A food processor can help you cut down on your prep time by doing some of the work for you. Food processors chop, slice, cut, and can even help grate cheese or assist with making bread dough. A multi-tasking kitchen appliance, think of this handy tool as your own personal assistant in the kitchen.

Food processors come in handy for the following:

• Puree soups and sauces
• Cut, slice and prepare vegetables for cooking
• Prepare salsas, pestos, and dips
• Grind meat or nuts
• Making bread crumbs
• Shredding cheese
• Kneading bread dough

To begin, you may want to clean your food processor.  This will stop flavors from hanging around with the wrong ingredients. It’s good practice to clean before and after use. Next, choose what food you would like to process. Larger pieces of food can be cut and placed into the processer to be chopped, sliced, or pureed. Always close the lid firmly to prevent any leakage. You may need to stop and use a spatula to push food back down towards the blades. Process the food until you’ve reached the desired size or texture.

Food processors can give you a variety of options too. Different food processors come with different attachments. You can supplement your equipment by adding attachments that can knead dough or whip eggs. What recipes are your favorites to use your food processor with?