Ever wondered what shortcuts professional chefs take when cooking at home? Despite their culinary prowess, even the most talented kitchen maestros reach for ready-made products when they're off the clock.
These premium store-bought items save precious time without compromising on flavour, proving that sometimes convenience and quality can happily coexist.
1. Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce
Professional pasta maker Michael Ferraro swears by this jarred sauce for its authentic Italian flavour profile. The perfectly balanced seasonings and fresh tomato taste make it indistinguishable from homemade versions.
Food critic Alex Delany agrees, noting that Rao's contains no added sugars or preservatives - just pure, quality ingredients. For busy weeknights when making sauce from scratch isn't feasible, this premium option delivers restaurant-worthy results.
2. Duke's Mayonnaise
Southern chef Mason Hereford wouldn't dream of using any other mayonnaise in his kitchen. The distinctive tangy kick comes from Duke's secret recipe that uniquely excludes sugar while incorporating more egg yolks than typical brands.
Chef David Rabin specifically reaches for Duke's when crafting his famous deviled eggs and homemade ranch dressing. The creamy texture and bold flavour enhance everything from sandwiches to potato salad, proving its versatility beyond simple sandwich spreading.
3. Trader Joe's Unexpected Cheddar Cheese
Culinary professionals often smuggle this supermarket gem into their home refrigerators. The brilliance lies in its dual personality - starting with rich cheddar notes before surprising your palate with parmesan-like crystals and complexity. Perfect for elevating a basic cheese board without the artisanal price tag.
Many chefs admit to serving this at dinner parties, allowing guests to assume it's from a specialty cheese shop. Its crumbly yet creamy texture works beautifully in everything from mac and cheese to gourmet grilled sandwiches.
4. Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets
Ask any pastry chef about acceptable shortcuts, and these frozen sheets inevitably make the list. The reliable, consistent layers save hours of folding and rolling butter into dough - a tedious process even for professionals.
While some purists prefer Dufour's all-butter version, Pepperidge Farm remains the practical choice for most applications. From quick appetizers to impressive desserts, these versatile sheets transform into sophisticated creations with minimal effort, making them a secret weapon for dinner parties and impromptu entertaining.
5. Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes
The subtle smokiness of these tinned tomatoes elevates ordinary recipes to extraordinary status. Professional kitchens may roast fresh tomatoes daily, but at home, even culinary experts reach for this convenient alternative.
The organic certification ensures clean, chemical-free produce. Chefs particularly value how these tomatoes maintain their integrity in slow-cooked dishes, providing both texture and concentrated flavour without disintegrating completely. For everything from chilli to shakshuka, they provide that crucial depth that plain tinned tomatoes simply cannot match.
6. Knorr Stock Pots
Celebrity chef Marco Pierre White famously endorsed these concentrated flavour bombs, ending the stigma around stock cubes in professional circles. The jellified stock pots dissolve completely, leaving no powdery residue or artificial aftertaste.
They provide instant depth to soups, risottos and sauces when homemade stock isn't available. The clever packaging allows precise portioning without waste, making them economical as well as convenient. Most importantly, they deliver a clean flavour profile that doesn't overwhelm delicate dishes with excessive salt or artificial notes.
7. Anchovy Paste
Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis keeps this umami-packed secret weapon permanently stocked in her home kitchen. Just a small dollop transforms ordinary dressings and sauces into complex, deeply flavoured creations without any noticeable fishiness.
The convenience of the tube format eliminates the mess of filleting whole anchovies. Most remarkably, this ingredient enhances meaty flavours without announcing its presence—perfect for converting anchovy-averse family members. Its long shelf life means it's always ready when you need that extra dimension of savoury complexity.
8. Barilla Al Bronzo Pasta
The revolutionary bronze-die extrusion method creates microscopic rough surfaces on this pasta that sauce clings to magnificently. Chef Gregorio specifically highlighted this premium line as his go-to when cooking at home. The texture difference is immediately apparent - both visually and on the palate.
Unlike slick, mass-produced varieties, Al Bronzo maintains perfect al dente structure even when slightly overcooked, providing crucial forgiveness for home cooks. The enhanced sauce-gripping ability transforms even the simplest olive oil dressing into a proper pasta experience.
9. Trader Joe's Frozen Organic Brown Rice
Chef Fatima Khawaja confessed to Bon Appétit that these microwave pouches are her ultimate time-saving hack. Perfectly cooked in just three minutes, they eliminate the typical 45-minute brown rice cooking process without sacrificing nutrition or texture.
The individual portions prevent waste and ensure consistent results every time. Unlike other instant rice products, the grains remain distinct and fluffy rather than mushy. For busy professional chefs juggling family meals at home, this product represents the ideal balance between health-consciousness and practicality.
10. Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten insists on this specific vanilla for all her baking endeavours. The distinctive amber bottle contains pure vanilla with no artificial additives, delivering an authentic flavour that mass-market extracts simply cannot match.
Professional pastry chefs appreciate its balanced profile that enhances without overwhelming delicate desserts. The Madagascar Bourbon variety specifically offers floral notes with a creamy finish that blooms beautifully during baking. Though pricier than supermarket options, the intensity means you need less per recipe, making it economical in the long run.
11. Tate's Bake Shop Chocolate Chip Cookies
The distinctively crisp, buttery cookies from this Southampton bakery receive Ina Garten's rare seal of approval for store-bought desserts. Their thin, caramelised edges and generous chocolate distribution make them indistinguishable from homemade versions.
Professional bakers admire the perfect balance of salt and sweet. When entertaining guests but short on preparation time, these cookies serve as the ideal foundation for elevated desserts - crumbled over ice cream or used as layers in trifles. Their consistent quality eliminates the risk of baking disasters when time is precious.
12. Libby's Canned Pumpkin
During autumn baking season, professional pastry chefs skip the laborious process of roasting and pureeing fresh pumpkins in favour of this consistent product. Ina Garten specifically endorses Libby's for its silky texture and deep flavour concentration.
Unlike other brands that can be watery or stringy, Libby's delivers reliable results in everything from pies to quick breads. The 100% pure pumpkin contains no additives or preservatives - just properly processed squash. For holiday baking when precision matters, this tin eliminates the variables that fresh pumpkin introduces.
