“In thirty years of making lasagna, I have never done this.

And my lasagna comes out great every single time, thank you.”

And chances are, there are probably some steps you choose to ignore.

Chopped onions being sautéed in a frying pan

So Redditoru/shr00mshoeasked, “What is acooking stepthat everyone else swears by but you always skip?”

Here’s what people from Reddit and theBuzzFeed Communitysaid aboutcooking instructionsthey simply don’t follow.

“Adding garlic and onion at the same time.

Slices of bacon are baking on a foil-covered tray in an oven, with a hand holding a blue checkered cloth in the foreground

That’s just a recipe for burnt garlic.”

“I don’t wait for the oven to preheat.

I especially love to make bacon this way.

A pot on a stove filled with simmering soup that includes vegetables like carrots, leeks, and zucchini. A wooden spoon rests across the pot's handles

I put the tray into the cold oven and then turn it on.

My bacon comes out perfect every time.”

“Unless company is coming over, I never peel potatoes or carrots.

Close-up of a fork twirling creamy pasta in a bowl, with visible herbs and chunks of vegetables

Scrub them and eat them with peels still attached.”

u/thegirlandglobe

4.

“For soups, I skip the veggie amount and just use the whole thing of whatever I have.

Scrambled eggs being cooked in a nonstick pan on a stovetop

Half a cup of onion?

No, the entire onion is going in.

Three sticks of celery?

A pan of tomato sauce simmers with a metal spoon resting in it on a stovetop

No, I’m using however much is in the fridge.

Itll turn out just fine.”

“I never rinse pasta after straining it because the sauce sticks to the noodles better this way.

Hand holding a partially eaten chocolate chip cookie with more cookies in the background on a plate

I’ve always felt like this is a totally unnecessary step.”

“I rarely properly measure dried spices.

Measuring ingredients, in general, has never been my strongest suit.

A person in a kitchen chops raw chicken on a wooden cutting board, surrounded by bowls of chopped vegetables

People always rave about ‘how well-seasoned’ my food tastes.”

u/Straydapp

7.

“I never whisk eggs when making scrambled eggs.

A person stirs a yellow liquid in a glass with a spoon. A bowl of chopped vegetables is in the background on the wooden countertop

I crack them right into the heated pan, and I think they come out better that way.”

“I am never EVER boiling my tomatoes and skinning them to make a sauce.

This is the very definition of extra.”

A plate of lasagna with layers of pasta, meat, and sauce, placed on a table with a baking dish of lasagna in the background

“I don’t put a horizontal cut in my onions when dicing.

u/Erulol

10.

“When baking, I never refrigerate overnight.

A black spoon rests in a strainer filled with cooked rice over a metal pot

“Washing meat before cooking it.

What is that supposed to do besides spread bacteria around my sink?”

“Salad dressing recipes love to tell you to ‘slowly mix in the oil’ while whisking.

A metal grater with ginger pieces next to it, a bowl of granola and yogurt, and more ginger roots on a marble surface

It always tastes good enough for me.”

13.“Sifting.

Unless it’smacaronor ladyfingers I’m making, I never sift!

Ground beef cooking in a black frying pan with visible steam rising. A black spatula is partially seen on the right side

And for context, I’m a pastry chef.”

u/molliebrd

14.

“I have never precooked my lasagna noodles.

A kitchen scene with a mixing bowl of butter being mixed with a hand mixer, surrounded by bowls of flour, sugar, and eggs

My lasagna has turned out great every single time for over thirty years.”

“I never wash my rice before cooking it.

“Using room temperature eggs for baking when a recipe calls for that.

A small bowl with mashed banana and a spoon resting in it. The bowl has a floral design. The setting appears to be a kitchen countertop

u/daniday08

17.

It’s so much easier now not to worry about peeling it.”

“When cooking ground beef, many recipes tell you to ‘drain the fat.’

Chickpeas are boiling in a stainless steel pot on a stovetop, with steam and bubbles rising from the surface

But I never do that.

I use the rendered fat to cook up the rest of my ingredients, like veggies.

The results taste so much better when cooked in beef fat.”

A person in a plaid shirt places uncooked spaghetti into a pot of boiling water on an induction cooktop

“I use way less water than the directions recommend when making pasta.

u/Creative_Decision481

20.

I don’t claim to be a great baker, but my stuff turns out tasty enough.”

“I never peel potatoes for my mashed potatoes.

u/TheAlbrecht2418

22.

I always add it later and add at least double the suggested amount.

It’s so much more flavourful.”

“If I’m cooking dry beans, I don’t pre-soak overnight.

I usually just cook them for longer.

“I always break pasta in half.

u/vnutellanutella

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.