You ever wonder if Bay Leaves really add anything to a dish. I have several recipes that call for them. I always add them but wonder if they are really necessary at all. Would the dish taste the same if I left them out. I’ve never heard any food network judge say you should have added a few extra Bay Leaves for flavor.

Yes, bay leaves do add a subtle herbal and clove-like flavor to dishes, particularly soups, stews, and braises, I don't use very often, but do add to my spaghetti sauce almost religiously.

First time I try a new recipe I try to follow it. If I make it again I will typically leave out maybe something I don’t have on hand or something I don’t think I need. Have left bay leaves out of most stuff and never notice they were gone. Maybe I’m not culinary enough, I have been trying to use them a little more mainly because I still have some and I’d hate to throw them away lol because I paid for them. I’m in the “they don’t matter camp”.

I choose to use them in soups and stews that have a neutral flavor and require a long time cooking, like in a crockpot. I think they add just a little flavor and aroma. That said, I don't put them in ethnic dishes that have a more distinct expected flavor like Italian or Mexican oreganos will add. Cumin or cilantro are other seasonings that add a lot of flavor

Blank brought up a question I have pondered recently, what is the difference in oregano and Mexican oregano?

flavor ... Mexican oregano has a citrusy flavor where true oregano is peppery & minty

Bay leaves have some health benefits , they ad a little flavor. I use them in soups and stews.

Bay leaves lose some flavor once dried. I'm really lucky to have two bay trees in my back yard, and the fresh leaves have a lot of flavor. I religiously use them in stocks, and most slow cooked items, too. Bay leaf ice cream is really good.

They smell and taste like a live oak leaf to me.