Whether or not you consider yourself a Master Chef in the kitchen, everyone has some staple foods that they know how to whip up in a hurry. But, no matter how basic the foods are that you love to make, it could be that you’ve been cooking them completely wrong.

It’s a rude awakening, we know.

Never fear, it’s not just you. There are nine common foods that are almost always prepared incorrectly, which just seems like a waste of perfectly delicious food. To resolve this injustice, we’re opening your eyes to nine simple foods that you’ve been making wrong all along.

EGGPLANT

Photo: Culinar

Veggies lovers, are you preparing eggplant the right way? Because, no, it can’t just be cooked like regular vegetables. Well, it can be, but the results are lackluster compared to what you could be enjoying.

To get the most tender and delicious results, you need to salt the eggplant and then let it sit in a colander to drain. This technique will pull out the excess moisture out of the eggplant and banish that unappetizing, chewy texture.

PASTA

Photo: Recipes Hubs

The biggest mistake we make while cooking pasta? We dump the water we cooked the pasta in down the drain. While this might seem like second nature, don’t throw out that water! A little salted water helps the sauce cling to the pasta, so leave some in the bottom of the pot where you’ll be mixing your pasta and sauce.

Oh, you’re salting your water rather than oiling it, right? If not, get to salting, friends. Salt water seasons pasta both inside and out and give your dish a more complex flavor than oil does.

STEAK

Photo: Home Wet Bar

Cooking pan seared steak is actually an art form. It takes some ruined steaks and a lot of study to really perfect it. But, trust us, the end result is entirely worth the correct technique.

First, don’t defrost your steak. Cooking it right away will actually help preserve moisture in the meat and will make your meat less likely to become overcooked. The real trick is to brown it first in the pan, slow roast it in the oven for a few, and then quickly fry it with butter and herbs one last time. You won’t regret it.

SCRAMBLED EGGS

Photo: Vital Farms

This breakfast favorite is probably fine the way you’re making it now, but there is a trick no one talks about. There’s actually no need for water or milk in your scrambled eggs, they’re fine all of their own! Also, whisk your eggs right before you put them in the pan; this will make them the fluffiest you’ve ever seen.

For the best eggs possible, make sure to crack your egg on a flat surface rather than the edge of a bowl. This will prevent the yolk from breaking and guarantee less egg shell in your eggs. And any scrambled eggs with a low ratio of shell is a successful breakfast made.

FROZEN VEGGIES

Photo: ABC News

Don’t listen to the packaging! It’s telling you filthy lies. We don’t care how tempting it is to be lazy, do NOT put your frozen veggies in the microwave. Doing that will only result in soggy, limp veggies. And soggy, limp veggies are sad veggies.

Instead, use a steamer; it only takes a few minutes longer than microwaving does and it leaves your veggies with a crisp texture and fresh flavor.

BACON

Photo: Entrepreneur

As it turns out, we’re even cooking this pinnacle of all foods incorrectly. Let’s face it, if we’re not cooking bacon right, why even bother cooking at all?

The most important thing when it comes to cooking bacon is that you don’t wait for the pan to get hot. Put your bacon in the cold pan as you’re turning on the heat. Weird as it seems, this will help render the fat more slowly, creating crispier, less greasy bacon. Once you’ve mastered perfectly cooked bacon, you could very well take over the world from that point.

MASHED POTATOES

Photo: FastaPasta

Selection is key for perfect mashed potatoes. Russet potatoes are better in this scenario than waxy red or white ones, and they cook better if you put them in cold water, which you then gradually heat up. And no matter how much you love mashed potatoes, try not to mash too enthusiastically either: this releases starch, which can make your potatoes pasty.

So stop taking your frustrations out on your potatoes. Be kind to them and they will be kind to you.

FISH

Photo: Serious Eats

Unlike bacon, you want to cook fish on a surface that’s nothing less than scalding. This will ensure that the fish doesn’t stick to the surface of your pan. If you really want to improve your fish game, the biggest hint is to stop continuously flipping fish. Unless the filet slides easily, it’s not ready to flip and you’re just going to rob the meat of flavor.

TURKEY

Photo: Bull BBQ

The trick to turkey is defrosting it correctly; usually that means for the correct amount of time. A turkey that hasn’t defrosted enough is going to result in tough, dry meat, when our endgame should be moist and bursting with flavor.

A quick way to know you’re defrosting your turkey is with this little tip: defrost the turkey for six hours per pound. If the turkey in question is four pounds, it would need to defrost for at least 24 hours. This will ensure your turkey is ready to cook and will provide maximum deliciousness to your dinner guests.