I'm a trained chef. Here are 13 of my best tips for making foods everyone should know how to cook.

• As a trained chef, I know a few cooking techniques that will make common dishes better.

• Create croutons by hand and peel your celery before adding it to cold salads.

• Make sure to chill your cookie dough before baking and to add salt to sweet treats.

As a trained chef, I know that even the smallest tweak can make the largest difference on your final plate.

Here are 13 tips for preparing the foods everyone should know how to make:

Cook roast chicken along with hearty veggies

Turn your beautiful roast bird into a one-pan meal by scattering chopped carrots, onions, potatoes, and any other hearty vegetables around the chicken in the pan.

As the meat cooks, it will release delicious juices and flavor, and those ingredients will then soak it up.

By the time your chicken is cooked through, you'll have some of the most flavorful veggies to serve with it.

Make the crispiest croutons by using your hands

Achieve really crunchy croutons — so loud that you can't hear your dinner companion over your bite of Caesar salad — by hand-tearing slightly stale bread instead of slicing it with a knife.

Tearing creates wonderful nooks and crannies that soak up flavorful olive oil and seasonings. Plus more surface area means more room for browning in the oven, and ultimately, crunch.

Make French onion soup in large batches

Skip the fuss and extra dishes by making a large batch of one-pot French onion soup using an ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven.

Once it's about done, top the soup with a layer of toasted croutons and shredded Gruyère, pop the entire pot under the oven broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbling, and serve it family-style.

Give your eggs the low-and-slow treatment

Turn down the heat on your scrambled eggs and stir them as little as possible for the creamiest, most tender texture.

Instead of jostling the mix in the pan, gently pull the outer edges toward the center a few times as they cook.

And don't forget to remove your scramble from the skillet before it looks fully cooked — done in the pan is dry on the plate.

Peel your celery before adding it to tuna or pasta salad

Next time you make tuna or pasta salad, make sure to run a vegetable peeler along the length of each celery stalk.

You'll remove a thin but highly fibrous outer layer that can make eating celery unpleasant and chewy.

Keep puff pastry on standby

With a box of puff pastry in your freezer, you'll be able to whip up an impressive appetizer, dinner, or dessert with minimal effort.