They say if you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room. But the same can be applied to kitchens. Learning your way around the pots and pans takes a great deal of time and effort, and it's much easier when there's an expert to guide you. Like your dad. Or grandma.

Recently, Reddit user u/OoopsieWhoopsie made a post on the platform, asking everyone to reveal their most prized family cooking tips. And some people agreed to do it; sharing really is caring. From getting the most out of your leftovers to adding an extra oomph to your dishes, continue scrolling to check them out!

#1

My grandma would save butter wrappers in the fridge and use the leftover butter on them for greasing dishes when she baked. I can’t help but stockpile wrappers, it’s really so handy.

Image credits: spottedsushi

#2

Mustard powder in your Mac and cheese is a game changer.

Image credits: Roark_Laughed

#3

Save all scraps for stocks. Almost anything can be made into soup.

Image credits: ShezTheWan

#4

Adding sour cream to scrambled eggs instead of milk will make them insanely fluffy.

Image credits: OrganizedxxChaos

#5

Putting a little fish sauce into a stew or sauce that needs umami. It's basically liquid anchovies.

Image credits: gwaydms

#6

Sprinkle sea salt on cookies right before or right after baking. The extra salt brings out the flavors more and helps balance out the sweetness.

Image credits: Darwin343

#7

I put homemade stock into ice cube trays to freeze then store in bags. 1 cube = 1.5 Oz liquid or so.

Image credits: Brianblaz

#8

Cook them onions - cook them onions loooong n slow (sauté). Then add tomato, cook that tomato, cook that tomato looooooong and slow.

#9

A tablespoon of cocoa powder creates boldens the flavor profile of chili (I know it sounds crazy, but our chili recipe is delicious.

Image credits: https://www.reddit.com/user/OoopsieWhoopsie/

#10

A TBSP of ground coffee in brownies really kick it up a notch. The more quality the beans the better.

Image credits: aaronappleseed

#11

My family owns a catering business, starting from my grandparents who came to the states from Portugal. One thing I've learned that greatly improve my meals is to add butter to your noodles (for saucy pasta like Spaghetti)

Image credits: OoopsieWhoopsie

#12

Use a little more butter and a little more cheese than the recipe says.

#13

My Uncle Arthur's tip is "clean while you cook!", and he will not let you forget it, either.
Not really sure if its a tip but my Papa Searcy used to microwave bacon on old newspapers...it was always delicious! In hindsight it's probably bad for you and you should never do it. I have weird memories of the smell of newspaper and bacon.

Image credits: dickle_berry_pie

#14

Don’t hollow out a bread bowl; shove the inner bread down to create a thicker bottom. This will prevent leaks and sogginess.

#15

Add a pinch of nutmeg to anything with dairy in it, you can't taste the nutmeg but it makes the dairy richer and taste better.

Image credits: llcucf80

#16

I thought adding cocoa powder to chili was pretty common.

I like to add some apple cider to baked beans and a bit of cinnamon to chocolate cake.

#17

Add citrus zest to enhance flavor and acidity, especially in sauces/salsas…desserts too!

Salt your water liberally when boiling pasta/potatoes, and blanching vegetables

Image credits: Nattydr3

#18

A dollop of sour cream in mashed potatoes.

Image credits: OoopsieWhoopsie

#19

Replacing melted butter with brown butter is almost always the better choice when baking.

Image credits: Darwin343

#20

If a dish feels flat it's often the acidity that's missing. Dash of White Modena vinegar is the secret to my red sauce for example, even though it's inherently acidic.

Image credits: highpsitsi

#21

A really good sharp knife and running the onion over water can help prevent the teary eyes. (Also holding a piece of bread in your mouth).

Image credits: OoopsieWhoopsie

#22

Rub a lemon wedge on the inside of your mixing bowl when you're making meringue. It works better than cream of tartar and you'll get a more stable meringue.

#23

My oma would add plain seltzer to her matzah balls… she said it made them fluffier.

#24

Nutritional yeast in mashed potatoes.

Image credits: BurntToastBreakfast

#25

Better Than Bouillon Veggie is a million times better than any other veg stock.

Image credits: burning_panda_

#26

Bacon always comes out better if you cook it in an oven, and it’s important to put the bacon in before turning the oven on; preheating the oven will make the bacon stick to the cookie sheet

Image credits: bento8621

#27

Want to make icing delicious? A pinch of salt. It cuts the pure sugar and makes it dangerously good.

Image credits: badgreenapplepie

#28

You're probably using too much flour in your yeast dough. Many recipes say it should not be sticky. On the contrary, you want it a little yucky and sticky before you let it rest. That's how you get yummy fluffy stuff that doesn't dry out within hours.

Also, to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands, you don't use flour. You use vegetable oil

#29

Adding Worcestershire sauce, a bit of soy sauce, and Dijon mustard to your pan-fried chicken livers would ascend them into deityhood (not to forget the caramelized onions, chicken stock stock, garlic, and mushrooms).

#30

Mixing a heaping scoop of mayonnaise into your cake batter, whether it's scratch or from a box.

Image credits: 19CatsInATrenchCoat

#31

Keep in mind I’m from a very Midwestern Scandinavian family. Cream of mushroom soup is kind of a universal solution for improving any dish.

Image credits: batmanandboobs93

#32

I use vanilla or plain full fat yogurt in my bathing mixture for French toast, instead of milk.

It turns out perfectly every time.

Image credits: bethster2000

#33

Use the animal fat for cooking instead of oil, animal fat can take more heat.

#34

As far I can remember all the women in my family put a big spoonful of mayo in their mashed potatoes (myself included).

Image credits: honeyblissful

#35

In addition to the (brilliant) addition of cocoa powder to chili, we also throw in like 5 green cardamom pods in there. Just be sure to either fish them out post-cooking or warn folks that they're in there; even after hours of cook time, they're still a potent (not unpleasant on their own just a bit discordant to chew on) flavor.

#36

Always remove the skin from chickpeas before cooking (after 24 hour soaking), makes it easier to digest and a much creamier hummus (of course never use the canned stuff).

Image credits: Pumaconcolor_

#37

A decent aged balsamic vinegar adds depth to almost anything! I use a 25 year in literally almost everything, chili, spaghetti, whatever. It’s a fantastic addition, and you only need a tiny bit.

#38

My wife was stunned that after 25 years together she found out I put lemon juice in my pancake batter. (Bisquick Ultimate melt in your mouth pancakes recipe)

#39

Cooking carrots in your bolognese, ragú, or any tomato-based/tomato-heavy dishes (I do it in curries when there’s tomatoes present) breaks down the acidity. I have yet to have heartburn since doing this from an old Italian recipe.

#40

Keep the onions in the fridge, won’t sting your eyes.

Image credits: chabadgirl770

#41

MSG makes just about everything better. I add it to the salt mixture when I'm seasoning meats. It also helps make ripe tomatoes pop by accentuating the naturally occurring MSG, keep that in mind when you're making tomato salads and tomato sandwiches.

Image credits: wreckyourpod

#42

There isn’t a leafy green vegetable or bean that can’t be cooked this way:

Sauté onion in bacon fat. Add red pepper flakes. Add broth. Add a smoked turkey neck (or wing if you want it meaty). Simmer until meat is near-tender, add veggies/beans and cook until those are done. Season, probably with adobo.

Green beans, collards, kale, white bean soup, black beans, lima beans, make the onions the trinity and you’ve got the start of red beans and rice. Add carrots, celery, and sweet potato and make a smoked turkey soup that puts chicken soup to shame.

#43

Something to keep in mind for next Thanksgiving: if your deviled egg mixture is too runny, adding instant mashed potato flakes will improve the consistency without messing with the texture or flavor.

Image credits: ACanOfVanillaCoke

#44

LaChoy soy sauce in place of salt when I cook (to taste). Adds more depth and a nice umami flavor. It’s also gluten free (most soy sauce is not)

#45

My dad puts finely minced carrot in his salsas.

#46

When baking for every tsp of vanilla extract add 1/4 tsp of lemon extract

Image credits: blkmrsfrizzle

#47

I use sour cream when making pie shells. It’s amazing!

#48

If you can't cook for love nor money, a chicken casserole is almost impossible to mess up.

#49

When making chicken and dumplings, remove all the chicken from the pot before cooking the dumplings, then stir it back in at the end! Also, dumplings must be made from Bisquick, none of the canned biscuit abomination! And no cream of anything soup, cooking the dumplings in the broth thickens it up nicely.

#50

The chocolate chip cookie recipe on the toll house chocolate chip bag is legitimately pretty good in a pinch.

#51

For deviled eggs - use whipped cream cheese or avocado instead of mayonnaise. More versatility for spices and flavors, but also more fiber, calcium, and protein than you would without them.

#52

A can of condensed milk in mashed potatoes works stupidly well. Not the sweetened stuff but unsweetened. Shelf stable so if you need to make a side unexpectedly, you can do mashed potatoes. Add your butter and other things as normal.

No one here like American Sour Cream so we never have it and crema doesn't work as well.

Any place you're adding brown sugar for flavor (not for science reasons) you should add a splash of maple syrup. If you can find the extract, use that instead. Punches up the brown sugar flavor without making it too maple syrup flavored.

Use the "fancy" Liquors for adding flavors to baking. Good way to use them up if you're not really a drinker.

#53

Always taste your roux before adding anything else to it - you’ll know if the balance is off and can make adjustments before it’s inclusion in your dishes and screwing up flavors.

#54

All tomato based sauces need a pinch of sugar and a bit of cinnamon.

#55

I put a splash of maple syrup in my chilli.
Dust my pizza pan with garlic powder instead of cornmeal.

#56

Pork and beef umami kicker = flaked black truffle salt

#57

Add Creamed corn to your shepherd’s pie

#58

cinnamon on steak