What you need is a digital recipe box. Getting one doesn’t require a single-purpose app, software, or subscription. All you need is Google Sheets. So, how do you keep track of your recipes using this spreadsheet software? Keep reading to learn how.
What to Include in Your Google Sheets Recipe Box Layout
Your Google Sheets recipe box serves two purposes: quickly finding your recipes and making notes to improve them. So, as you set up your layout, think of any columns you can add that’ll make this more convenient or informative. Here are some column titles to start with:
Title—the name of the recipe. Category—the type of dish it makes. Source—where you found it. Link / Location—where you can find it again. Time—how long it takes, in total. Occasion—a holiday or event the dish works with, if any. Rating—how much you like it. Notes—a place to jot ideas, improvements, or thoughts on the recipe.
To get started with your layout, add these titles to the columns along the top row.
Next, you can freeze the top row of your sheet by highlighting it, going to View in the top menu, then Freeze, and choosing 1 row. Now, you’ll start adding dropdown lists and color coding to your columns to make filling the sheet a breeze.
How to Use Dropdown Lists to Organize and Rate Your Recipes in Google Sheets
A great example of where a dropdown list is handy is the category column. Rather than typing the name each time, you can use Data validation in Google Sheets to add this information in a matter of clicks. With a name like that, this tool can sound intimidating, but setting it up is just a matter of clicks, too. Here are the steps:
Click into a cell under Category. Go to Data at the top of your screen. Select Data validation from the menu. Beside Criteria, choose List of items. To the left, enter the words you’d like to include, separated by a comma. Hit Save.
You’ll now see a dropdown menu in that cell. From here, you can add color coding if you want. To do so, stay on that cell and:
Go to Format at the top of your screen. Select Conditional formatting. A sidebar will show up. Under Format rules, click the dropdown below Format cells if… and choose Text contains. Enter a category name in the field that appears underneath. Under Formatting style, change the background color or text color. Hit Done. Repeat with the remaining categories.
Now you just need to add it to each cell in the column. To do that:
Copy it as you would text. Select the column header. Deselect the column title by holding CMD or CTRL and clicking it. Paste.
You can also follow these steps to create dropdown menus for the Occasion and Rating columns. They work for anything that has a list of recurring answers.
Making Notes on Your Recipes in Google Sheets
In the notes column of your recipe box, you can jot down anything, but here are some suggestions:
Alternatives—what you can use in place of an ingredient. Shortcuts—sometimes, there are steps you can skip. Variations—ingredient swaps and cooking methods that create different results. Improvements—what you did or ideas to make the dish tastier. Edits—steps you did differently. Actual cook times—since appliances, vary. What to do ahead of time—thawing, marinating, brining, etc. —things that are vital to the dish and easy to overlook. Special ingredients—ones that aren’t readily available to you. For example, it’s a seasonal item, or you need to order it ahead of time.
It’s ideal to write any changes to the recipe down right away to avoid forgetting what made your dish a hit the next time you make it. To keep things tidy as you do, add Text wrapping to the column. You can find it in the toolbar among the other alignment icons.
By default, Google Sheets uses Overflow, which brings the text outside the cell. Using Wrap, you can keep it contained, but the drawback is it will change the height of your cells. Clip will show you a preview of your notes, and once you click in, you can see the full text.
Tips for Keeping a Recipe List in Google Sheets
Typically, recipe boxes are full of favorites. While it can be tempting to source a bunch of recipes to try, doing so will quickly clutter up your sheet. Come up with a way of vetting them and take a quality-over-quantity approach. Not all recipes you add need to be digital. Under Link / Location, you can also add its physical location, for example, which cookbook and what page. Source is the same. This could be a publication, a famous chef, or your Aunt Sarah. In the time column, reflect the actual minutes it takes you to make the dish. Appliances vary for cook time, and skillsets vary for prep time. This will help with planning. Sharing your recipe box with others is a cinch. Just click Share in the top-right corner of your screen, add their email to the empty field at the top, and assign them a role before hitting Send. Scan and save your physical recipes as PDFs and upload them to Google Drive. That way, you can link to them in your sheet. You can also save webpages as PDFs and do the same. That way, if the author changes anything or takes it down, you still have access to your favorite version.
Using Filters to Find Recipes
You can add a filter to your sheet by clicking the funnel in the toolbar. Once you do, you’ll notice symbols appear beside your column titles. Click them, and you’ll see a menu with options to Filter by color. This is useful if you’ve added color coding to your categories. You can select the corresponding color to view specific ones.
Additionally, you can use Filter by condition to filter by text or keep scrolling to the bottom of the menu, where you can check and uncheck your options.
Easily Find All Your Recipes in Google Sheets
Whether you’re into meal planning or you’re simply tired of losing track of your recipes, keeping them in Google Sheets is an excellent solution. Not only is locating them a breeze, but you can also access this document from your computer, tablet, or smartphone.
