Betty Crocker - The Betty Crocker Cookbook, 13th Edition: Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today

Whether youre a seasoned pro or want to fake it until you make it, this book is filled with everything you need to know to cook today. Anyone can be a Betty! From the ever-present dinner-dilemma crunch to finding healthy foods your kids will actually eat or wowing your family and friends with a memorable meal, let the yummy, on-trend recipes, helpful tips and how-tos from Americas most-trusted kitchens be your expert kitchen helpers for fun cooking adventures and amazing eats!

Turns out you can judge a book by its cover! This isnt your grandmothers Betty Crocker Cookbook. This 13th edition with a new, larger, lay-flat and easy-to-store format is just the beginning. With over 1,300 recipes and nearly 400 exclusive new recipes, theres something for everyone and every occasion. Youll still find the classics, such as Banana Bread, Roast Turkey and Chocolate Chip Cookies, but also soon-to-be BFFs such as Oat and Almond Pumpkin Bread, Buffalo Cauliflower Pizza and Cuban Picadillo Tacos. Check out the new Veggie Forward chapter full of incredible recipes, as well as gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options.

Hectic nights have met their match with the new 5-ingredient recipes, as well as multicooker, air fryer, slow-cooker and make-ahead dishes. Cut down on food waste with the Use It Up featuresclever ideas to use up the ingredients you already have on handsprinkled throughout.

One thing hasnt changedour standard of excellence. Every recipe has been thoroughly tested in the Betty Crocker Kitchens, giving you confidence in the kitchen, no matter what your cooking skills, so you too, can be a Betty.

Heres to great meals and happy bellies!

Heres the information youll need to start cooking! From organizing your kitchen to descriptions of cooking utensils, basic cooking terms and skills and how to perform them, and how long to store foods, youll find a wealth of information here.

Whether you are just learning to cook or to want to make cooking more inspirational or less time consuming, a little organization can be just what you need.

A PLACE IN YOUR KITCHEN CALLED HOME

Whether your kitchen is the size of a postage stamp or a sprawling ranch, make the most of your space so that cooking will be more enjoyable.

• Store items near where you use thempans by the stove, spices where you mix, tableware where you serve.
• Keep items you use frequently in easy-to-grab-from spaces; store things you rarely use in a different spot.
• Use cabinet organizers so everything can be located quickly.
• Install roll-out shelves if you dont already have themthey make it easier to see and grab items.
• Keep your counters clutter-free so they are open for cooking.
• Add hooks to cabinet doors to hang measuring cups and spoons, and pot holders or oven mitts.
• Designate one spot in your kitchen for cookbooks.

KEEPING YOUR KITCHEN SANITY

Are you tired of looking for an item you know you have but cant locate? Use these simple organizing tips to keep things in order, and cooking will be much easier and more effortless.

• Group similar foods together.
• Use prime real estate well. Reserve the front-and-center parts of any space for the ingredients you reach for most often. Use the space around, and higher and lower shelves, for those items you use occasionally.
• Label liberally. Mark repackaged foods with name and date. Leave no question as to what things are and where they are stored.
• Tame the clutter. Use containers to keep foods together easily and neatly, such as sauce and seasoning packets or bags of pasta.
• Use trays to prevent later cleanup. Place raw meats in the refrigerator on trays or in containers with sides to catch meat juice drips and prevent them from dirtying shelves. Store these items separately from produce to prevent bacterial contamination.
• Follow first in, first out. Place newer, unopened packages behind older ones. What you buy first should be used first.

Here are some items from around the house to upcycle for food storage.

Baby Food Jars Snacks or bulk spices

Canning Jars Individual portions of hot or cold cereal, or yogurt and fruit

Coffee Tins Flour, sugar, pasta or rice

Magazine Holders with Holes Potatoes or onions

Over-the-Door Shoe Holder Individual snacks or small bags of food

Plastic Shoe Boxes Sauce and seasoning packets, herb and spice jars

Set aside time for weekly meal planning to avoid last-minute dashes to the store or takeout splurges. It pays to be strategic about grocery shoppingyou can save money and avoid wasting food. Shopping will be easier and more efficient, helping you stick to your list and budget, so youll have the energy and time to enjoy cooking.

MEAL PLANNING

• Start fresh. Before you shop, do a quick cleanup and inventory of your fridge, freezer and pantry so youll know what you have, and have to use soon.
• Keep a running list. As you run out of an ingredient, add it to a list on a whiteboard inside your cupboard or on your phone. Create your weekly shopping list by adding onto this one.
• Create a chart. Map out a chart of the weeks meals, snacks and brown-bag lunches youll need. Consider your schedule and the time you can spend cooking.
• Strategize your list. Plan meals that help you make use of foods you already haveespecially those items you noted need to be used soon.
• Coordinate for recipes and meals. As you consider each meal on your chart, add the ingredients youll need to your shopping list.

SHOP SMART

• If possible, shop alone so that you arent distracted.
• Bring your own bagsmany stores offer a reusable bag discount, or charge for their bags.
• Clip coupons ahead of time and read store ads, both print and online.
• Know what your budget is.
• Always shop with a list.

SUPERMARKET SKILLS

• Shop and cook seasonally to get the freshest foods at the best prices.
• Shop the perimeter of the store for the most healthful fresh items (dairy, produce, meats).
• Check out the discount shelves for bargains.
• Buy in bulk those items you use often.
• Check the unit price per ounce to compare package sizes or brands for the best price. Many stores offer this information on the shelf labels. If not, you can determine the unit price with this equation:

Price number of ounces = cost per unit.

Use the calculator feature on your phone to do the math.

See also Food Substitutions (inside front cover).

Baking Powder A leavening mixture that, when mixed with liquid and heat, releases carbon dioxide gas bubbles, causing baked goods to rise. Cannot be a substitute for baking soda.

Baking Soda A leavening ingredient that must be mixed with an acid ingredient such as lemon juice or buttermilk for it to cause baked goods to rise.

Butter Available salted or unsalted; must contain at least 80% butterfat. Butter (not margarine) is used in recipes in this book for the best taste, texture, appearance and performance. Margarine products can vary greatly and may not provide optimum results. See .