I have been an avid cook and baker since childhood and have only heard good things about KitchenAid stop the mixerbut I spent decades believing I didn’t need it. Why buy a device that costs hundreds of dollars when I have the whole set kitchen toolsand my hands, to mix, toss and knead?
But last year, I reached the point of cooking and baking exhaustion. And I’ll admit it: I was influenced by watching videos of my favorite chefs and food content creators effortlessly making delicious desserts and more with their KitchenAid mixers. So my partner and I pooled holiday gift cards and bought five quarts, head tilted KitchenAid Artisan Series in the color of dreamy almond cream.
I can admit when I’m wrong, and I was wrong about the KitchenAid stand mixer not being worth the cost — mostly because I learned it’s not just for baking. In fact, there are many surprising foods you can make in your KitchenAid mixer to take some effort out of your time in the kitchen.
1. Chicken salad
The idea for this article came to me when I saw TikTok creator Jenna Denise using their KitchenAid mixer to grate chicken for a chicken salad. Although I am a vegetarian, I do the same Quorn’s Meatless Diced ChiQin Piecesand it worked well. After pounding the “chicken” with the coated flat beater attachment, I added the remaining ingredients and let the KitchenAid mix the whole salad together.
As well as shredding the chicken alone, you can use your stand mixer to make a chicken salad.
2. Egg salad
When I successfully made vegan chicken salad in my KitchenAid stand mixer, that got me thinking: What about egg salad? It turns out, it works the same. I simply peel hard-boiled eggs, put them in a mixer, use a flat beater to mix them together and add other ingredients to make a delicious, no-fuss egg salad.
3. Butter
Using a wire whisk, beat 4 cups of heavy cream to make butter in my KitchenAid mixer. Bonus: Once you have your butter, use a flat beater to add different flavors, like cinnamon and sugar or garlic and herbs.
Using your KitchenAid mixer, you can easily make both butter and milk. All you need is heavy cream.
4. Milk
When you make butter in your KitchenAid mixer, it’s a two-for-one experience because it’s the liquid that makes up the butter. Be sure to save this for use in pancakes or biscuits.
5. Pulled pork
Your mixer can be used to shred most cooked, boneless meats, including pork. Simply use a flat beater to shred your pork for dishes like tacos, sandwiches, soups, nachos and more.
Pork is another type of cooked meat that can be processed in your blender.
6. Guacamole
If you’re not in the mood to mash an avocado by hand, the flat bit of your KitchenAid can do the job for you. Add your avocado flesh to the blender to blend, then add the other ingredients for the handmade guac.
7. Meatballs
Not a fan of mixing ground meat by hand? Instead, use your KitchenAid mixer’s flat beater to prepare the mixture for meatballs, meatloaf or burgers. Just throw all your ingredients into the mixer and let it handle the rest.
Make mixed meat dishes like meatballs and meatloaaf.
8. Mashed potatoes
Mashing potatoes can be quite a chore, especially if you want a perfect texture that doesn’t stick to a sticky, sticky mash. By letting the flat beat of your mixer mash your potatoes, you can focus on watching them reach your ideal texture.
9. Mayo
One of the advantages of using a KitchenAid mixer is to make food from scratch knowing exactly what goes into the dish. The same goes for mayo, which can be made with the whisk of your mixer and just six ingredients: egg yolks, Dijon mustard, vinegar, sunflower oil, salt and pepper. No food processor what is needed.
That’s right — you don’t need a food processor to make homemade mayo.
However, since it doesn’t have the same preservatives as store-bought mayonnaise, just make sure to refrigerate your homemade mayo and use it within four days.
