{"id":1846,"date":"2026-01-23T13:29:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T13:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/?p=1846"},"modified":"2026-01-23T13:29:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T13:29:00","slug":"the-15-genius-hacks-a-test-kitchen-expert-actually-uses-in-real-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/?p=1846","title":{"rendered":"The 15 Genius Hacks a Test Kitchen Expert Actually Uses in Real Life"},"content":{"rendered":"


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You’ve probably seen Senior Culinary Producer Nicole McLaughlin trying out kitchen hacks on your For You Page or Facebook feed. If you’ve ever wondered which ones actually work, you’re in luck: In a new video, Nicole shared the 15 hacks she uses at work and<\/em> at home.\n<\/p>\n

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Nicole’s Best Kitchen Hacks <\/span> <\/h2>\n
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  1. No measuring spoon? No problem. The cap from your vanilla bottle<\/a> holds exactly one teaspoon.<\/li>\n
  2. PSA: You’ve probably been using your cheese grater wrong. Turning the grater on its side keeps all the cheese inside. This way, there’s no cutting board mess to clean up and you can easily transport your shredded cheese wherever you need.<\/li>\n
  3. It’s a universal experience: Your recipe calls for softened cream cheese, but your block is still stashed away in the fridge. Don’t panic! Just place the (wrapped) cream cheese in a bowl of warm water. In five minutes, you’ll be ready to roll.<\/li>\n
  4. Keep your packaged snacks, like popcorn and chips, in the freezer. This keeps them extra crispy for far longer than room temperature storage.<\/li>\n
  5. “If you’ve got that pack of ground meat in your freezer or your fridge and you don’t know what to do with it, this next one is the solution,” Nicole said of this Smashed Dumpling Taco recipe. “I do this literally every single week for my family. It is the fastest dinner ever.”<\/li>\n

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  6. Here’s what Nicole has to say about her favorite one-pan Rice Krispies Treats: “I don’t always make Rice Krispy treats, but when I do, this is the only way. You know how messy it gets after you stir it and you’ve got that sticky situation in the pot and you try to get it into your pan? Not anymore.”<\/li>\n
  7. Switch up dessert by taking a store-bought pie, chopping it up in a casserole dish, and baking until hot and bubbly. Nicole recommends using a Costco pie<\/a> because it’s big enough to fill up a 9-by-13-inch pan.<\/li>\n
  8. When Nicole heard about Julia Child’s “magic quiche ratio” (three eggs and enough milk to make a cup and a half of liquid), she knew she had to put it to the test. The result was, as promised, “magical.”<\/li>\n
  9. Say goodbye to water spots with this hack: Whenever Nicole’s dishwasher finishes running, she throws a dry towel over the still-wet dishes and closes the door. The towel absorbs the excess moisture, so her dishes stay nice and shiny.<\/li>\n
  10. You’ll always find a freezer door cocktail in Nicole’s kitchen. She especially loves this Freezer Door Margarita recipe for entertaining.<\/li>\n

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  11. Because frozen waffles are full of nooks and crannies, they hold butter and seasonings remarkably well\u2014so Nicole uses them to make croutons. Yes, really.<\/li>\n
  12. Here’s a kid-friendly hack that’ll transform taco night: Flip your muffin tin upside down to hold hard shell tacos. “It just makes sense,” according to Nicole. “The muffin tin catches any spillovers. It’s fast. It’s efficient. Muffin tin magic.”<\/li>\n
  13. Nicole’s genius 3-Ingredient S’mores in a Bag recipe is perfect for camping (or camping out on the couch).<\/li>\n
  14. Never toss a butter wrapper. Throw them in a freezer bag, then pull them out when you’re ready to bake. Buttering a baking sheet has never been easier.<\/li>\n
  15. Don’t waste that last tablespoon of jam in the bottom of the jar. Use the dregs to make a delicious Jargarita!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n