8 Ways to Use a Food Processor That You Never Thought Of

Credit to image used in pin goes to Hamilton Beach, Pinch of Yum, The Brewer & The Baker.  – Changes were made to the original image.

Let’s just face it, food processors are awesome.  They can chop, mix, and blend so many recipes and makes cooking so much easier! And if you’ve already got one, chances are you know how amazing it is. It lasts for years and does so much work quickly. You really know you’re getting your money’s worth from it. But if you think that your food processor is already amazing, think again!  This machine offers so much more than simply mixing and blending.

So here are some ideas that’ll level up your food processor experience.  So check them out, feel free to leave a comment, and let me know what’s your favorite.

Homemade Butter

The convenience of store-bought butter is too pricey when you realize how easy this hack is. Why not make your own to control your ingredients, make sure it tastes good and save money? All you have to do is mix a heavy cream and a pinch of salt to make fresh butter.
Pour the cream into your food processor, run for five to six minutes and when the butter curds form and separate from the liquid buttermilk you’re almost done. Squeeze out the buttermilk, gently knead the butter with a pinch of salt before using and store in the refrigerator. The Brewer & The Baker also have a great idea for this hack!

Chopping Nuts

Sure, you can chop your nuts using an ordinary knife but why not put your food processor to work and save some time. Just pop the nuts in, whatever kind, push the button and voila, finely-chopped nuts perfect for a dessert recipe. You can also add butter to make your own gourmet nut butter. If this doesn’t impress your guests, I don’t know what will.

Preparing Salsas, Pesto, Dips, and Spreads

What could be better than making your own salsas, sauces, dips and spreads, right? You’re not just saving money but you can also make sure that it will be great tasting and healthy for your family. You can customize everything, use the freshest ingredients, experiment with different spices and leave all the work to the KitchenAid. Afterwards, you’ll be surprised how finely chopped and ground they are in just a minute. You won’t need any chopping skill anymore.

Grinding Meat

I bet you’ve never used your food processor for meat grinding. But I’m telling you, it’s easy. Just cut whole pieces of meat into chunks, freeze them until firm, and then pulse them in the food processor until coarsely ground. This ground meat is perfect for your meatballs, stir fry and burger recipes. Be careful not to process for too long, however, or you’ll end up with meat paste! Pinch of Yum has an awesome tutorial for just this!

Crush Your Own Ice

If you’ve run out of time and find out you’ve got no shaved ice for your cocktail party, don’t worry, your food processor’s got you covered! Just put the ice cubes into it and pulse up until finely ground. Then put the crushed ice in your drink, add a lime wedge and get the party started.

Make Your Own Bread Crumbs

Got a hard, stale piece of bread? Throw it in your food processor, pulse it and you’ll never need to buy breadcrumbs for recipes. The good thing about making your own is that you can control the size of the crumbs, and use any kind of bread you want. For extra flavor, I suggest you toss in some herbs and seasoning. You’ll be delighted with the taste.

Shredding Cheese

Calling all cheese lovers! The next time you crave for some cheesy recipes, keep your cheese grater in the cabinet and use of your food processor to shred your cheeses. The food processor gets it done faster and your knuckles will thank you!

Make Healthy Ice Cream

This is actually my most favorite hack on this list. Who would think that making ice cream, okay let me rephrase, a healthy ice cream using your food processor would be possible? Want to know the secret? Just freeze up your base, your choice of fruits, in a freezer bag. Once frozen, blend in the food processor until smooth and creamy. For additional flavor, add some chocolate syrup, nuts or any toppings that you want to have a tasty and healthy cold treats.

It turn’s out that this humble food processor can do a lot of work and more than what you expect. So whether you already have or you’re planning to get one, applying these tips and tricks will impress others and make your cooking easy for you. So try them out and let me know what you think.

Now if you have other KitchenAid hacks, let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear about them!