7 Cooking Shortcuts Chefs Once Forbade but Home Cooks Love Now
For decades, traditional chefs insisted that every great dish had to be made from scratch, slowly, and with strict adherence to classic techniques. But as home cooking has shifted toward convenience, creativity, and real life practicality, many shortcuts that were once frowned upon are now widely embraced. Home cooks want meals that taste good without hours of prep, and modern food technology has made some time saving ingredients surprisingly high quality. As a result, shortcuts that chefs once dismissed have become everyday essentials, helping people cook more often, waste less, and explore flavors in a way that fits real schedules. These seven formerly forbidden tricks show how much the culinary world has changed and why modern home cooks rely on them with no hesitation.
1. Pre-Minced Jarred Garlic
Jarred garlic was once a culinary crime in the eyes of many chefs who believed only freshly smashed cloves could offer the right aroma and depth. But home cooks have embraced it for its incredible convenience, especially on busy nights when chopping garlic feels like an unnecessary barrier to making dinner. While jarred garlic has a milder flavor than fresh cloves, it still works well in sauces, stir fries, marinades, and soups. Modern versions packed in water or oil taste cleaner than older varieties, making them a dependable pantry staple. Many home cooks have found that using jarred garlic helps them cook more often and include more savory flavor in everyday meals without worrying about peeling, chopping, or sticky cutting boards.
2. Pre-Shredded Cheese
Pre-shredded cheese used to be strongly discouraged because of its anti-caking agents, which can prevent smooth melting. Chefs argued that grating cheese from a block was essential for achieving perfect texture in sauces, casseroles, and pizza. Over time, though, home cooks realized that bagged shredded cheese is perfectly adequate for most recipes and dramatically cuts down on prep time. When used in dishes like tacos, salads, quesadillas, or baked casseroles, the difference in melt quality is usually minimal. Many brands now offer improved formulas and use better cheese varieties, making the shortcut even more appealing. For busy households, this convenience turns complicated recipes into quick weeknight meals, which has helped transform pre-shredded cheese from a once forbidden ingredient into a go-to kitchen essential.
3. Rotisserie Chicken as a Recipe Base
Chefs once insisted that any dish calling for cooked chicken should begin with roasting or poaching a whole bird from scratch. But with the rise of supermarket rotisserie chickens, home cooks discovered a far easier way to add tender, flavorful meat to soups, salads, tacos, casseroles, and pasta dishes. Rotisserie chicken is inexpensive, consistently seasoned, and ready to use, which eliminates hours of prep and cleanup. Many families rely on it as a midweek solution that still tastes homemade. It has become so popular that cookbooks and cooking shows now build entire recipes around it. This shortcut proves that convenience does not have to mean sacrificing quality and that using rotisserie chicken can help home cooks create more meals at home.
4. Bagged Salad Mixes
Bagged salad mixes were once criticized for lacking the freshness and crispness of hand-washed greens. Chefs also disliked the uniform cuts and additives used to keep leaves vibrant. Despite these concerns, home cooks have embraced them because they encourage more vegetable consumption and make salads accessible even on hectic days. Modern salad kits often include thoughtfully paired toppings and dressings that create balanced, flavorful combinations without the need for extra shopping. These mixes have improved significantly in freshness and variety, from simple romaine blends to kale and cruciferous mixes.
5. Frozen Vegetables
Frozen vegetables were once considered inferior to fresh produce, with chefs claiming they lacked flavor and texture. But widespread research has revealed that frozen vegetables are often picked at peak ripeness and flash frozen to preserve nutrients, sometimes making them more nutritious than fresh vegetables that have traveled long distances. Home cooks appreciate that frozen vegetables require no peeling, chopping, or washing and can be added directly to soups, stir-fries, pasta, and casseroles. They also reduce food waste because they last far longer than produce stored in the fridge. As families look for budget friendly and time-saving options, frozen vegetables have become a respected and practical shortcut in home kitchens.
6. Canned Broth Instead of Homemade Stock
Chefs have long insisted that true flavor comes from a slow-simmered stock made from bones, aromatics, and herbs. While homemade stock is undeniably delicious, most home cooks do not have the time to simmer a pot for hours on a weeknight. High-quality canned and boxed broths have improved dramatically, offering rich taste with very little effort. Wide varieties are low-sodium and made with recognizable ingredients, making them a reliable base for soups, stews, gravies, and sauces. Home cooks can enhance them with herbs or vegetables if desired, but the convenience alone has made canned broth a valuable pantry essential.
7. Pre-Made Pie Crusts
For years, homemade pie crust was treated as a rite of passage in baking, and store-bought crusts were viewed as shortcuts that compromised quality. However, many home cooks discovered that refrigerated and frozen pie crusts are surprisingly flaky, buttery, and reliable. They save significant prep time and remove the stress of handling delicate dough. These crusts also allow beginners to bake pies, quiches, and tarts with confidence. As a result, pre-made crusts have become widely accepted and loved for helping more people enjoy homemade baked goods without the intimidation of making dough from scratch.
