Cooking a meal on a regular day can be a nerve-racking affair for anyone, but a Thanksgiving meal? That’s a heavyweight level, even for veteran cooks. But according to Mr. Mixer, a content creator on TikTok, as long as you have this cheap baking staple in your pantry, you’ll be fine.
“Having fresh baking powder on hand is like a safety net for your kitchen,” Mr. Mixer said. “It’s inexpensive, easy to keep in the pantry, and it can prevent stress and disappointment on a day when timing is everything.”
Here are the cases where it actually works:
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes as the main side dish seem stupidly easy to make, but they can also turn out heavy and inedible when you mix them too much or the potatoes don’t break right. When that happens, baking powder is your guy, Mr. Mixer says.
“Mashed potatoes are a great example,” he notes. “If they turn out dense or gluey, adding a small pinch of baking powder while mashing can lighten the texture and make them fluffy.”
Gravy
Gravy can fall apart fast. It can curdle or get lumpy if the heat runs too high. Baking powder can help it come back together and smooth out. It won’t fix every gravy mistake, but it helps when the texture starts slipping.
Cream Sauces
Things like pan sauces or cream sauces often break when there’s too much going on at once. Baking powder can help stabilize the mixture if it starts separating. It keeps the sauce from looking grainy or split.
Rolls, Cakes, and Pies
Sometimes baked items don’t rise because the baking powder is old. Mr. Mixer says you can check it fast: put half a teaspoon in a small bowl and pour hot water over it. If it bubbles a lot, it’s fine. If nothing happens, it’s expired and it’s better to replace it before baking day.
More Thanksgiving Tips on Cheapism
- America’s Most Hated Thanksgiving Sides You’ll Regret Spending Time and Money On — Find out which are the most hated Thanksgiving side dishes, so you can safely leave them off the menu this year.
- I Make This Unusual Turkey Dish After Thanksgiving to Use Up Every Leftover Scrap — I always make a Mexican-inspired recipe for turkey carnitas the weekend after Thanksgiving. Here’s the recipe.
- 27 Retro Dishes That Will Class Up Your Thanksgiving Dinner — Read on for our “soup-to-nuts” menu of retro holiday recipes to impress your guests this Thanksgiving and holiday season.
