is there a seemingly simple recipe you can't get right?

[kristen821]

Here's your recipe: 1/3 cup 1-minute oats, 2/3 cup water, 1/4 tsp salt(give or take). Put it in a cereal bowl. Microwave on high 3 minutes. Comes out perfect if you measure. Simple chemistry

I know It for some reason never comes out right, but it always does if I do it on the stove. I am oatmeal challanged!

 

[Caropooh]

Shepards Pie
My family LOVES it, but every time I make it there is always liquid in the bottom of the dish. I've tried using canned vegetables and frozen vegetables. I tried draining the vegetables for an hour or so before using them. I've tried cooking the veggies in the frying pan with the ground beef.(after browning meat) I've tried different kinds of pans to bake it in. NOTHING WORKS!!!!!! My DH can make it no problem with no liquid in the dish.

 

[kitn]

Biscuits are my downfall. I can make great French toast and grilled cheese's though. If you are having trouble with French toast, try turning up the heat and preheating the pan longer or try putting a bit more crisco in the pan. I also put cinnamon and sugar in the batter with the eggs and milk.

 

[Snow_White]

Okay I will admit to mine.

I can't make rice krispie bars. They never come out, usually too dry, if I try and add peanut butter it just gets worse. I always use the brand name stuff too, no generics/store brands. I don't know what I do wrong. I really like the nice gooey evenly marshmellowed rice krispie bars, but sadly I cannot produce them, sigh.

You just have to add more marshmallows...no peanut butter. I always add at least 150% of what the recipe calls for...if you want them extra gooey, you can even go with 200%.

 

[delilah]

Meat loaf. Just can't get it right. There was an Oven Classic Meat Loaf from hamburger helper that was really good, so of course they stopped making it.

Same here. I have tried to make meatloaf about 3-4 times over the past 27 years I've been married. The first time, the first few months we were married, the dang thing took forever to cook and was covered in an oily puddle--I think that was because of the cheap hamburger I used. Then I tried making smaller individual meatloaves. Those got cooked, but, tasted just yucky. Then, I went to a friend's house about 9 years ago, and she made good meatloaf. So, I tried again. No luck. Then, I brought some Boston Market meatloaf home--I don't remember what my son said it tasted like, but, he wouldn't eat it. I thought it tasted pretty good, but, my meatloaf making days are over forever.

 

[lunchmomd]

Gravy, gravy, gravy!!! Beef, chicken, pork, doesn't matter. Just can't do it. And I love gravy!!!

 

[dani0622]

Does coffee count? I have been cooking since I was a small child and consider myself to be a extremely good cook. I can whip up anything anytime. But I make the WORST coffee I have ever tasted in my life! I am a huge coffee drinker and LOVE coffee but I cannot make it on my own! It's so bad that when I have guests over I have to let them make it and they all know why. I've tried everything, fancy coffee machines, grinders, the best beans, spring water- all I can say is: And I love how everyone is always saying it's so easy and try to tell me how to do it! But it never works!

 

[disneyfam]

Pie Crust.

There is a lot of banging and swearing going on when i "try" to make pie crust. The last attempt was last month. After the failed attempt I ripped up my recipe and threw it away!

Thank you Pillsbury dough boy for making crust for me!

Cynde

 

[laurajetter]

I can't steam greenbeans without them being squeaky when you bite them. Why is this so difficult for me? I can steam other vegetables just fine.

I hate squeaky greenbeans!

 

[minkydog]

Pie Crust.

There is a lot of banging and swearing going on when i "try" to make pie crust. The last attempt was last month. After the failed attempt I ripped up my recipe and threw it away!

Thank you Pillsbury dough boy for making crust for me!

Cynde

I can't make pie crust either. This thread is making me realize what a bad cook i am

 

[kbkids]

How can you not make grilled cheese? Ok- I understand,that this is coming from a girl who can't make pancakes, but grilled cheese is infinitely easier than pancakes.

Take bread. Butter it. Heat nonstick pan to oh, medium. add cheese, put in pan, cook, check the underneath- flip it when golden..... WHat are you guys doing wrong?

Too soggy, too dry, too burnt - never like it should be. The only grilled cheese I can make consists of two pieces of toast with a piece of cheese sandwiched between while they are still warm.

P.S. But I make really good pancakes though!!

 

[LuvDuke]

Fried Chicken and I don't mix!! That's the only thing I've EVER had to throw out the door. Other than that, I'm a great cook if I do say so myself.

Me too! I can't fry chicken to save my life. I can make the perfect risotto, stuffed lobster, prime rib, but fried chicken seems to be out of my league.

 

[NMAmy]

I am also gravy challenged. My mom, the queen of cooking, has even stood behind me at my stove, handing me the ingredients while giving me instructions. She then took a taste of it and said, "Oh, my god. You're right. You just can't do this!" It's not just lumpy, it's tasteless, too. I'm 42 years old and I have to have my mom come over to make the gravy for us now.

I also have a hard time frying eggs sunny-side up or over easy. I can only hard fry eggs. DH makes all the eggs at our house--he's a pro.

I really am a good cook aside from these two little issues.

 

[LuvDuke]

Pie Crust.

There is a lot of banging and swearing going on when i "try" to make pie crust. The last attempt was last month. After the failed attempt I ripped up my recipe and threw it away!

Thank you Pillsbury dough boy for making crust for me!

Cynde

Try using a food processor, chilling the dough, and rolling it out on a pastry cloth.

And then reach for the Pillsbury.

 

[dvcfamily41801]

Cupcakes! Without fail, they always sink in the middle and even when I make a regular cake, as soon as I take it out of the oven, it just swoops down in the middle. I just have to use extra frosting to cover it up but I don't understand what I am doing. Also, when I icing the cake or cupcakes...it is a beautiful golden brown, however it is very bumpy and the top always comes off What am I doing wrong????

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

Like another poster stated, I cannot make bread from a stupid bread machine. My SO and I love bread, the 2 of us could eat a whole loaf of fresh bread by ourselves every day. So instead of buying fresh bread from the gorcery store all the time, I thought I would save money and buy a bread maker. They stupid bread never comes out right. It barely rises and it looks like I have a mini loaf, SO and I can eat the stupid mini loaf in 2 slices. I hate it.

 

[WishingOnAStar]

Okay I will admit to mine.

I can't make rice krispie bars. They never come out, usually too dry, if I try and add peanut butter it just gets worse. I always use the brand name stuff too, no generics/store brands. I don't know what I do wrong. I really like the nice gooey evenly marshmellowed rice krispie bars, but sadly I cannot produce them, sigh.

Hello, my name is WishingOnAStar and I can't make Rice Krispie treats either! May I join you club?

I never knew there were others out there. I thought I was the only one. And I'm quite the "Martha Stewart" (see my tag). I just can't get those dang things right.

 

[ericamanda01]

It took me years to get pancakes right. I never realized that you need to flip them when there were bubbles on top. When I finally got it right I was so sick of pancakes that I didn't make them again for about 6 months.

 

[Colleen456]

Add me to the list of pie crust impaired

I can mix it fine its the rolling part that challenges me. I can't get it right, so I gave up. Luckily my DH is a pro with pie crust so he does the crust and I do the filling. We are a great team!

I'm getting better with gravy....it's not great but its edible and lump free.

 

[LuvDuke]

Cupcakes! Without fail, they always sink in the middle and even when I make a regular cake, as soon as I take it out of the oven, it just swoops down in the middle. I just have to use extra frosting to cover it up but I don't understand what I am doing. Also, when I icing the cake or cupcakes...it is a beautiful golden brown, however it is very bumpy and the top always comes off What am I doing wrong????

A question: Are you checking to see if they're cooked all the way through?