I recently wrote an article called “That’s Not Good Food, Part 1: Is That Cooking, or Are You Just Hungry?”

In the article, I took a pretty strong stance against certain types of cooking, but I felt a little odd after publishing it.

I wondered if the article might ruffle some feathers, but that honestly wasn’t the big problem. Now that I’ve taken some time to ponder, I think the issue is twofold: First, I don’t like being so negative. Second, even regarding things I have a personal issue with, there’s usually something pretty awesome that I’m just missing.

So officially, I’m retracting the bad food series. Now, I’m calling it the ”bad” food series. The difference is just some quotation marks, but the point is I recognize that just because I personally have some issues with something doesn’t necessarily make it a bad thing.

I’m just trying to be a little more open minded while still writing something informative and useful for my Cook’n family. I love you guys and hope that it really comes through in my articles.

Okay, enough being chummy. What are you ranting about today?

I remember when cooking used to be a bit chaotic—burnt onions, wild seasoning experiments, and the thrill of creating something from scratch. These days, I can whip up a meal in minutes thanks to some well-placed shortcuts. And let me tell you, sometimes that's a lifesaver. But I’ve found there’s a difference between just getting dinner on the table and really enjoying the process of cooking.

What in the world are you talking about?

There’s a concept I call “Shortcut Cooking.” We all do it when we use a store-bought alternative (say, pasta sauce or ice cream?) instead of making something ourselves from scratch. Sometimes this goes as far as making a whole meal out of it, where you amass a bunch of pre-prepared ingredients and simply assemble them like you’re building furniture from Ikea (but hey, who doesn’t love Ikea?). For example:

Tacos (a Recipe Invented by Every Grocery Store):

• Taco shells


• Ground beef


• Taco seasoning


• A jar of salsa


• Pre-shredded lettuce


• Pre-shredded cheese

Step one: Cook your ground beef on the stove.

Step two: Add your taco seasoning.

Step three: Assemble everything else.

Step four: Throw away the mountain of boxes and plastic wrap that these pre-prepared foods came with.

“Okay, how dare you besmirch family taco night? That premade seasoning is delicious, and so is the jarred salsa.”

Let me tell you something. You are absolutely, 100% correct. There’s nothing at all wrong with these tacos, and I love them myself.

Now, we all have busy days when grabbing pre-made ingredients is a total win. But on days when there's a little more time, there’s something special about diving into the process of cooking from scratch. It’s a chance to get creative, learn new techniques, and turn a regular weeknight meal into something a little more meaningful.

So why bother with all this extra work when you can use shortcuts? Here’s why—

Okay… so why does this matter?

It doesn’t.

Or better said, Shortcut Cooking doesn’t need to be a problem if you don’t want it to. It accomplishes the basic goal, which is to fill the hole and not starve to death, and at the end of the day, all cooking is cooking, so just because it’s Shortcut Cooking doesn’t mean it’s bad food.

However, the food you bring to your table could do more, which is what I’m so interested in. And here you are, still reading, so I suspect this matters to you, too.

So again… why does this even matter?

1. Creativity & Exploration

Sigh… that could have used a little more green on it.

When you cook from scratch, you’re not just following a set of instructions—you’re discovering infinite possibilities. With pre-packaged meals, everything is pre-determined. You’re limited by what the manufacturer decided, and the margin for improvisation is slim at best.

When you use raw ingredients, you’re actively involved in every decision that shapes the final dish. You can taste as you go, adjust seasoning levels, tweak flavors, and even experiment with ingredient substitutions. Maybe you’re sautéing onions and suddenly decide to deglaze the pan with wine, or you add a pinch of an unexpected spice. That’s creativity. And it teaches you how ingredients interact in ways you wouldn’t have learned if you were just reheating a pre-made sauce.

This process sparks curiosity and imagination because every dish can become a personal expression. It’s not just about following recipes—it’s about experimenting with them, pushing boundaries, and making something unique each time. That’s where the magic happens.

With that being said… I’ve seen some really creative things done with pre-packaged foods, and I’m no stranger to just opening a jar of premade pasta sauce, mixing some sausage into it, and calling myself Papa Pasta. Shortcut Cooking serves a purpose, especially when time is tight. I just find that, for me, cooking from scratch adds an extra layer of enjoyment that I wouldn’t want to miss out on.

2. Health and Control

Convenience foods are convenient, but they sometimes come with added sugars, preservatives, or extra sodium. Cooking from scratch gives you more control over what goes into your meal, which can be a great way to prioritize fresh, wholesome ingredients.

The best example of this that I can think of is when making stock. Nothing you buy from the local grocery store will ever be as good as what you can make at home. And nothing will ever be as healthy, either—unless of course you want to spend 12x as much on a niche butcher’s bespoke bone broth.

Though hey, even when using some pre-made elements, there are ways to make healthy choices—you can always throw in extra veggies or tweak the seasoning to suit your taste. I just often notice that cooking from scratch gives you even more control and doesn’t break the bank like a healthy convenience diet so often does.

3. Cooking Brings Families Together

Cooking is often a communal act. There’s a reason why the kitchen is referred to as the heart of the home. It’s where people gather—not just to eat, but to participate.

When you cook with others, there’s a natural sense of collaboration. Everyone has a role to play, whether it’s chopping vegetables, stirring a sauce, or setting the table. It encourages communication, shared responsibility, and teamwork.

Now let’s be real, you don’t need to hand-roll dough and pass down sacred recipes to truly connect with loved ones. But the really important thing is time together. While convenience foods can be a quick fix, taking the time to cook together—even if it’s not from scratch—helps preserve those family traditions and creates shared memories in the kitchen.

No matter how you cook, I urge you to make it a community event when you can—whether it’s teaching your nephew how to handroll homemade pasta, or having a fun family pizza night where everything down to the crust is pre-packaged from the corner store.

My Favorite Version of Shortcut Cooking

My absolute favorite way to practice Shortcut Cooking is by making the shortcut foods myself! From sauces, to rubs, to stocks, to pickles, to large batches of vegetables, to rotisserie chicken, there’s always something you can make on your own. Then once you have a nice, large batch on standby, it gives you all the shortcuts you need for the week ahead!

Aside from that, I love exploring butcher shops to find really good sausage, and then buying hefty batches of that to keep in my freezer and bust out whenever I don’t feel like cooking.

Oh yeah, and I’m also a normal person who buys pasta sauce and all the little essentials.

Do you have a favorite shortcut meal? Let me know in the comments.