This Muffin Tin Trick Will Keep You Organized When Cooking

The muffin tin may be one of the most underrated pans in your kitchen drawer. Sure, you break it out to make muffins and cupcakes, but there are so many other reasons to use this tin. Per Southern Living, when it comes to freezing leftover items, the muffin pan is a go-to. They suggest using it to freeze soup, vegetable stock, or fruit juice, before transferring these frozen cups to a freezer safe bag for future use. They also note that you can use your muffin tin to freeze oatmeal for a quick breakfast on the go. And if it is time to send an old tin out to pasture, don't toss it in the trash. Instead, use it to organize your office supplies. Staples, paperclips, and rubber bands can find a new home in its compartments.

But those aren't the only muffin tin hacks you'll want to take note of. Eat This, Not That! has a trick using this versatile pan that will help you stay organized when cooking. But it is more than a trick; it may be a game-changer in cooking and prepping that not only keeps your countertops neat and orderly, but also ensures you don't forget any ingredients. 

If you are like most of us, you may find cooking to be a hectic process and things can get messy pretty quickly. That's when mise en place becomes your best friend. Per the University of Nebraska, mise en place is a French phrase that basically means you want to have all of your ingredients diced, sliced, measured, and poured before you begin cooking. The site goes on to share that it makes your time in the kitchen more effective and allows you to line up your ingredients in order of use. And, you are less likely to leave something out. This is where our lovely muffin tins come into play.

Eat This, Not That! suggests using your muffin tin to create your own mise en place. You can place all of your chopped ingredients in the muffin tin's compartments, along with spices and dry ingredients, wet ingredients, and even garnishes. Not to mention, with all of its compartments lined up, you can skip using multiple bowls, making for easy clean-up as well.

But what if the ingredients can be a pain to get out of the muffin tin? LifeHacker suggests using cupcake liners, which you can just "pop-out" of the pan when ready to use. Even celebrity chef Anne Burrell uses the mise en place method when she cooks, so you know it works!