12 Ways to Make Cooking More Enjoyable

Whether you work full-time, stay home with the kids, or are unemployed, let’s face it- cooking dinner every night can get old pretty quickly. It can be time-consuming, require effort on your part to figure out what to cook, and generally feel draining when you’re already feeling that end-of-the-day fatigue.

Rather than resorting to expensive takeout every night, there are ways you can find more joy in cooking, like the following.

1. Scope the Web for Fun, New Recipes

Out with the old, in with the new! When you find yourself cycling through a handful of recipes over and over again, it’s time to hit the Internet for some inspiration. Instagram, Pinterest, and general recipe websites are some great places to consider finding new dishes or sides to cook.

Be on the look for not only brand-new dishes you never tried but also variations of your current recipes and perhaps even some recipes of old favorites you somehow forgot about.

2. Add Some New Spices & Sauces to Your Collection

We may say we hate cooking, but in reality, it’s just that we’re bored of what we’re producing. To truly be proud of your cooking, it doesn’t hurt to explore different flavors from new spices to sauces you never tried before. Incorporating these into your current recipes can take that classic dish up a notch or two!

3. Buy New Kitchen Gadgets

There’s only so much you can do with a few basic utensils, a pot, and a pan. With a variety of kitchen gadgets to explore, you will be amazed at what you can produce in the kitchen. Consider an air fryer for an easy way to crisp up some fries or tater tots. Or, buy yourself a BlendTec to whip up some hot soup or spicy salsa.

4. Up Your Dish, Cup, & Utensil Game

The way your dish looks at the end can make all the difference. When you have fun, aesthetic dishes, cups, and utensils, eating your meal can be so enjoyable that it’ll quickly melt away any of the frustrations or annoyances you went through to cook that meal. You deserve to dine like a king or queen anyhow!

5. Set Up Your Meal “Bar” Style

Not every dish has to be pre-constructed before serving. To save yourself some time, especially when dealing with picky eaters in the house, consider setting up some of your meals bar-style. This involves setting out the ingredients separately and allowing your family members to add whatever toppings they want. It’s customizable for them, and it’s less work for you! A win-win.

Consider a baked potato bar with ingredients like sour cream, chives, bacon bits, butter, chili beans, shredded cheese, and onions on the side. Go for an all-you-can-eat salad or pasta bar. Or, set up a pizza bar, so your family members can add whatever toppings they want to their pizza before you throw them in the oven.

6. Give Meal Kits a Go

Making dinner isn’t just cooking; it’s meal planning, shopping, prepping, and finally, cooking. When you want to cut corners, save time, and put less effort into cooking each day, your best bet is to try a meal kit. Meal kits can actually be quite affordable while allowing you to explore a variety of different recipes you may have never considered.

7. Enjoy a Classic Family Recipe

There’s a whole lot of love, connection, and history in family recipes. Incorporating a family recipe here and there into your cooking routine can make putting together a dinner more of a wholesome experience. Being able to enjoy and pass along a family recipe is one of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves and our loved ones!

8. Go “Alternative”

Sometimes trying an alternative ingredient or recipe can be exciting enough to make you want to step back into the kitchen. Consider plant-based meats, cauliflower rice, using applesauce in replacement of refined sugar, non-dairy milks, or even swapping out white breads & pasta for their whole-grain counterparts.

Whether you’re considering an alternative to prevent food allergies, are aiming to be healthier, or are simply doing it for kicks, what could possibly go wrong? Trying new things is always exciting!

9. Cook a New Ethnic Food Every Day for a Week

You can never get bored of cooking when there are thousands of recipes, classic and modern, that exist in our world. Don’t just focus on what you know or came from; also explore recipes from different cultures or countries. You might just be surprised how much you end up liking something new and different!

Some great must-try ethnic dishes include shakshuka, a North African and Middle-Eastern dish; Tandoori chicken and basmati rice from India; Polish dumplings known as pierogi; and a French stew called ratatouille.

10. Turn Your Cooking into Instagram Posts or TikTok Videos

If you’re social media-driven, then this hack is for you. Combine your love for social media with cooking, and you will have the ultimate duo. Share photos of your creations on Instagram to get the praise you deserve, or create short videos of you making dishes each night to post on TikTok.

11. Have the Family Pitch in

Sometimes the best meals take a lot of time. That’s where your family members come in. Whether it be washing and chopping vegetables, cooking the meat, or setting out utensils on the table, there are many ways the family can lend a hand with your nightly cooking ritual.

12. Have a Showdown in the Kitchen

Turn your cooking sessions into a little contest! For instance, have your family members pick a dish or two throughout the week. At the end of the week, everyone can vote on their favorite recipes. Or, have your family members compete in the kitchen to see who’s the better chef. Competition is always a blast!

Conclusion

Cooking dinner isn’t always as fun as you might have imagined it to be. The more you do it, the more you seem to dread it. That’s a sign it’s time to switch up your game. From exploring new recipes, to upgrading your kitchen gadgets, to adding social media into the mix, there are several ways to find a love for cooking.