Homemade Versions of Store-Bought Items

Sriracha-Stout Barbecue Sauce

Image Source: POPSUGAR Studios

All you need is 15 minutes to make a tangy, thick, and piquant sriracha-stout barbecue sauce. The final product adds depth of flavor to everything from pork ribs to brisket to barbecued oysters.

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Marinated Artichokes

Image Source: America's Test Kitchen

Artichoke dip and homemade focaccia taste that much fresher when you use your own marinated 'chokes.

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Breadcrumbs

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Anna Monette Roberts

Store-bought breadcrumbs can have a slightly stale consistency, but you'll never encounter that problem when you make your own. Use them in pasta dishes, breaded on chicken or fish, or as a topping for veggie casseroles.

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Chicken Stock

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Don't ever throw roast chicken bones or rotisserie carcasses away. Instead, utilize the ingredient fully by simmering a batch of your own homemade chicken stock, which can be used in soups, stews, and gravies.

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Harissa

Image Source: Flickr user stone-soup

If you aren't familiar with the Tunisian garlic and chile paste known as harissa, you should be. Softened chiles, garlic, lemon, and lesser-known spices add heat and brightness to steak sandwiches and vegetable tagines.

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Homemade Pasta

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Pasta-lovers, consider making homemade pasta. With its delicate flavor and unparalleled elasticity, it's the ultimate pasta.

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Fresh Ricotta

Image Source: Flickr user grongar

Homemade ricotta adds a subtle sweetness to everything ranging from crostini appetizers to rigatoni pasta to mousse.

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Vinaigrette

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If you don't already make your own salad dressing, it's the easiest item to cut from the store-bought list. A simple Dijon vinaigrette comes together in less than five minutes and doesn't contain any high-fructose corn syrup or mysterious preservatives.

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Croutons

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Oven-baked croutons aren't just easy to make and versatile in their use. They also happen to be a crispy snack and a brilliant use for leftover bread.

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Lemon Curd

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When something is sweet, creamy, tart, and colorful all at the same time, you just have to love it. No need to buy lemon curd ever again after you try out this recipe.

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Mexican Crema

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It's somewhere between sour cream and crème fraiche, and it is a great addition to a multitude of dishes. Get ready to get addicted to Mexican crema.

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Homemade Ketchup and Mustard

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Lauren Hendrickson

It's easy to rely on the store-bought versions of these staple condiments, but making your own ketchup and mustard ensures a lot more flavor!

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Vegetable Stock

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If you need to make a recipe that calls for chicken stock vegetarian-friendly, a batch of homemade vegetable stock is a great thing to have on hand.

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Marshmallows

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Katie Sweeney

Although these need a night to properly set, homemade marshmallows are worth the wait. They're fluffy, sweet, and so much better than the store-bought version.

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Tomato Sauce

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Nicole Perry

A hearty tomato sauce is a great recipe to have in your repertoire. You can enjoy this savory sauce on a number of dishes, from pasta to pizza to eggs.

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Pumpkin Pie Spice

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A lot of Fall recipes call for pumpkin pie spice. If you don't have that in your spice cabinet, don't worry! We've got the combination of spices for you to make your own.

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Granola

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Lizzie Fuhr

Making your own granola allows you to select the ingredients. If you're not fond of something that typically appears in store-bought versions, omit it and add something else!

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Ginger Tea

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You don't have to buy tea bags to enjoy ginger tea. Make your own at home in five minutes.

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Milano Cookies

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Milano cookies are a wonderful treat to add to your grocery cart. But why not try your hand at making them from scratch? We think these along with other homemade hacks on store-bought snacks are even better than the packaged kind.

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Chicken Cutlets

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Susannah Chen

You'll kick yourself for paying such a pretty penny to buy chicken cutlets when you discover how easy they are to butcher yourself.

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