7 Surprising Things You Can Do With Your Food Processor

So you just got a food processor — now what do you do with it? Luckily, you’ve just opened the door to more culinary creations than you can imagine.

Sure, a food processor is great for its typical blending and grinding, but you can make all sorts of meals and utilize a wide variety of shortcuts to make your cooking easier and more enjoyable.

Although some of these foods can be made in a blender, a food processor contains the power and precision needed to expertly execute specific types of food preparation. If you’re looking for some creative ways to use your food processor, try the below seven uses for the handy kitchen gadget.

1. Grind Meat

Make your own ground meat at home using your food processor. This allows you to choose your own cut of meat as well as control specific texture. Plus, the meat is fresher and there is less risk of cross-contamination when you use one cut of meat.

2. Make Ice Cream

You don’t need an ice cream maker to create your own frozen treats. You can make regular ice cream in a food processor with just a few ingredients, or you can take the healthy route and blend a frozen banana to make a dairy-free ice cream that’s still loaded with flavor.

3. Chop A Salad

Chopped salads are delicious, but it can feel like a nuisance having to break up the leaves by hand. You can shred greens like cabbage, brussels sprouts, and other root vegetables in a food processor.

4. Make Butter

Ditch the store-bought stuff, and make your own butter. All you need is heavy cream, and you’ve got yourself some fresh butter that can be ready in as little as 10 minutes.

5. Shred Potatoes

Making hash browns or potato pancakes? Skip the grater and use your food processor instead. The handy machine comes with a grater blade, so put that baby to use instead of slaving away by hand.

6. Create Nut Butter

Nut butters like peanut butter and almond butter are delicious, but they taste even better and are more nutritious when they’re made at home. Using a food processor to make nut butters is not only easy and healthy, but it’s a lot cheaper than opting for the store-bought variety as well.

7. Whip Up Hummus

Hummus is an easy dip you can throw together in just five minutes, and it comes out creamy and decadent when done in a food processor. You can experiment by adding in different ingredients such as sun-dried tomatoes or herbs, and you’ll have a fresh snack on hand at all times.

Photo by Bicycle Bob