17 pantry items you should always have on hand at home

If you’re a beginner cook or just moved into a new apartment, you may be wondering how to stock your pantry.
Turns out, there are standard items every home chef turns to again and again.
We scoured two recent cooking threads on Reddit where users divulged their ultimate lists of things to keep in the pantry, fridge, and freezer.

1. Onions
You can add onions to nearly any savory recipe, from salads to stews, and they’ll likely make it better.
Keep shallots, red onions, and white onions in your pantry so you can mix and match by the type of flavor you want: white and yellow onions will mellow as they cook, shallots are especially good raw with dressings or in salads, and red onions are great additions to sandwiches.

2. Chicken or vegetable broth
Whether you buy it or make your own, broth will add flavor to meats, soups, carbs like rice and pasta, and your sauces.
And if you want to make steamed vegetables taste less bland, steam them in two inches of chicken stock. It also helps them keep their nutrients, according to Livestrong.

3. Oil
Whether you choose olive, avocado, canola, or coconut oil — or any of the other oils you can cook with — oil is a necessary ingredient for sautéing, frying, and baking.
Different cooking oils will serve different needs. When in doubt, refer to Bon Appétit’s handy break down.

4. Salt
Salt is in nearly every recipe, so this one is a no-brainer.
But what you might not realize is that you should keep a variety of salts on hand. Table, kosher, and sea salts all have different textures and uses, from all-purpose cooking to presentation only.

5. Butter
If you’re into baking, you’ll want to keep a bunch of sticks of butter in the fridge just to have on hand. Some cookie recipes include two entire sticks of butter, so it can’t hurt to be prepared.
Plus, butter adds its delicious flavor to eggs, meats, and grains. You really can’t go wrong with butter.

6. Cheese
Whether it’s melting in your steaming hot bowl of pasta or slapped onto a sandwich, cheese adds a subtle flavor and texture to your meal.
Keep a few different kinds of cheeses in your fridge for a variety of melting points and flavor combinations. Two of our favorites? Parmesan, which keeps for a long time, and cheddar, which goes with everything.

7. Sugar
Another baking staple, sugar is also super handy for sweetening fruits, beverages, and is even a necessary ingredient in glazes and sauces.
Make sure to store your sugar in an airtight container so it doesn’t become lumpy.

8. Oats
Not only do oats store surprisingly well, but they’re cheap and have more protein than wheat or rice.
Keep your oats in an airtight container in a cool, dry area. If you have a lot of oats you’re not using, freezing is recommended.

9. Canned beans
Beans are a super-food filled with fiber and protein, and are easy to cook.
Keeping a few cans in your pantry will help you whip up a variety of meals, from vegetarian foods to hearty chilies, burgers, and even delicious breakfasts.

spices

10. Rice (or your preferred grain)
There are a lot of rice and grain options out there to explore. White rice, brown rice, jasmine rice, basmati rice — the list goes on and on.
The important thing to know is that rice is cheap, filling, and a good base for a variety of dishes.

11. Spices and seasonings
Okay, this one is kind of a cop-out, but spices are obviously necessary to have in the kitchen. We recommend starting out with cinnamon, cayenne, basil, oregano, and black pepper since these are some of the most-used spices.
Once you master those, add chili flakes, nutmeg, and curry powder to your wheel house. Your mouth will thank you.

12. Flour
Flour is not just for baking. It can be used to thicken sauces or soups and coat foods you’re going to be frying.
It can’t hurt to keep a bag handy, but be sure to store it in an airtight container, preferably in a cool, dark spot.

13. Garlic
While some people don’t love the flavor, Garlic was on nearly everyone’s list of necessary ingredients to keep in your pantry.
If it’s too pungent or strong for you, try cooking — not roasting — the garlic to soften the flavor.

14. Eggs
Eggs are cheap, will keep for a fairly long time, and are an excellent source of protein. Plus, they’re useful if you’re a baker.
For cooking, you can add them to salads, fried rice, or breakfast dishes and because there a variety of ways to cook them (scrambled, poached, fried, or boiled), you’ll never feel bored.

15. Frozen bag of mixed veggies
For those days when you simply can’t bring yourself to chop anything, a frozen bag of mixed vegetables will win the day.
Not only that, but if you’re making your own fried rice or pasta, a cup of frozen vegetables are a really easy, healthy add-in without any extra prep.

16. Lemons
If your food is bland, hold off on adding salt to it — what it really might need is a squeeze of citrus.
Fresh lemon (or lime) juice will add another layer of flavor and help brighten your dishes. Plus, lemon juice is a killer marinade for meats and will be useful in salad dressings, too.

17. Wine
Wine is a useful marinade ingredient and can add flavor to a sauce or finished dish.
You should only use wines that you would be willing to drink because — surprise! — if you like the way the wine tastes, you’ll like the way it tastes in your cooking, too.
Plus, if there are leftovers, you can drink it. Bottoms up.

Tuna Salad

Tuna salad is perfect for lunch, sandwiches and picnics any time. Everyone has a favorite tuna salad recipe. For years, canned tuna has been a lunchtime standard. So shake up the ordinary by preparing this delicious dish for your midday meal.

If you want to find out what ingridients we use in our tuna salad, check out our video.

Stout and Chicken Stew

When most people hear the phrase “clean eating,” they often think of strict diets comprised of nothing more than greens and grains. It’s really a misconception because the goal is to cook using real foods, which includes tons of tasty ingredients. Take this rich stew from Eating Well. Yes, there’s beer and bacon, but it’s also brimming with protein-rich chicken and plenty of veggies. That being said, it tastes pretty great served with some cooked grains.

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons plus ½ cup all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided, plus more
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more
2½ pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 bacon strips, chopped
1⅔ cup stout beer
1 pound whole baby carrots or large carrots cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (8-ounce) package cremini or button mushrooms, halved if large
2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1½ teaspoons dried thyme
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups frozen baby peas, thawed

Directions:
Combine 6 tablespoons flour with ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Dredge chicken thighs in seasoned flour, coating completely, shaking to remove excess. Transfer to a plate.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken and cook until browned, about 2 to 4 minutes per side, then transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Reduce heat to medium and repeat with remaining olive oil and chicken. Make sure chicken is in an even layer in the slow cooker.

Cook bacon in same skillet, stirring often, for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in remaining ½ cup flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Gradually add stout, stirring and scraping bottom of the pan. Pour mixture over chicken, then top with carrots, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and thyme. Spread evenly over chicken. Pour broth over top.

Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 4 hours on high or 7 to 8 hours on low. Stir in peas, cover, and cook until heated through, about 5 to 10 minutes longer. Season with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and pepper, to taste.

Banana Nut Muffins

These moist, flavorful banana muffins are made with chopped pecans or walnuts. What better way to start your day!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 large bananas, ripe, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour milk or buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

PREPARATION

Heat the oven to 400° F (200° C/Gas 6). Grease and flour 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

Cream butter and sugar with an electric hand-held mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add bananas and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Stir flour mixture into butter mixture, alternating with the sour milk or buttermilk.

Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened; gently stir in the chopped pecans or walnuts.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups or liners, filling about tow-thirds full. Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned.

Cool the muffins in the pan on a rack for a few minutes; turn them out onto rack to cool longer.

Serve warm or at room temperature. These freeze well.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes

Everyone loves cupcakes, and no one can resist pineapple upside-down cake. We’ve found a way to brings these favorites together in a sure-to-please treat.

Recipe by Jessica Walker

Ingredients

1 can (20 oz) sliced pineapple, drained, juice reserved
1 box Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ yellow cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
12 maraschino cherries, cut in half

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 24 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray.

2. Cut each pineapple slice into 4 pieces; set aside. In large bowl, beat cake mix, oil, eggs and reserved pineapple juice with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.

3. In small bowl, stir together melted butter and brown sugar. Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons butter mixture into each muffin cup. Top each with 2 pineapple pieces. Place cherry half, cut side up, in center of pineapple pieces. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each cup.

4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Run knife around edge of cupcakes to loosen; invert onto cookie sheet. Serve warm.

How to Make Hard-Boiled Eggs

How to make hard boiled eggs in the oven

Hard-boiled eggs are one of life’s simple pleasures. But the whole stovetop method can be a drag. (Remember that time they weren’t finished and you got yolk everywhere?)

What if we told you there’s an easier way? There is, and it involves your oven.

How do I make eggs in the oven? Just preheat to 325 degrees (or 350 if your oven runs cooler). Place eggs in a mini muffin tin and cook them for 30 minutes, then place them in cool water for about 10 minutes.

Do they taste any different? Baked eggs will have a slightly creamier texture than boiled ones.

So, why should I try it? Oven-baking is the easiest way to make eggs in bulk. They’ll cook to perfection consistently, and with almost no effort. Plus, you can keep your hard-baked eggs in the fridge for up to a week.

Spinach Swiss and Bacon Egg Muffins

Minutes to Prepare: 10
Minutes to Cook: 20
Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients

7 large Egg, fresh, whole, raw
1/2 cup Spinach, cooked
1 tsp Garlic
1 cup, shredded Swiss Cheese
5 medium slices, cooked (raw pro Bacon, pork, microwaved
1 Tbsp Avocado Oil

Preheat oven to 350*, spray muffin tin with 0 calorie oil spray or line with cupcake papers. Scramble eggs, stir in the rest of the ingredients, spoon into muffin tin, filling 1/2-3/4 of the way.

Bake for 20 min or until just beginning to brown and no more bubbles are seen.

I refrigerate these and microwave them for 30 sec each morning for breakfast.

Enjoy… 🙂

Slow-Cooked Bolognese Sauce

Making a good bolognese sauce is a real labor of love. Sure, you could just add some ground beef to a tomato sauce and call it good (and heck, we often do!), but there’s a certain irresistible silkiness and a deep, meaty flavor that can really only come from all-day cooking. This is a dish that takes a humble package of ground beef and turns it into something worthy of the finest dinner party. Bolognese is that good.

Bolognese

The key to a good bolognese is simmering it very slowly over low heat for several hours. This long simmering makes the beef incredibly tender and turns the sauce into something that will make your eyes roll up in your head. I’ve found it tricky to maintain this kind of gentle simmer on the stovetop, where even the lowest burner can be a bit too high, so a few years ago I started using my slow cooker. Its ability to maintain a low, steady heat for hours is perfect for a dish like this.

If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can duplicate this recipe in a covered Dutch oven in a 300°F oven. Check it every hour for doneness and add more of the reserved tomato juices as needed if the bottom of the pot becomes dry.

I’ll tell you upfront — this isn’t one of those slow-cooker recipes where you can dump everything together and walk away. But the extra work of browning the beef and sautéing the vegetables at the beginning is very much worth it! These steps translate directly into the deep flavor that makes this sauce so irresistible. You can also prepare the beef mixture the night before and finish cooking it with the tomatoes in the slow cooker the next day. Leftovers also freeze well, so go ahead and make a double batch!

Serve this bolognese sauce over spaghetti, layer it into a lasagna (as is traditional), or serve it with any other kind of pasta. I particularly like serving it with rotini or campanelle because the little folds are great for catching bits of sauce. For a gluten-free dish, bolognese is also fantastic scooped on top of polenta.

INGRIDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
2 to 3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 to 2 pounds ground beef
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup milk (whole or 2%)
1 cup white or red wine
2 (28-ounce) cans of whole peeled tomatoes
1 bay leaf

To serve:
Spaghetti or other pasta, cooked
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot, and cook until the onion is translucent and all the vegetables have softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and the tomato paste, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. (If your skillet isn’t big enough to also accommodate the beef at this point, transfer the vegetables to the slow cooker and continue cooking the beef by itself.)

Add the beef, breaking it apart with your spoon and cooking until it is just browned. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt along with the thyme, oregano, pepper, and nutmeg.

Stir in the milk and bring it to a rapid simmer. Continue simmering until the milk has reduced completely and very little liquid remains, about 10 minutes. Stir in the wine and simmer again until reduced completely, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef mixture to the bowl of a 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker.

Open the cans of tomatoes and strain through a strainer, reserving the juices. Transfer the tomatoes to the slow cooker, squishing them in your fist or mashing them against the side of the slow cooker to break them down into small pieces.

Add the bay leaf to the slow cooker and stir everything together. The mixture should have a thick, saucy consistency, neither overly soupy or too dry. If it looks dry, mix in a little of the reserved tomato juices until it looks sauce-like. If it looks too soupy, don’t worry about it right now — you can let excess liquid evaporate at the end of cooking.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours. (See below for oven-cooking instructions.)

In the last half hour of cooking, check the sauce. If it looks soupy, remove the lid to allow any excess liquid to evaporate and reduce the sauce. If it looks a little dry, stir in some of the reserved tomato juices. The finished sauce should be thick and creamy.

Serve the sauce over pasta with Parmesan sprinkled on top, or layer it into a lasagna. Leftovers will keep refrigerated for 5 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe Notes
Oven-cooking instructions: You can duplicate this recipe in a covered Dutch oven. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Prepare the recipe in a Dutch oven, cover the pot, and transfer it to the oven to cook. Cooking time will be 2 to 3 hours — check the sauce every hour to see how it’s coming along and add more of the reserved tomato juices as needed if the bottom of the pot becomes dry.
Doubling the recipe: This recipe freezes so well that I often make a double batch and freeze what I won’t eat right away. Double all the ingredients except for the bay leaf.
Freezing bolognese sauce: Freeze the sauce in individual portions. It’s best to let the portions thaw in the fridge overnight before warming, but frozen bolognese can also be thawed and warmed in a covered pot over very low heat on the stovetop.

HOW TO: Grow an Avocado Tree from an Avocado Pit

Avocados are one of the wonderful fruits of summer. High in nutrition and flavor, nothing signals the start of summer like a zesty lime guacamole dip with tortilla chips.
The next time you’re making guacamole or slicing an avocado for a salad, try saving your pits to grow into avocado trees. It’s surprisingly easy to grow your own avocado tree from seed, and it makes a great educational project for home and classrooms. Check out our handy-dandy guide below, complete with photos, to learn how to grow an avocado tree from seed.

1-Avocado-Pit-Orientation

STEP 1 – REMOVE & CLEAN PIT
You’ll need to start by removing the pit from the avocado carefully (without cutting it), and then washing it clean of all the avocado fruit (often it helps to soak the pit in some water for a few minutes and then scrub all the remaining fruit off). Be careful not to remove the brown skin on the pit – that is the seed cover.

2-Avocado-Pit-Top-End

STEP 2 – LOCATE WHICH END IS ‘UP’ AND WHICH IS ‘DOWN’
Some avocado pits are slightly oblong, whereas others are shaped almost like perfect spheres – but all avocado pits have a ‘bottom’ (from where the roots will grow), and a ‘top’ (from which the sprout will grow). The slightly pointier end is the top, and the flat end is the bottom. In order to get your pit to sprout, you will need to place the bottom root end in water, so it’s very important to figure out which end is the ‘top’ and which is the ‘bottom’ before you go piercing it with toothpicks.

3-Avocado-Pit-In-Water

STEP 3 – PIERCE WITH FOUR TOOTHPICKS
Take four toothpicks and stick them at a slight downward angle into the avocado seed, spaced evenly around the circumference of the avocado. These toothpicks are your avocado scaffolding, which will allow you to rest the bottom half of the avocado in water, so therefore the toothpicks need to be wedged in there firmly. I recommend sticking them in at a slight angle (pointing down), so that more of your avocado base rests in the water when you set this over a glass.

4-Avocado-Pit-With-Taproot

STEP 4 – PLACE AVOCADO SEED HALF SUBMERGED IN A GLASS OF WATER
And set on a quiet windowsill with sunlight. It’s helpful to use a clear glass so you can easily see when roots start to grow, and also when the water needs to be changed. Many guides recommend to change the water every day, but I found, through trial and error, that it is better to change the water every five days to a week or so. You do want to make sure you change the water regularly, to prevent mold, bacteria and fungus growth, which can doom your little avocado sprout.

5-Avocado-Pit-Lots-of-Roots

STEP 5 – WAIT FOR YOUR AVOCADO SEED TO SPROUT!
Many online guides I have read say that sprouting can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks, but in my experience, it usually takes at least 8 weeks to get a sprout, so be patient. Here is the process you will witness:

1. The top of the avocado pit will dry out and form a crack, and the outer brown seed skin will slough off.

2. The crack will extend all the way to the bottom of the avocado pit, and through the crack at the bottom, a tiny taproot will begin to emerge.

3. The taproot will grow longer and longer (and may branch), and eventually a small sprout will peek through the top of the avocado pit.

4. Do not allow your taproot to dry out unsubmerged EVER – doing so will be the death of your plant.

6-Sprouted-Avocado-Pits

STEP 6 – POT IN SOIL WHEN TREE IS ABOUT 6” TALL
When the stem is 6-7 inches long, cut it back to about 3 inches, this will encourage new growth. When it hits 6-7 inches again, pot it up in a rich humus soil in an 8-10″ diameter pot, leaving the top half of the seed exposed. Place on a sunny windowsill. Avocados love sun – the more sun the better.

7-Baby-Avocado-Tree

STEP 7 – WATER & WATCH IT GROW
Give it frequent waterings with an occasional deep soak. The soil should always be moist, but not saturated. Yellowing leaves are a sign of over-watering; let the plant dry out for a few days.

STEP 8 – PINCH OUT TOP LEAVES TO ENCOURAGE BUSHINESS
When the stem reaches 12 inches tall, pinch out the top two sets of leaves. This will encourage the plant to grow side shoots and more leaves, making it bushy. Each time the plant grows another 6 inches pinch out the 2 newest sets of leaves on top.

STEP 9 – TROUBLESHOOTING BUGS
My avocado trees seem to collect aphids – the nasty critters can’t get enough of the delicious avocado leaves. If you get them, here’s how to get rid of them: Wash all of the aphids off the plant by spraying your plant down with a hose outside or in the sink/shower. Once the little pests are off, spray your plant with a mixture of water with a small squirt of dishwashing liquid and a teaspoon of neem oil. This will keep aphids from returning. Check your plant every 4-5 days and re-clean and spray when necessary.

STEP 10 – WINTERING
Baby avocado trees can kick it outdoors in summer, but if you live anywhere where it gets cooler than 45 degrees F, you’ll need to bring them back indoors in the fall/winter, before the temperatures fall.

WILL MY AVOCADO TREES EVER GROW FRUIT?
Hard to say! Sometimes avocado plants will begin growing fruit after they’re 3 or 4 years old, others take 15+ years to grow fruit, and some never do. It helps to have several avocado trees growing together to aid with pollination. However, don’t expect the fruit to be anything like the avocado that yielded your seed. Commercial avocados are grown from grafted branches to control the outcome of the fruit – a naturally grown avocado may be very different than its parent!