These 16 Time-Saving Weeknight Dinner Hacks Will Blow Your Mind

Yes, ironing bread and cheese works! Throw some ham in the mix for a full-fledged panini.

Foil works wonders as a makeshift lid for a pot.

If you don't feel like dirtying any pots and pans, just fill a microwave-safe dish with pasta and add water to cover the noodles about an inch. Zap it for 10 minutes and drain!

Dicing herbs like cilantro can be a pain. It's hard to get a clean cut, and it all sticks to the side of the knife every time you lift up. Skip the headache by rolling through the laid-out herbs with a pizza cutter!

Instead of painstakingly cutting all your kid's food with a fork and knife, grab a pizza cutter and roll away. It even leaves you with one hand free!

If you are used to half of your fish sticking to the pan when you're done cooking, lay the fillets over a bed of lemons or lemon juice. It works even better on the grill — plus, the citrus taste is delicious.

Stop shredding with your hands and grab a handheld mixer instead! If you don't have one, try simply using a fork.

A bundt pan has another handy purpose: it provides the perfect place to balance an ear of corn for cutting and an easy way to collect all the corn kernels that fall right off.

If you have trouble opening pesky jars, try this spoon trick to pop the top off.

When roasting vegetables, preheat the oven with the baking sheet already inside to avoid having to flip foods halfway through.

Thaw meat (without getting food poisoning) by setting it in a mixing bowl and running room-temperature water into the bowl.

Tired of buying a whole bushel of fresh herbs only to use a teaspoon and then watch the rest go bad, until you need it a week later? Next time, freeze rosemary — or basil, parsley, or oregano — and olive oil in an ice cube tray. Just pop one in the pan when cooking.

Out of breadcrumbs? No problem! Mash Cheerios, which grind up just like bread, the next time your recipe calls for them.

Don't let your cutting board slip as you cut by adding a damp dishcloth underneath the board.

Perhaps not the most sophisticated meal, but it is one that will put a look of awe on your child's face! Place rods of dry spaghetti through a hot dog and then boil them for magical results.

Does your kid fuss over the fact that your homemade pasta sauce slicks right off the pasta? Add a little water to the marinara to help it coat your noodles and boost the flavor.