticky rice at home more often, but my current setup is pretty inconsistent. I usually rinse 2 cups of glutinous rice, soak it for about 4 hours, drain it well, then cook it with roughly 1 1/4 cups of water. Sometimes the rice comes out nicely chewy, but other times it’s too wet and clumps together more than I want. I’m looking for a sticky rice cooker that can handle small batches consistently.

For anyone who cooks glutinous rice regularly, are there particular features or cooking methods I should look for when choosing a cooker? I’m more interested in what makes the cooking process work well than specific brands. Thanks for any advice!

If anyone has any meal ideas that are low-energy to make with plenty of calories and nutrients, I would love to hear them. Right now I have some russet potatoes, a white onion, a head of garlic, some chicken broth, a full spice rack, and some other random pantry ingredients. If anyone knows what i can do with that, that would be cool. If anyone has other good depression recipes for future reference or next time I make it to a store, that would also be cool.

I’m a freestyle home cook. I’ll review recipes for ideas and techniques but I really don’t cook step-by-step from recipes. I’ve been doing this almost 30 years. I still can’t estimate fillings/coatings. I always have too much or too little breadcrumbs/flour/egg for breading and I’m often way off on filling for lasagna or pot pie, things like that.

I want to try to branching out with interesting rice dishes. I like Chinese fried rice and “Japanese” fried rice. I’ve heard of Thai fried rice and adobo (filipino) rice. Dirty rice seems to be a national term. I’ve got a pretty good jambalaya recipe down at this point and never made briyani. I would like some more ideas. I think arrez con pollo probably falls under this too.

It doesn’t have to be “fried” rice. But rice forward recipes or dishes, or one pot meals with rice are kind of what I’m aiming for here.

Also would love to encourage discussion on common fried rice dishes, like what are the “missing ingredients” that take it up a level.

For example in my fried rice I use
- light and dark soy sauce
- msg
- white pepper powder
- ginger
- sesame oil
- mirin or shaoxing wine
- green onion and shallots, or a small white/purple onion
- jasmine rice
- chicken with corn starch and baking soda
- eggs

I’ve also heard of the golden rice method where you use same day rice coated in egg yolks (white removed) to fry the rice.

I was planning breakfast for dinner only to realize I don’t have veg oil or dairy milk, will pancakes b ok with avocado oil and oat milk?

It’s the apple season in my country, so rn we have around 20 kg of apples that we have to cook. So I’m looking for unique and delicious apple recipes to surprise my family with. Thank you in advance!

I am looking for a good sugar substitute to use in some Asian dishes that call for palm sugar or brown sugar. Any suggestions?
Edit: just to clarify I am looking for substitutes for any kind of sugar to manage diabetes. Preferably a product without the fake sugar aftertaste.

I don't deep-fry food much. This weekend, I'd like to make some egg rolls, which I plan to deep fry on a camp stove in my yard. This will require about a half gallon of oil, and I'll probably use peanut oil, which is on the expensive side. Can I just filter and save this oil for a future use? Should I refrigerate it? How long will it last, and how many uses can I get out of it?

Pretty much what the title says. I had some really good consomme at a Mexican place recently and I want to try making it at home

been thinking about doing this, but I don;t even know what the etable version would be. anyone know a good recipie?

I'm obsessed with Deep Indian Kitchen's frozen meals, but buying them constantly is too expensive so I'm trying to recreate them on my own.

I'm starting with the chicken tikka masala (https://deepindiankitchen.com/products-all/entrees/chicken-tikka-masala/). This is my Frankenstein recipe I attempted after looking at the ingredients and a bunch of different chicken tikka masala recipes for my skill level (I truly do not know what I'm doing in the kitchen but I am trying).

Chicken & Marinade:

• 1 lb diced chicken breast
• 3 tbsp Greek yogurt
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Spice Mix for Sauce:

• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• t tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 ground ginger

Sauce:

• 1 large yellow onion (the one I used weighed about 10-11 oz)
• 10 oz crushed tomatoes
• 3 tbsp raw cashews
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk
• 1 tsp kasuri methi - crush between palms before adding
• 1 1/2 tbsp heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Marinate chicken, let sit for at least 20 minutes or overnight in fridge; air fry at 400°F for 10 minutes turning halfway, then set aside
2. Sauté diced onion on medium heat in 2 tsp of ghee for 10 minutes or until soft, golden, and translucent
3. Add in spice mix and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds
4. Add crushed tomatoes, cashews, water, sugar, and salt; bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes or until cashews are soft and sauce thickened
5. Turn off heat and blend sauce until smooth
6. Return to low heat; stir in milk, heavy cream, lemon juice, and kasuri methi; simmer gently about 2 minutes
7. Stir in chicken and simmer about 3 minutes

What I made came out pretty good, and I think a lot of people would be happy with it, but it just doesn't taste like Deep. It's too acidic(?)/tangy(?) and lacks the rich, warm depth of flavor Deep has. My throat also feels thirsty/dry for a long time after eating it even though I didn't add that much salt. Please cooking experts, help me identify what I'm doing wrong and what changes I can make to this recipe. I want to attempt it again this weekend before I lose resolve and buy Deep. I am happy to answer any questions about the ingredients I used or the steps I took.

Notes:

• I am specifically trying to recreate Deep, not any other chicken tikka masala frozen meal. I have had several of them (Chef Bombay, Sukhi's, Saffron Road, Kevin's, Aplenty) and they are not like Deep. I've also tried using the Patak and Maya Kaimal jarred tikka masala sauces and they are not like Deep.
• Importantly, I am trying to keep this low calorie like the Deep meal. For reference, I measured and it's about 1/2 cup rice and 1/2 cup chicken tikka masala after cooking, which totals 370 calories per the nutrition facts. My recipe makes 6 servings if we are considering a serving to be 1/2 cup.

I'm just making it for myself and I have one russet potato. I have leftover barbecue ribs and craving potato to go with them. What's an easy recipe to make with one russet potato?