This is a mandoline.
This is a mandolin.
Today, we're talking about the former.
I have an inexpensive mandoline, and I use it all the time. It's another one of those tools that spends most of its time in the dishwasher, waiting to be cleaned.
There are mandolines on the market for upwards of $200. You don't need a fancy one, just one with a thick blade and a thin blade. A grating blade is nice, too.
The idea of a mandoline is that it makes slicing firm foods easier and faster. I can slice a whole zucchini or onion in about ten seconds.
Another benefit of a mandoline is that the slices are all perfect and uniform, and they cook evenly.
Mommy's Martini asked what she could do with her mandoline beyond potatoes au gratin and cucumber salad.
Get your own mandoline here.
10 Recipes to Make with a Mandoline
- Onion rings. How many times do you need thin slices of onion? Hamburgers, deli sandwiches, onion soup, batter-dipped onion rings, onions for salad. Onions are so much easier to slice using a mandolin.
- Tomato slices. Whether you're using the tomatoes to top a burger or sandwich, toss into a salad, layer in lasagna, or top a margherita pizza, a mandoline will give you perfectly even slices.
- Vegetable slices. Whether you want to thin slices of zucchini or eggplant for vegetable lasagna, slices of cucumber for vegetarian sandwiches, or slices of radish or red pepper for a salad, a mandoline is the best way to get them evenly thin.
- Fruit slices. As with the veggies above, if you want thin slices of apples or pears for sandwiches or even just for something different in fruit salad, a mandoline is the way to go.
- Carrot slices. I hate to slice carrots without a mandoline. Even though my knives are very sharp, it's tough to slice through the whole carrot and even tougher to get the slices even. A mandoline makes quick work of carrots whether you want to cut them into rounds, ovals, or long, thin slices.
- Shred cabbage. Shredded cabbage is perfect for homemade sauerkraut or coleslaw. Shredded lettuce is essential for tacos.
- Grated vegetables. Our mandoline has a grating blade, and we use it for grating carrots for carrot pancakes, cucumbers for tzatziki sauce, and zucchini for zucchini bake.
- Potato chips. You need the thinnest slices of potato for chips, and a mandoline is perfect. You can use beets, sweet potatoes, even turnips in basically the same way.
- Citrus garnish. If you need perfect slices of orange, lemon, or lime to put in a pitcher of water or on top of a cake, the mandoline is the best way to cut them. I had water with thin slices of cucumber in a spa this past spring, and that was divine, too.
- Cheese. A mandoline isn't just for fruits and vegetables. You can use it to slice or grate any firm cheese. Incidentally, I've also used mine for chocolate.
Please be extra careful when using a mandoline. The blades are very, very sharp, and can easily slice the tip of a finger or knuckle cleanly off. I've done that a time or two, and it hurts worse than the worst paper cut and bleeds profusely. Be careful, and use always use finger guard or food holder.
Storage can be tricky for this super sharp kitchen tool. Ours hangs at the very top of a peg board in our kitchen, almost out of my reach. We don't want Grace to ever accidentally cut herself on it.
Be careful, and always use the finger guard or food holder.
Get your own mandoline here.
What do you use your mandoline for?
Have you seen the rest of the series?
- 10 Things to Make with a Bundt Pan
- 10 Things to Make with a Muffin Pan
- 10 Foods and 10 crafts to Make with Cookie Cutters
- 10 Things to Make with a Scoop
Julia says
my dad cut his finger with a mandoline on christmas eve. we thought we'd have to take him to go get stitches. those blades are no joke.
my favorite "mandoline recipe" is vegetable tian. so yummy!
Anonymous says
What is vegetable tian? I've never heard of it.
Julia says
i sautee some sliced onions in butter and olive oil with a litte bit of garlic. put it in the bottom of a baking dish/corningware. and then you arrange thin slices of red potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes on top of the onions, slightly overlapping in concentric circles (it's really pretty). then i sprinkle it with some fresh thyme, salt, pepper,and cheese (gruyere or mozzarella). bake it in the oven until the veggies are done. so yummy!
Anonymous says
That sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing it with us!
Heather says
My MIL gave me her old mandolin for my birthday a few years ago. She felt bad because she was giving me something used instead of new. But she never uses it and I use it all the time. I love it! I've made carrot chips with mine recently. Like potato chips, they need to be thin slices. Season with olive oil, salt, pepper and layer them in the food dehydrator. Yum!
Anonymous says
Yeah! You have the best ideas, Heather!
Anonymous says
Yeah! Thanks for sharing your links!
Robyn's Online World says
I have an OXO hand-held mandoline that is one of my favorite kitchen tools. I use it for my Packet Potatoes http://www.robynsonlineworld.com/2009/05/memorial-day-bbq-yum.html and for Crispy Potato Roast http://www.robynsonlineworld.com/2009/11/crispy-potato-roast-recipe.html as well as a lot of other recipes.
Stephanie (The Helping Mommy) says
This is awesome! Does your mandoline have blades that you can switch? I have the pampered chef one where you can put in a grating blade, a julienne blade and a v-shaped blade and then a "regular" blade. The V-shaped is awesome for cutting tomatoes, but my fave ones are the julienne and the shredding blades. I use the julienne for potatoes, zucchini.... I'm on a zucchini kick and use them in just about any recipe. =)
Anonymous says
Yes! That's the same one that I have. Would you believe that I've never, ever used the julienne blade? The v-shaped one is the one I use most, followed by the regular adjustable one.
Jimmie says
What a great series of posts! And now I'm pretty much convinced I need a mandoline (not a mandolin).
Living So Abundantly says
My favorite use has been so slice potatoes for homemade potato chips. It was especially helpful when grating zucchini for zucchini bread. 🙂
Chris, Rookie in the Kitchen says
Thanks! I'm awaiting the arrival of my Pampered Chef Mandoline...after reading the 10 things to do and your posts I can't wait to get it! Thanks for sharing your great ideas!
Margaret Birdsong says
Can you use a mandolin to slice summer sausage and semi soft cheese?
Tara Ziegmont says
Generally not. A mandoline works best with firm foods. If the sausage is really firm, it might be possible, but I don't think the cheese will work at all.