The Easy Way Alex Guarnaschelli Upgrades Butter

Cooking can be a creative, fun, and even therapeutic outlet. Not only does homemade food tend to taste better and more fresh than take-out meals, but it can show the people you feed, whether it be your family or party guests, just how much you care — making it all the more rewarding.

Let's face it though: Cooking can be exhausting. Sometimes, we just don't have the time or energy to put together an elaborate meal, let alone buy the ingredients and clean up afterwards. And, that's okay! For those of us who can't always commit to complicated culinary concoctions, there are plenty of recipe hacks that lead to delicious, crowd-pleasing dishes while saving us precious time.

Nobody understands how much of a struggle cooking can be like celebrity chef Alex Guarnaschelli. With decades of experience on her side — almost 20 years to be exact (via Alex Guarnaschelli) –, she has discovered some of the most innovative food preparation tips that take minimal effort. And, luckily for her fanbase, she has shared one of those tips for anyone to try.

In an Instagram post, Alex Guarnaschelli uploaded a photo of a garnished block of butter, and she wrote: "Put crunchy sea salt & pepper on butter [and] let it get all room temperature-y [and] then put out a loaf of crusty bread. So good that people think you cooked all day". Despite how simple this idea is, it's actually quite genius. The salt-and-pepper seasoned butter paired with a bread loaf creates a rustic-looking snack or appetizer that dinner guests are bound to finish before the party has even gotten started. After all, what's not to love about bread and butter?

Fans were just as amused by this easy, yet genius idea. Some enthusiastic comments included: "Please share this tip again around Thanksgiving so I remember to do it!!" and "This is why you're the queen". Some added modifications of their own, like garnishing the butter with radishes. No matter whether we choose to upgrade our butter or not, there's no doubt that we can all make this simple dish — even if we're in a pinch.