20+ Food Hacks to Make You a Jedi in the Kitchen

If you can't stand the flavor of instant oatmeal but don't have time to make old-fashioned oats every morning, make a big batch over the weekend, divide the cooked oats in a muffin tin, freeze, then transfer to a resealable freezer bag. So brilliant!

Liberally salt your desserts (and add flake salt to the tops) to bring out the flavor.

Many recipes may call for day-old bread like stuffing, french toast, and bread pudding — and this simple hack slowly dries out fresh bread without toasting it.

Stop shredding with your hands and use a fork instead!

A spring-loaded ice cream scoop will be your key to evenly portioned cookies and cupcakes.

Prep for your next cookie craving by freezing the dough into perfect tablespoon portions.

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

Freezer-burnt ice cream begone, simply by turning the pint upside down.

The trick to better-tasting cake from a box involves adding your own sprinkles and making homemade frosting.

Keep brown sugar soft (or "rehydrate" it from a rock-solid state) by throwing a marshmallow into the bag or air-tight container.