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It happens to all of us at one time or another. We discover dinner didn’t go as planned and we don’t have a backup plan. Unless you burned it to a crisp, there’s probably a trick you can use to make it better. Here are just a few:
Too much salt added to your recipe? This has happened to many of us. You toss in a few of your go-to seasonings and a bit of salt for good measure, only to accidentally dump in way more than you planned on. Here’s what to do: Peel a potato and toss it into your pot, letting it simmer along with the rest of your ingredients. Magically, the potato will soak up some of the excess salt! Toss the potato when the meal is done cooking. Voila!
Is the dish too spicy? Whether by accident or by design, sometimes a recipe ends up with a little too much kick for your liking. You’ve got a couple options for fixing it:
- Double all the ingredients except for the spicy ones, and then save the extra batch in the freezer. So efficient!
- Sometimes adding a little bit of sugar or honey can reduce the spiciness of a recipe. Add just a teaspoon or so at a time, stir well, and taste it. Adjust as needed.
- Adding a little plain yogurt (Greek or regular), sour cream, or cream cheese can help calm down the spicy heat in a recipe while also increasing the creaminess of it.
Is your recipe lacking flavor? This is an easy one! Garlic, basil, and oregano are all great herbs to have on hand for quick flavor boost. Start with a teaspoon of any one that you think will work with your recipe, then stir well and taste test. Adjust as needed.
Burned, baby, burned! If you burn the edges or bottom of your pot as you’re cooking, stop stirring immediately. Remove the dish from heat and quickly remove the non-burnt part from the pan right away to prevent the spread of the burnt taste. Put the non-burnt food into a new pan and then do a good sniff and taste test to see if it is ok. If so, you’re in the clear! If you lost a significant portion of your food to the burn, you can always fill in with an extra side dish so everybody gets plenty to eat. Frozen veggies are perfect for this and they only take a few minutes to prepare!
Sometimes things don’t go as planned, whether in the kitchen or in life. It’s the nature of the thing, right? Have you learned any tips or tricks that have helped you save dinner? Please share in the comments!