Salivating over our recipe for Steak au Poivre got me thinking about how long preparing even the most basic meat recipes can seem after a full day’s work.

The trouble is, unless you’ve got a prime, aged, bone-in porter house, cooking the majority of meats out there sans flavoring can leave even voracious carnivores disappointed.

Growing up in Louisiana though, we had one solution for this: Tony Chachere’s. Down there, this mix of spices (which includes among other things: black pepper, red pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic, and salt) is sprinkled liberally on everything imaginable to provide the needed kick. And I mean liberally.

Dash a bit of the little green can over plain chicken breast and you’ll be amazed how much better it tastes. For that matter, shake it anywhere you’d normally use salt for a vast improvement in taste. Just don’t let me catch you saying “Bam!” when you do it.

Editor’s Note: Even with all that pepper, this stuff won’t toast your taste buds. Also, if you’re concerned with sodium (yes, even Cajuns can be health conscious) or looking for something a little toned down, check out the salt free, and lite versions.

Cost: $3.25