5 Food Transport Tricks

Toting a single cupcake for a take-along snack sounds like a good idea—until you’re dealt the terrible fate of accidentally squished cake and frosting. To safely transport a cupcake or any other delicate pastry, lay the lid of a clean pint-sized deli container upside down, and place your cupcake on it. Invert the container, slip it over the cupcake and down onto the lid, and seal it shut, thus creating a safe shell (or, as we like to see it, a battle shield) around the cupcake.

If you’ve ever wondered, Gee, I wonder what I could do with my leftover nonskid shelf liner, and have a large dish to tote from point A to point B—boy oh boy, you’re in luck. Here’s what do: Line the bottom of a cake carrier, box, or other container with a small piece of surplus nonskid shelf liner to keep the contents from sliding into the walls of the carrier while in transit.

The last ingredient you’d expect to pair with your beautifully baked cream pie is pasta, but just hear us out. Instead of risking a mussed-up whipped cream or meringue topping with a close-fitting cover during transport, stand a few strands of uncooked spaghetti or linguine in the pie and suspend a sheet of plastic wrap over the pasta. Don’t try this with toothpicks, which are likely to sink down into the pie.

To ensure that stuffed mushrooms remain upright when transporting them to an event, use mini-muffin tins. Each mushroom perches neatly in a muffin cup, and not a single breadcrumb is lost on the way. And, may we add, you’ll be sure to receive bonus cuteness points at the party.

When packing munchies for a long car trip, instead of piling up an impenetrable forest of snacks in a bag, use an empty box from a case of wine. The cardboard insert (used to separate the bottles) creates compartments for holding soda cans, napkins, utensils, fruit, and the like. It’s so easy to find the food that kids (and preoccupied adults) can help themselves.