Maximum impact and minimum effort is the magic formula when it comes to cooking. Whether you rely on a jar of pasta sauce, tuck into a microwave meal or serve ready-made cakes, we’ve got easy ways to transform shop-bought food into something that looks homemade (we won’t tell, if you don’t). From secret ingredients to final flourishes, these simple hacks will take dishes from zero to hero.

Serve hummus in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, a few whole chickpeas and a sprinkle of paprika. Your guests will be none the wiser that it's shop-bought.

Scatter fresh Parmesan shavings and rocket over your pizza when it comes out the oven. It adds colour and a salty kick of flavour, just like an Italian nonna made it.

Layer food for added height and wow factor. Restaurants often serve 'stacks' because our eye is drawn up and it's more striking. Try piling a pack of ready-made pancakes, creating a mound of rice on the side of a curry or using fresh salad leaves to add height to a dish.

Toast nuts and seeds in a dry pan and roughly chop for an easy garnish. It works especially well with ready-to-eat hot smoked salmon fillets or leafy greens. Slivered almonds often work in tomato-based dishes. Experiment and see what combinations you like. You could even make a jar of toasted seeds and nuts to have on standby.

Mix black and white sesame seeds together and have them to hand whenever you're serving ready-made ramen or stir-fries. The seeds add texture and the contrasting colours make the dish look more striking too.

Plate up your favourite jarred curry with multiple elements in separate dishes to bring that homemade feel. Try serving rice in small bowls with torn naan alongside. A dollop of yogurt looks great on top and contrasts with a dark brown sauce. Finish with fresh chopped coriander.

Make gravy using granules or a gravy mix, then stir through meat juices from your roast to add a depth of colour and bring out the flavour. You won’t risk lumpy gravy and you won't waste the flavourful juices. For a dash of colour, stir through chopped herbs like parsley, tarragon and rosemary at the last minute.

Swirl a spaghetti or tagliatelle ready meal into spirals and lift to create a pyramid shape. It adds height, but it also keeps the plate looking neat. Finish with freshly grated Parmesan and black pepper. 

If you want to try the trick on homemade dishes, find our best pasta recipes here

You don't need to spend hours labouring over homemade pasta to enjoy an elegant Italian dinner – just pick up a pack of shop-bought tortellini. Stir through a fresh ready-made sauce for a minimum-effort meal or toss with slow-cooked cherry tomatoes, dots of creamy burrata and a drizzle of good-quality extra-virgin olive oil.

Get the recipe for tortellini with slow-cooked tomatoes and burrata here (just skip the pasta-making)

Drizzle colourful chilli oil, sprinkle fresh herbs around the rim or add a few blobs of balsamic syrup to your plate to give your microwave dinner the chef treatment. Or, to make a quick and impressive starter, buy ready-made bruschetta, Parma Ham and rocket. Arrange the ingredients then add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze.

Discover more Parma Ham recipes here

Keep a paper towel to hand when you’re serving up and give each plate a wipe around the rim before taking it to the table. A clean edge helps the food stand out and gives a professional-looking finish. No one needs to know if the food came out of a jar or packet.

Sprinkle several handfuls of fruit over the top of a store-bought pie, tart, cake or other dessert to create interest (and flavour). The effect works particularly well if you use a few different types of fruit in the same colour palette (such as the blueberries and blackberries here, or perhaps raspberries, red currants, cherries and small strawberries).

Make a quick mix of icing sugar and water to create an on-trend drizzle cake. Top with fresh fruit, lemon zest or edible glitter, and you’ve got yourself a showstopper bake without turning on your oven.

If you want to make your own, check out our genius hacks for perfect cakes

Grab a sieve and cover your shop-bought cake with a light dusting of icing sugar. You could also use a stencil to create a fun design and add a scattering of fresh berries or edible flowers. It will give that homemade flourish to the cake.

If you use ready-prepared salad bags, mix a few together for a variety of different coloured, shaped and textured leaves. Serve them in a shallow salad bowl and keep the dressing separate so people can add as much as they want and leaves won't go soggy if it's sitting out for a while.

Add some excitement to ready-made fishcakes with citrus and condiments. A spoonful of tartare sauce and a wedge of lemon on top will add height and make them more flavourful.

Perk up boring bagged rice with a few hits of flavour from herbs and spices. For example, add lemon zest, feta and a bit of chopped cooked spinach, or lime zest and juice mixed with chilli powder, ground cumin and coriander.

Find easy rice recipes everyone will love here

Whether you use pre-cooked couscous or the two-minute microwave sachets, you can make the grains look more impressive by stirring through fresh herbs, chickpeas, pomegranate seeds or rocket. It'll add colour and flavour.

Good presentation is all about the finishing touches. Pretend you’re a barista and top your instant hot chocolate with mini marshmallows and a few chocolate drops. A dusting of cinnamon or mixed spice works wonders too.

Rather than just serving gnocchi with pesto or tomato sauce, make it look more impressive by whipping up an easy gnocchi bake. Roast aubergines then stir through seasoned chopped tomatoes and the shop-bought gnocchi. Top with mozzarella and bake until the cheese is bubbling. No one needs to know you didn't hand-roll the little potato dumplings yourself.

Get the recipe for gnocchi, aubergine and tomato bake here

A plain bowl of soup is a depressing sight indeed. Jazz it up with a drizzle of olive oil, dashes of yogurt or cream, or croutons with Parmesan shavings. To make a pretty heart design, drop small blobs of yogurt or sour cream in a spiral shape, then drag a toothpick through to join them up.

If you’re baking a shop-bought lasagne from frozen or chilled, add some breadcrumbs on top for a little crunch. You can also mix in some grated Parmesan and lemon zest for added flavour if you're feeling fancy. Crunched up crisps also taste incredible as a baked pasta topping.

Discover top tips for tasty lasagne here

Pretty edible flowers are now widely available in supermarkets and they add a gorgeous dash of colour to desserts, cakes and bagged salads. Pluck the petals and scatter them through the dish to make them go further, or try growing nasturtium flowers in your garden in the summer for added ‘I grew this myself’ smugness. Just make sure the flowers are actually edible before you add them to a dish.

Buy two or three different colours and flavours of ice cream (we love berry, vanilla and chocolate ice cream), line a loaf tin with clingfilm and spoon in each flavour to create a layered ice cream cake. Pop it back in the freezer to firm up, turn it out onto a plate and finish with a drizzle of chocolate, fresh fruit and nuts for that homemade look.

Brush shop-bought pies with a little beaten egg before you bake them in the oven to give a glossy finish. This works for a sweet apple pie just as much as a chicken and mushroom one.

Making your own? Check out our best sweet and savoury pie recipes

Pre-made potato salad can look pretty beige so snip fresh chives or mint to add some colour. To enhance the flavour, add a dash of hot sauce or Dijon mustard if it's too creamy and bland. You can also add some chopped crispy bacon if you like.

You needn't stop at shop-bought food. Many stores now sell bottles of pre-made cocktails. Just pour over ice in your best cut-glass tumblers and add a garnish like slices of orange or lemon. Want to pretend you whipped them up yourself? Just leave a cocktail shaker out nearby...

For simple drinks to make yourself, take a look at these easy three-ingredient cocktail ideas

Add more colour to shop-bought coleslaw by stirring through finely chopped carrots, additional fresh red cabbage and finely chopped herbs. More vegetables will also make the dressing go further and avoid it looking gloopy. Serve in a rustic bowl with a wedge of lemon or lime – a squeeze of citrus will liven up the flavour too.

Chopped fresh herbs can transform your dinner. Stir soft herbs like basil or parsley through a ready-made pasta sauce or coriander through curries. It'll add colour and flavour.

Find simple ways to make homemade food look incredible here