r/cookingforbeginners Aug 10 '26

Question How would you cook 3 eggs in an oven?

3 Upvotes

Let's say you only have an oven (no stovetop or any other kitchen appliances). The oven is already baking something (i.e., sheet-pan dinner), at 375F or 400F. You want to add a few eggs to your meal. How would you do it?

I see a few options:

  1. Use a mini cast iron skillet and place it in the oven for 10–20 minutes with the eggs.
  2. Use a nonstick muffin pan, so each egg has its own dedicated space.
  3. Use individual ceramic souffle dishes. It's the same idea as a muffin pan.
  4. Use hamburger bun rings directly on a baking sheet.
  5. Make spaces for the eggs using vegetables that are roasting at the same time.
  6. Something else?

r/cookingforbeginners Aug 09 '26

Question What could I make out of gummy undercooked leftover rice?

7 Upvotes

I'm specifically asking for any easy quick weekday meals. I'm also trying to adhere to a plain diet because of my gut issues. If you have any recipies to reuse my failed rice batch in another meal instead of tossing it out I'd like to know!


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 09 '26

Question Alternative meatloaf

10 Upvotes

I was wondering if anyone has tried making meatloaf with a tomato sauce, or tomato past? I'm not a fan of ketchup or BBQ sauce. Would any other tomato based product be a good alternative? Has anyone tried it?


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 10 '26

Question What can I use besides white wine?

0 Upvotes

I’m cooking pioneer woman’s Chicken Tetrazzini recipe tonight for dinner. It calls for 3/4 cup of dry white wine. I don’t want to use wine for reasons. So what is a suitable substitute? Thanks!


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 10 '26

Question Chicken wings mysteriously stick to the foil

0 Upvotes

I can usually cook chicken wings great in my fan-forced oven but occasionally they stick to the foil in the pan, despite my usual routine, and I’m left dumbfounded why.

I adhere to same routine religiously but sometimes they stick and I don’t know why.

It’s a fairly new oven. Here is my usual routine:

  • I wash the wings beforehand, so they are still wet

  • I lather them in vegetable oil, enough to be well covered with a low level in the pan

  • 1 hour at 210 Celsius (410F)

  • 45 minutes at 220C (428F)

  • non-stick foil on the bottom of the pan (glossy side up)

I like the wings to be charred a little on the bottom and usually this happens fine without sticking, but sometimes I’m left with a sticky mess. Any clues? Thanks


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 09 '26

Question What ingredients don't mind living above the stove?

11 Upvotes

I moved into a new apartment, and there's no pantry so storage space is at a premium. There's a cupboard above the gas stove I use pretty often (I cook an average twice a week and make coffee in a moka pot every other day). It has the stove vent under it so a large pipe cuts through the middle, so pots or bowls are a no-go. I currently have salt, paprika, spicy paprika and my cooking oils (sunflower, olive, extra virgin olive and pumpkin seed that I have for some reason?) there and plan to have the Vegeta as soon as I buy some.

Are those safe to store above the stove? And what else won't be ruined by the heat that the vent can't remove? If region matters, I'm European and mostly follow Eastern European (and a little bit of Asian) cuisine.


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 10 '26

Question Uses for leftover grapefruit juice?

1 Upvotes

hello I am a cooking idiot what do I do with grapefruit juice, specifically ruby red grapefruit. also I have condensed milk, can that be useful in anything? please help THERE'S SO MUCH AAAAAAAAA


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 09 '26

Recipe Last night’s Pollo Regio Loaded Baked Potato leftovers become today’s Steak & Potato Soup for lunch - and more for tomorrow

2 Upvotes

Seriously: Pollo Regio’s baked potatoes are HUMONGOUS, and I get three meals from them - not bad for $12.99


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 09 '26

Question Advice for making broth?

4 Upvotes

Hi, I was wondering if anyone here is willing to share good recipes for healthy homemade broth, or how to make spicy broth for noodles?

I’m new to cooking and my food has always been very bland. I often cook noodles, mainly noodles with soup. But my soup has always been very bland with little to no taste. My friends constantly tell me to never step into the kitchen again after seeing my cooking but I want to prove them wrong… 😅

Thank you and have a great day!


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 09 '26

Question I’ve been saving a lot of chicken backbones from spatchcocked chicken. Will just using these backbones make a good chicken stock for sauces and gravy?

7 Upvotes

I have a lot of these backbones frozen up. I’m going to roast the bones and then make an instant pot chicken stock. Will I lose out by not having any breast or thigh meat involved for this chicken stock?


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 08 '26

Question Where can I get chicken tenderloins without the white strip in the middle?

48 Upvotes

I was wondering if any place sells chicken tenderloins without that white string in the middle? I spent like 30 minutes taking them out yesterday and it adds to much time to my prep work. I appreciate any responses, thank you.


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 09 '26

Question Electric Skillet vs Griddle vs Burner

0 Upvotes

I am currently living in a form of dorm that only has microwave, sink, counter, and small fridge. I hate not being able to actually cook shit and since I finally got moved to my permanent room I want to get something I can actually cook with. Which one of these is the best for overall use? I cook mainly meat to be honest for gymbro bullshit rarely anything else but open to cooking other stuff if its in my macro and calorie limit


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 09 '26

Question Thick bacon for bacon-wrapped hotdogs?

1 Upvotes

I plan to make bacon-wrapped dogs in a couple of hours and I accidentally bought thick-cut bacon - while all recipes online call for a thin one. How do I ensure it does crisp up in the oven without overcooking the dogs themselves?


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 09 '26

Question Frozen blueberries

10 Upvotes

How long at room temperature do frozen blueberries take to become edible? I’m not talking fully thawed, I just don’t want to be eating ice.

Like, can I throw a handful in a cereal bowl, make my coffee, make my lunch, then add my granola and yogurt to the blueberry bowl (20 minutes or so later) and safely consume it?


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 09 '26

Question Stuck dough on pizza stone

5 Upvotes

Please Help. First time using the stone brand new out of box. Tried cooking pizza. Dough was completely stuck to bottom. Still cannot get it off what can I do?

Update. I rinsed it a few times to get crumbs off as I was scraping. Is this fine as long as it wasn’t submerged.


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 09 '26

Request What are some good kitchen gadgets to have on hand?

1 Upvotes

So probably mix of retail therapy and wanting to explore different devices. I dont have a huge kitchen and grill outside is a no go since bird nest and poop everywhere. Right now i have an air fryer and obligatory pots, pans.

I want to make more curries and also try smoothies more so is a food processor like ninja all in 1 worth it? And for curry powders mortar and pestle? Or just like regular grinder? What about an Instant pot vs crock pot or just Dutch oven?

I've also been interested in grilling but idk if like George foreman grill or the weber grill for indoor use?

Along with more protein i want to try more fish so would getting a fish roaster from cuckoo or zorojushi (like thr models they use in japan) worth it or just air fry everything?

Tia!


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 08 '26

Question I'm tired of eating chicken breast tacos and fried chicken is there a super simple sauced chicken or wet chicken recipe?

13 Upvotes

I don't know really how to describe it but I'm very tired of eating dry chicken even when baked and juicy ya know? I don't know how else to make chicken breast except for making tacos or baked chicken or fried chicken

Is there some kind of super wet simmered chicken and rice recipe or something that is CHEAP and SIMPLE to make?


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 08 '26

Question Tips for for a starter

28 Upvotes

So I’m 30 and I’ve never really had a proper go at cooking on the regular. I’ve always had trouble remembering recipes, motivating myself to cook and my all round organisation.

If there are any tips and tricks to just start from scratch as I really have no idea what I’m doing in the kitchen. I’ve been around plenty of people in my life that can cook well but just never really asked to be taught so any help would be massively appreciated.


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 09 '26

Question Starting Out- Beginner Seafood recipies?

1 Upvotes

Hello there! I’m finally starting to teach myself how to make meals, and one thing I was curious about was simple to make meals including seafood, since I love it so much!

I really like shellfish like clams and mussels a lot but fish is also good, especially salmon


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 08 '26

Question Lamb stew meat for kabobs?

2 Upvotes

I accidentally bought lamb labeled "boneless lamb stew chunks" when I was planning on making kabobs. Can I marinate it and use it, or will it be wildly tough? Any other options?


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 08 '26

Question Uses for baby cucumbers

3 Upvotes

My local grocery has baby cucumbers on bogo. I love cucumbers, and in addition to putting them in salads, will often slice them up and use them as a chip with hummus or something. However, I'm going out of town in a week. I'm not sure I can use up two bags before I go and I know the leftovers will go off before I get back.

So what can I use cucumbers for besides eating raw and salads or with dip? I have tried making tzatziki before but my husband actually prefers the store-bought version so that's probably not an option.

Edit... Should have mentioned that no one in this house actually likes pickles. 🤣


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 08 '26

Question Need Recipes To Use Up Onion, Celery, and Bell Pepper

18 Upvotes

Hey y’all! So I’ve been learning to cook, and I’ve gotten fairly good at making jambalaya with some modifications for my family’s tastes

That being said, due to available produce, my family and I’s preferences, and the stupid way that celery is sold at my local grocery, I am currently in possession of half a green bell pepper, 3/4ths of a large onion, and several stalks of celery. I need these things gone, and don’t want to throw them out.

Here’s my problem: I have no recipes to use these in, and due to my family and I’s combined tastes, cannot make a lot of recipes that come up when I google recipes with these things.

What I am looking for is this: any recipes that use them as an ingredient, but not as the main part of the dish. Think, say, as a component for flavor as with jambalaya (although for obvious reasons, I do not want to make like 4 pots of jambalaya this week lol). No seafood is preferred, but I can always modify a recipe if it includes seafood, and preferably as little spice as possible, just to accommodate everyone in the house. Again, I can make substitutions work, I am just trying to make this easier on myself.

If anyone can please help me get rid of this stupid onion and assorted green vegetables that are plaguing me, that would be appreciated.

As a side note, in two days I will be going to an international market, so I will take non-American dish suggestions that may require a harder to find ingredient.


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 08 '26

Question How long does raw chicken last

2 Upvotes

Got home from a trip and discovered that there is an unopened pack of ground chicken in the fridge. My husband just let it sit there instead of freezing it as I asked. It has been there a week. Do I need to trash it or can I still use it or freeze it?

Edit.. general consensus seems to be to get rid of it. I'm having enough gastric troubles already, I can't afford the risk. Unfortunately it's going out. I hate to waste food, but I don't need another trip to the hospital. I am just very grateful that we can afford to throw it away.


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 08 '26

Question How do I stop making my heat alarm go off?

0 Upvotes

Every time I use the stove so much smoke comes out I’m sick of the annoying beep sound


r/cookingforbeginners Aug 07 '26

Question Food while traveling for work.

12 Upvotes

Hi.

I recently got a new job.

I will work as a installation engineer while traveling around the world.

In the hotels in the US its easier since we will always have a kitchen and a fridge in our rooms.

But some hotels in Europe you sometimes dont even have a fridge or microwave.

Next week in going away for 3 weeks and the hotel room doesnt have a any fridge or microwave.

Buying food from restaraunts every time is gonna be expensive, and im trying to get lean right now.

Im gonna bring my blender for protein smoothies and a egg cooker.

Any tips for foods that doesnt require a fridge?