There are so many ingredients and tools used in the cooking world that it can be overwhelming to try to learn to cook. I am by no means a cooking expert. I have never had any formal cooking training and I have only been cooking for about three years. I’ve learned to create gluten-free meals thanks to my wife and mother-in-law’s guidance, years of practice, and time spent watching my favorite cooking shows.
Over time I have developed a list of items that should be found in every kitchen. Living in the South and working as a Spanish interpreter, many of my meals are inspired by Southern dishes or Guatemalan culture. Food is a very cultural and personal thing so every cook could probably come up with additional items for the list, but here’s what I always have within reach.
Salt: There’s nothing more essential! Salt is like the glue that holds a great dish together. It can make or break a dish. Too much salt overpowers and too little underwhelms. Taste your dishes as you go to make sure you get the right balance.
Pepper: pepper is a close second to salt. It adds another layer of spice and savory. Many dishes are seasoned entirely with just salt and pepper!
Oil: I could talk for a while about oils, but just make sure that you have some type of oil at hand to keep food from sticking to the pan! Oils can be used to add flavor as well, but their most basic function is keeping your pan from being a charred mess. I like to purchase good quality olive oil as I can use less.
Vinegar: Vinegar is mainly used in dressings and sauces. It adds savory and acid, and really makes things stand out. My personal favorite is balsamic vinegar. Again, purchase a good quality balsamic and you can use less.
Onions: just thinking about onions makes me hungry. Onions are used in many dishes, and are usually as important as having a pan to cook in! They can add sweetness, crispness, and savory to a dish and can be prepared in many different ways.
Garlic: the smell of garlic cooking in butter is one of my favorite things. Garlic is a potent source of smooth savory flavor. Just be careful not to use too much!
Butter: who doesn’t love butter? Butter can be used in so many ways, and adds a creamy indulgent aspect. Mashed potatoes and caramelized onions just aren’t the same without it!
Milk: milk is used in a large number of dishes, and if you are planning to bake, you better be sure you have some handy! If you are lactose intolerant, stock up on soy, almond or coconut milk instead.
Limes: I always keep limes handy in case I want to add a fresh taste to rice, soups or salad dishes. I prefer limes due to their lower cost and better shelf life.
Potatoes: potatoes are so versatile. If you have potatoes, salt, pepper and butter you can make many tasty and nutritious dishes.
Chicken: chicken is the potato of the meat world. It is very versatile, affordable, and delicious! You can buy whole chickens for much cheaper than you can get just breasts or other parts. And whatever you don’t eat as is can be used to make chicken broth for rice or soup.
Rice: just like potatoes rice is a very versatile food. As far as dish possibilities go the sky is the limit! To make rice, add a little over two cups of water per cup of rice and add a dash of salt and oil at the start. You can get creative with what you toss in with it!
What are the must-have items you have in your kitchen?
These are definitely must have pantry staple items for sure, great list!
Tracy @ Ascending Butterfly
I’d agree with those ingredients! They’re all so easy to use and great to have.
This is a great list! One of my friend is just learning how to cook so I will share this post with her!!
What a great introductory list!
I should share this with my husband; he needs all the help he can get in the kitchen!
I love that this makes it easy for beginner to have everything they need to whip up a great meal
Great starter list for beginner cooks. Fresh Znd dried herbs are my must haves.
These are great staples! My 12 year old is really excited to learn to cook, and I will make sure I teach him how to use these things in basic recipes.
I don’t even want to start with how many avocados we go through in a week, so that’s always a must in our shopping cart and pantry. Oh, and garlic. Never enough. You’ve got a great list going!
I’m taking notes, this summer I plan to teach my eleven year old to cook at least three things. I wasn’t sure where to start but I’m going to utilize your list.
Lovely list of staple items list, these are definite essentials.
what a great list of staples..this sure helped me because I don’t cook that often.
This is a great list of staples for the kitchen. My Daughter is just learning how to cook.
These are great items to have on hand in your pantry, for sure!
I didn’t know that limes have a long shelf life! I need to stock up on them too, perfect for fresh spring flavors
This simplifies the must haves in cooking. You can be ready for anything with this items.
Garlic is my best friend and I can’t live without 🙂 Thanks for sharing your pantry list, love those items
Having these awesome flavours on hand is always a great idea. Makes it easy to spice up every meal.
I got so lucky! A friend of ours was moving out of state and had to get rid of all of his kitchen stuff right about the time I was moving into an apartment. Here in there I had to the collection. Love cooking!
I’m not a beginning cook, but I think I could definitely go back to the beginning and start over sometime! I’m ready to ‘de-clutter’ my pantry and keep only the good stuff.
What a great list. Half of mine is on there too. I think as long as I have flour and eggs, and salt/pepper I’m good.
This is a fabulous list of staples and includes many of the items we always make sure to have on hand. I would add flour, sugar and some additional spices to my list as well.
One forgets that knowing staples isn’t obvious when someone is first starting to cook! What a great list and idea to share it.
This is a really good guide. My parents barely ever used spices so I only learned to make bland dishes until I got married.
This is a great list – when we started using emeals, we were without SO MANY of these things. I quickly corrected that with only a few trips to Publix.
This is a great list of Pantry Staples! I take for granted all those things I now can’t do without. I remember back in the day when I was learning to cook. I would have loved this list.
Vinegar and Garlic are staples in my home but we always are willing to try other things too. Thanks fir the reminders and great resource that you have provided here!
I love this list. It really lists all the essentials of a well-stocked pantry. This is a great resource to have on hand before heading to the supermarket. Thanks for sharing.
Yes! You covered so much and I love the helpful links. This is such a reminder of the goodness we can make with simple ingredients too.
This is a great list of must haves for a beginner. I am not a great cook, my husband usually does the cooking, but when I do cook I do use most if not all items on your list!
I can’t tell you how much I needed this list! I’ve recently been getting into cooking/preparing more meals at home so this is a great resource for me.
I always have limes, lemons and fresh herbs in my kitchen. This is a great list for beginners and seasoned cooks.
This is a great resource! I’m a beginning cook – still 😉 – and I know this will certainly help me.
Love this list of staples. You can make a lot of things out of a few simple ingredients!