10 Creative Uses For Your KitchenAid Mixer (Beyond Baking)

Your KitchenAid mixer is probably your best friend if you're an avid baker. Honestly, why wouldn't it be? It's great for whipping up all sorts of baking recipes with ease, be it different kinds of batters, bread doughs, frostings, and more. It's one of those classic kitchen appliances that has stood the test of time, unlike many others that eventually went out of style. However, the only downside to this appliance is that it's rarely used to its full potential. A KitchenAid mixer is a lot more versatile than most people might imagine, and so using it just for baking recipes is one of the many mistakes everyone makes with their mixer.

As a pastry chef with over five years of experience, let me tell you this: There was a time when I was in the same boat, because I believed there wasn't much that KitchenAid mixers could be used for besides whipping up dessert bases and bread doughs. That's sort of a given, considering that I worked in the patisserie department at various hotels, and that's all the mixer was used for there. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see how other kitchens in these hotels used this appliance, and that made me realize how underused it is by most people. Now that I know, I believe it's crucial that I tell you all some creative ways to use your KitchenAid mixer so that you can make the most of it, too. Read on till the end so you don't miss out on anything.

Shredded cooked meat is a fantastic ingredient, that's for sure. It's extremely versatile, as there are so many amazing dishes you can make with shredded chicken, pork, turkey, or beef. There's just one issue with shredded cooked meat: actually shredding it. Most of us would agree that it's a pretty annoying and time-consuming task, especially if you don't have tools like meat shredders or tongs. Luckily, you don't need to buy any of these tools because your KitchenAid mixer is perfect for the task, even though you've probably never used it to do so before. The mixer can shred most types of cooked meat effortlessly — you just need to add the meat to the mixing bowl, start the mixer, and carry on with other kitchen tasks while it does the work.

It's crucial to use the correct attachment and keep the mixer on at the right speed, as otherwise the meat will turn into a thick paste. You'll need to use the paddle (flat beater) attachment, which usually comes with the appliance, and keep the mixer on the lowest speed so it can shred the meat slowly and gently. Using the whisk attachment might seem like a good idea here, but I'd suggest not doing that because it's meant for incorporating air, so it won't be able to shred meat properly. Besides that, tough meat will end up damaging the whisk, so it isn't worth taking a risk.

Most homemade foods are better than their store-bought counterparts, and butter is no exception. If you believe the same and have always wanted to churn fresh butter at home, you don't need to worry about how you'll do it if you have a KitchenAid mixer. All you need to make homemade butter in your stand mixer is heavy whipping cream, and some salt if you'd like to prepare salted butter.

You'll have to use the whisk attachment for this, as it incorporates air into the cream and eventually turns it into butter. Just pour heavy cream into the bowl, start the mixer, and let the cream whip until it separates into butter and buttermilk. Once that happens, you can scrape the butter off the whisk using a silicone spatula, then rinse it in cold water, and mix in some salt if you'd like. After that, wrap the butter in butter paper, refrigerate it, and use as needed.

There are just a couple of things you need to be careful about when making homemade butter in your KitchenAid mixer. First, ensure that your whipping cream and mixer bowl are both cold, as otherwise the cream won't whip properly, and ultimately won't turn into butter. Also, keep the mixer on at a low speed initially and increase it only after the cream starts stiffening, because the cream will splatter out of the bowl and create a mess if you start at a very high speed.

Mayonnaise is an integral part of many dishes, so it's likely that you use it often. While store-bought mayonnaise is great for everyday meals, there's also one thing that's difficult to overlook — it's packed with preservatives. If the preservatives have bothered you for a while and you've been looking for an alternative, you should definitely consider making this condiment at home. It's true that making it by hand can be an arm workout, but that's where your KitchenAid mixer comes in handy, as it does all the whisking for you.

To make mayo in your stand mixer, start by adding egg yolks, vinegar, and some mustard into the bowl, then mix them on low speed with the whisk attachment. You can alternatively use freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of vinegar. Once the mixture starts coming together, add in the oil. You might want to dump all the oil in at once, but that's a mayonnaise blunder you need to avoid, as it will break the emulsion. Instead, you should add the oil slowly, in a steady stream, while the mixer is running at the lowest speed, so that it emulsifies well with the egg yolks and the mixture starts thickening up. You can season the mayo with salt at this point, along with some herbs and spices if you'd like to amp up the flavor. Just like that, your homemade mayonnaise is ready in no time, thanks to your KitchenAid mixer.

Who doesn't like fluffy mashed potatoes? They're light and melt in your mouth, which is what makes them so devour-worthy. However, we would agree that whipping mashed potatoes by hand to make them fluffy isn't the easiest task, even though this step makes the final dish completely worth it. Some of you might even skip whipping them altogether and serve your mashed potatoes as-is, just because of how labor-intensive the process can be. Fortunately, you won't have to do that anymore, as your KitchenAid mixer is the perfect appliance for making fluffy mashed potatoes effortlessly.

You'll have to mash up your potatoes first, then transfer them to your stand mixer bowl and start mixing them at a low speed with the paddle attachment. At this stage, you can also add in some ingredients that will make your mashed potatoes extra fluffy, like butter, heavy cream, cream cheese, or even some of the water you boiled them in if you'd like a dairy-free option, along with salt and basic seasonings. The potatoes will start fluffing up gradually, and as soon as they appear fluffy, I'd suggest you turn the mixer off. This is because overmixing your mashed potatoes is a big blunder, as that will release excess starch and turn your potatoes gluey instead of fluffy, and then you'd have no option but to start over.

Unlike some of the other entries, it isn't technically a tough task to mix ground meat with seasonings and various ingredients to make burgers or meatballs. That said, some of you probably don't like the texture of raw ground meat and are looking for ways to mix meat with other ingredients without touching it or getting your hands dirty. If this applies to you, I have some really good news — you can use your KitchenAid mixer to mix the meat instead of doing it by hand. Besides being great for folks who don't like touching raw meat, mixing meat in your stand mixer is also a great option for those who make meatballs and burger patties in bulk, as this appliance will make everything a lot quicker and easier.

The process is as easy as adding ground meat of your choice to the KitchenAid bowl along with seasonings, eggs, breadcrumbs, or anything else you fancy, and then mixing it at a low speed. Here, it's important that you use the paddle attachment, as it's the only one that will mix everything evenly without clumping it up, which is very likely if you use the whisk. Additionally, you'll have to make sure the speed is low and consistent, as too high a speed or overmixing the meat will turn it dense and rubbery. Lastly, don't add too much ground meat to the bowl at once, as it won't mix properly.

Many agree that homemade ice cream is a better bet than store-bought. It's richer, fresher, and the best part is that it isn't packed with a bunch of preservatives, artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners. If you've been wanting to make homemade ice cream for a while, and also have the ice cream maker attachment for your KitchenAid mixer, making ice cream in this appliance is worth a shot. This stand mixer makes the whole process a lot easier, as once you get the base ready, you just need to pour it into the ice cream maker bowl, use the ice cream maker attachment, and then let the appliance do its magic.

There are certain tips you should bear in mind when making homemade ice cream, such as using high-quality ingredients, straining the base before adding it to the bowl, and chilling the bowl and attachment beforehand. Also, feel free to add nuts, chocolate chips, or any other mix-ins to your ice cream when it's churning.

In case you don't have the ice cream maker bowl and attachment but would still like to make ice cream in your KitchenAid mixer, here's something that might make your day — you can actually make heavy cream-based ice cream in the stand mixer with the whisk attachment. For that, you'll need to whip the heavy whipping cream until it forms stiff peaks, then add in sweetened condensed milk, flavorings, and toppings, and freeze it until it sets. It's as easy as that!

Isn't flavored butter (also called compound butter) so much better than regular butter? It's a lot tastier and can amp up any dish in a jiffy, regardless of whether it's something complicated or just a piece of toast. That said, it's also a fact that whipping up flavored butter at home isn't the simplest of tasks. Even if you have a lot of arm strength and don't necessarily mind whipping the butter by hand with a whisk, it's still pretty annoying work, to say the least, as all the butter gets caught in the wires. If you have a KitchenAid mixer at home, however, you can without a doubt use it to make all sorts of flavored butters.

A thought might cross your mind here: Wouldn't the butter get caught up in the mixer's whisk as well? Yes, it will, and that's why the paddle attachment is what you need to use to prepare flavored butter. It will soften the butter a lot more efficiently and will also distribute whatever ingredients you add to it more uniformly. I'd recommend adding soft butter to the KitchenAid bowl and mixing it at a low speed, as that reduces the risk of damaging the paddle attachment and the mixer bowl. Another thing I'd suggest is using unsalted butter, as it's a lot easier to flavor compared to salted butter. You can always season your flavored butter with salt later if you'd like.

If you frequently cook Italian dishes, you've probably always wanted to make fresh pasta at home. Fortunately, you can if you have a KitchenAid mixer, as it will help you make the dough and also roll it out into fresh pasta of your choice.

You won't need any special attachments to prepare the dough, but you will have to buy the pasta roller and cutter set to make the pasta. Honestly, this is worth investing in if you plan to make pasta often at home. If you don't want to, however, there's an affordable way to make fresh pasta without fancy equipment, which I'll get to soon.

Making pasta dough in your stand mixer is pretty simple. You'll just have to add all the ingredients to the bowl, mix with the paddle at a low speed until combined, then switch to the hook attachment and let the dough knead for a few minutes until it's ready. After you've rested the dough for a bit, you can attach the pasta roller and cutter, and then roll the pasta out as instructed in the manual. If you don't have the roller and cutter attachment, you can prepare the dough in the mixer as instructed, let it rest, then roll it out on your table, and cut it into the shape you like with a knife.

Yes, you can actually use your KitchenAid mixer to prepare fresh sausages at home — and I'm not just talking about making the filling, as you can also use the stand mixer to stuff the sausages. The only thing is you'll have to get the sausage stuffer kit, which is sold separately. I'd say it's worth the purchase, given that it isn't too expensive and you'll be able to make fresh, preservative-free sausages whenever you'd like, right at home.

You can start by adding ground meat, seasonings, and any other ingredients you'd like to the KitchenAid mixer bowl. Make sure the meat is cold, as otherwise it can get too sticky and difficult to work with. After you've added all the ingredients to the bowl, start mixing everything at a low speed using the paddle attachment. I'd recommend mixing only until the ingredients are well-combined, as overmixing will make the meat dense and rubbery. Once the filling is ready, you can let it chill in the refrigerator for some time, and meanwhile, you can attach the sausage stuffer kit to your KitchenAid mixer and get the casings ready. Stuff the sausages once the filling is cold enough, but be sure not to overstuff them, as that can rip the casing apart. I'd also suggest keeping the instruction manual around and following it to the T while stuffing the sausages, so that you don't accidentally damage the attachments. Store the sausages properly in the refrigerator once they're ready, and use as needed.

I bet you didn't know that you can use your KitchenAid mixer to grind fresh meat. Sure, you'll have to get the metal food grinder attachment for that (it's one of many KitchenAid mixer attachments that you can easily buy on Amazon), which is slightly pricey. However, imagine all the advantages of having one. You'll have full control over the type of meat you choose, and you can actually go for good-quality meat, which is something you can't usually be sure of when you buy packaged ground meat. In addition, you can also grind your meat as coarsely or finely as you'd like, depending on the dish you're making. All these perks make this attachment worth buying, especially if you're someone who uses ground meat regularly.

You won't need the KitchenAid bowl or any of the attachments it usually comes with for this task — just the metal food grinder is enough. Attach it to the stand mixer as mentioned in the manual, along with either the coarse, medium, or fine plate, then feed cold chunks of meat into the grinder and let it grind them at a low speed. Don't push the meat too hard into the grinder, as that can damage the appliance and also overheat the meat and ruin its texture. Another thing you should keep in mind is to chill the food grinder attachment and plates before you start grinding the meat, as that will also reduce the chances of the meat getting overheated.