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If you’re a beginner home cook or you simply want to get better organized, this kitchen essentials guide is the ultimate resource on how to stock your kitchen and pantry!
Each section also has an assortment of delicious recipes to try for easy meal planning.
What’s in this guide
- Having a well-stocked pantry with essential ingredients is the key to becoming a better and more relaxed home cook.
- This kitchen guide is pared down yet jam-packed with info and tips to show the most common ingredients, tools, and appliances in Salt & Lavender recipes – nothing unnecessary – and which recipes to use them in!
- It’s not comprehensive, and depending on your diet, you will of course need to add/remove items as needed. Use it as a jumping-off point.
Tools
There’s no need for a whole mess of kitchen tools and cookware to get cooking! I’m not a fan of clutter. Here’s a selection of my favorites to make weeknights easier. They’re truly useful.
- Skillet and Dutch oven – I swear by both of these enameled cast iron pieces for my stovetop recipes for everything from pan frying, soups, and pasta. They’re easy to take care of and versatile.
- Microplane zester – this handy tool makes the perfect dusting of parmesan, ginger, or lemon zest.
- Garlic press – it’s great because you can mince garlic with one squeeze, and there’s no peeling of the cloves needed.
- Kitchen tongs – these make it a breeze to toss pasta or flip meat, serve salads, etc.
- Kitchen shears – they make cutting up everything from bacon to herbs a cinch.
- Instant read meat thermometer – it’s an inexpensive way to never have undercooked or overcooked meat!
More faves
These are my most used tools and gadgets and cookware, but check out my Amazon storefront for many more, everything from pantry storage solutions to items you never know you needed like a splatter guard and angled measuring cups.
Appliances
There are a million appliances out there that claim to make your life easier, but the essentials never change. These won’t sit in your cupboard unused.
- Crockpot – a slow cooker is a hands-off, affordable appliance that does most of the work, and it won’t heat up your kitchen.
- Instant Pot – it’s especially good for getting concentrated flavors in very little time, as if a recipe were simmering for hours!
- Air fryer – I love this little wonder for getting deep-fried flavor without all the oil!
- Immersion blender – one of the easiest ways to elevate soup is to use an immersion blender. It gives a silky texture.
More faves
A couple of other ones I recommend are my Vitamix blender and food processor.
Salt and Pepper
Our kitchen definitely feels this one deserves its own section! Salt is so important to bring out the flavors in recipes, especially in creamy sauces. If something you made tastes bland, chances are that there isn’t nearly enough salt.
- Sea salt and kosher salt – they’re the best to cook with and what professional chefs use because of ease of control, no unwanted additives, and superior taste. You may not give much thought to salt, but it’s why restaurant meals taste so good. Don’t limit yourself to regular table salt and ground pepper.
- Finishing salts – they add a special quality to dishes at the end (e.g., truffle salt or smoked salt). Trying gourmet salt is one of my hobbies. Look at the name of this website, after all! 😉
- Other – seasoning salt like Lawry’s and Tony’s Original Creole Seasoning are great swaps for your regular salt when you want to add a little more pizzazz to dishes like soups.
Pro tip
Buy quality salt and pepper grinders, and you’ll never go back! I love colorful peppercorn medleys, but classic black peppercorns are great too. Nothing beats freshly cracked pepper and that satisfying twist of the salt grinder. Pink Himalayan salt is my favorite to keep in my salt grinder.
Dried Herbs and Spices
There’s no need to have a million herbs and spices in your pantry that you won’t end up using. A selection of versatile staples is enough to use in many recipes!
- Italian seasoning – it’s a blend of some of the most common dried herbs and is designed to replace having to buy individual jars of herbs.
- Garlic powder and onion powder – these are the building blocks to aromatic flavor.
- Crushed red pepper flakes – a little bit adds a gentle heat, or use more to kick up the spice level!
- Smoked paprika and regular paprika – it’s a simple way to add smoky and rounded depth of flavor.
More faves
Other seasonings and herbs I love include: chili powder, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, ranch seasoning, and ground cumin.
Cans, Jars, Bottles, and Cartons
Here at S&L, cooking from pantry staples is a focus because pantry meals are convenient and affordable. Canned goods are always handy since they have a long shelf life.
- Olive oil – I pretty much exclusively use olive oil for the base of my recipes. It’s a great all-purpose oil for pan frying and sautéing aromatics, vegetables, and meat.
- Canned tomatoes – I recommend diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, Ro-tel, etc. They’re canned at the peak of ripeness and are so versatile. Tomato paste is another must-have, and you can buy it canned or concentrated in a tube.
- Chicken broth – depending on the recipe, I keep both regular and low-sodium broth. Beef broth and vegetable broth are also must-haves.
- Beans – they’re great in soups and chilis! My favorites are red kidney, white cannellini beans, and black beans.
- Tuna – it’s not just for sandwiches! This inexpensive, protein-packed tinned fish is great in pasta and salads.
- Flour and cornstarch – they’re both very helpful to thicken sauces by making a roux or slurry.
More faves
I also keep canned condensed soup in my pantry as a shortcut to sauces, canned salmon, peanut butter, sugar, honey, etc.
Fridge Must-Haves
Even when my fridge is bare bones and I really need to go grocery shopping, I always have a few staples I keep on hand that work in a variety of meals.
- Heavy cream – look for full-fat (at least 36%) cream for making sauces silky and have amazing flavor.
- Dijon mustard – my little trick for enhancing flavor. A touch doesn’t make dishes taste of mustard.
- Worcestershire sauce – my other favorite way to add depth of flavor.
- Cream cheese, unsalted butter, mayo, and sour cream – these all are great bases to sauces, dips, additions to soups, etc.
- Parmesan cheese – I always keep a block in my fridge. It’s best to grate your own with a Microplane for taste and texture and lasts for ages.
More faves
A couple of other usual suspects are eggs, milk, celery, and carrots.
Aromatics and Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs and aromatics are what take meals from bland to grand. You measure garlic with your heart.
- Garlic and onion – you’ll never find my pantry without these staples for sauces. My go-to are sweet (Vidalia) onions for cooking and red onions for eating raw in salads and such.
- Basil – it’s easy to grow your own just on your kitchen counter and shines in Italian recipes.
- Parsley – this mild herb gives freshness and color to many dishes. It’s not just a garnish.
- Cilantro – it adds a special pop of flavor to Mexican-inspired recipes especially!
More faves
Other favorite fresh herbs to keep on hand include dill, chives, rosemary, and tarragon.
From the Garden
This was a hard category to narrow down since I love fresh produce! Here are a few items you’ll always find in my fridge.
- Lemons and limes – these citrus fruits are so versatile, and acidity really brightens up cream sauces in particular.
- Tomatoes – while I love canned tomatoes, fresh ones are fantastic in a variety of dishes.
- Avocados – they’re creamy, have good fats, and work in so many dishes.
- Spinach – America’s favorite green to whip up a quick salad or use in soups and pasta!
- Potatoes – my favorites are russets, especially for soups.
More faves
Others I keep on hand all the time are scallions, butter lettuce, mushrooms, spring mix, and apples. Cosmic Crisp are my fave.
Meat and Seafood
Chicken is an ever-popular protein, and we’ve got plenty of chicken recipes here, but it’s always nice to change it up. Pork tenderloin is one of my new favorites.
- Chicken – I use boneless skinless chicken breasts for my skillet recipes most often.
- Pork tenderloin – it’s lean, tender, and inexpensive. Note that it’s not the same as pork loin.
- Italian sausage – use either bulk or remove from the casings. It comes it mild or hot.
- Ground beef – I normally go for 80/20 since it has enough fat to keep the meat juicy.
- Salmon – it’s my go-to seafood protein. There’s no reason to be intimidated by cooking it, and it can be dressed up in so many ways.
More faves
I’ve always got raw shrimp in the freezer as well! Bacon is also a staple along with ground turkey.
Pasta and Rice
For a lot of dishes, using whatever you’ve got on hand works. But sometimes it’s nice to make a pasta-specific dish. I have tons of one pot orzo recipes you’re going to especially enjoy! Rice makes an appearance in a lot of my recipes as well.
- Penne – these are a readily available shape that have grooves which are perfect for saucy sauces.
- Orzo – this is a rice-shaped pasta that is ideal for one pot meals. It’s like risotto but easier.
- Gnocchi – it’s a dumpling made from potatoes. I use the shelf-stable kind in many recipes, and they’re in the same aisle as pasta.
- Long grain white rice – it’s versatile, and I always keep it on hand.
More faves
I also enjoy changing it up with other kinds of rice like brown rice and wild rice. Some pasta varieties I’m never without include spaghetti and rigatoni!
Asian Ingredients
You don’t need to go to a speciality store to make many of your favorite takeout-inspired meals. These star ingredients can be find in the Asian aisle of your regular grocery store. No wok is needed either!
- Hoisin sauce – it’s a thick bean sauce that’s both sweet and savory. Think of it as kind of an Asian BBQ sauce.
- Soy sauce – this savory staple is a must for depth of flavor in Asian-style recipes.
- Ginger – my pro tip is to store this zesty ingredient in the freezer. It lasts longer, and it’s much easier to grate from frozen.
- Thai red curry paste – it’s got lemongrass, dried red chili peppers, and herbs and spices. It’s a fragrant and versatile ingredient.
- Sriracha – this hot sauce is tangy, spicy, garlicky, and a touch sweet.
More faves
I also keep rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and coconut milk for my Asian-style recipes.
I hope Salt & Lavender’s guide on how to stock a kitchen helps you become a more confident home cook! Please leave me a comment below if you found it useful, and let me know which recipes you try first.
Thank you for these tips! I ordered the microplane zester, I definitely need one of those and this one looks great!
You’re very welcome, Lori! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy mine.