One-third of Americans can whip together an "ultra-fast" dinner in just 10 minutes or less, according to new research.
Egg sandwiches, grilled cheeses, hamburgers, hot dogs and microwave meals were all common dinners respondents said they could whip together in a pinch.
A study of 2,000 census-balanced Americans examined how people are attempting to get creative in the kitchen as the pandemic continues.
Many respondents will play mind games with themselves as they cook, with two in five (42 percent) pretending they are on a cooking show to see just how fast they can put dinner on the table.
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It's no surprise that 61 percent of respondents are pretty proud of their quick skills in the kitchen and 46 percent even have secret "cheat codes" to pull meals together at lightning speed.
Forty-three percent said they opt to incorporate pre-made ingredients into a recipe to shave valuable minutes off the clock — and over a third (37 percent) prep part of their recipe in advance.
Nearly two in three said they expect their meals to be quality without sacrificing too much time (61 percent), and that in the ideal world, every meal would be delicious and quick to make (62 percent).
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The survey, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of fresh-dried mashed potato maker Idahoan Foods, revealed those crafty shortcuts definitely come in handy as three in 10 respondents cook nine or more meals a week for themselves or those they live with.
With so many plates to make, not all of them will be up to the chef's standards, and one in two respondents confessed to sometimes being disappointed in their own cooking.
Some respondents even face culinary critiques from others at the dinner table. The harshest critics within respondents' own homes were their spouses and partners (34 percent).
Following closely behind for cooking complaints were respondents' kids (33 percent), with parents rounded out the top three (21 percent).
Fifty-six percent admitted they sometimes feel like they have to sacrifice flavor and healthy options for something quick and easy.
Two in five (43 percent) revealed the pandemic has sapped them of their culinary inspiration since they've had to cook so much more often.
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