It is perfect to use when removing something from a pan while leaving the yummy juices behind. We love that the Oxo Good Grips Silicone Slotted Spoon is safe to use on our non-stick cookware. For easily flipping meats and vegetables, a good pair of tongs that can handle all kinds of different sized foods is a must.

This pair of tongs from Zyliss is beautifully designed. You can operate them with only one hand, and everything is done ergonomically and with sturdy construction.

We have two of them for some reason, but one is all you need! A ladle is essentially a very large, long-handled spoon. It is used for serving liquid dishes like soups, stews, or sauces. Oven mitts are used in order to protect your hands from being burned when transferring hot food to and from the oven.

No longer will you have to wrap your hand in a tea towel and try not to spill your dish or get burned as you pull it out one handed. Our recommended oven mitts from Kitchen Elements are made of silicone with a cotton interior and are dishwasher safe. Plus, they can be cleaned very easily and even look stylish!

Whether you choose to purchase our recommended pick or another option, make sure you have quality oven mitts before beginning any high-heat oven cooking.

A good pair of oven mitts is a must have for any kitchen. Instead of ugly cloth trivets that get stained easily, pick up these beautiful bamboo trivets that will last a long time and are easy to clean. A splatter guard is a device that is placed on top of skillets or sauté pans during high heat cooking in order to stop splattering hot oil and food from coating your stovetop.

How many times have you had to clean your oven top and cupboards from splattering grease and oil? With this fine mesh splatter guard from Progressive International , these clean up days are over.

It will fit most pans, is simple to clean and much sturdier than other splatter guards out there, and even has feet so you can set it down after use without leaving a mess on your countertop.

Great buy. If you find yourself roasting foods often in the oven and want to have continual temperature readings, we also recommend the Thermoworks ChefAlarm. It's wonderful for precisely measuring the temperature of Thanksgiving turkey, for example, or for getting accurate water temperature readings for sous vide cooking.

An immersion blender also known as a stick blender is used to blend or puree food in the container its is being prepared in. We use our immersion blender all the time. It comes with a variety of useful attachments that are all ergonomic, high quality, and very easy to clean.

They turn your immersion blender into an extremely versatile tool. We love this package deal! For precisely measuring raw food and coffee beans, in my case a small, lightweight, scale is needed.

Look no further than American weigh scales digital pocket scale. Our pick is the Oster Versa blender that comes in at less than ½ the price of a Vitamix our premium pick and the de facto standard for powerful blenders and performs just as well.

This is a stylish blender with a 1, watt motor that pulverizes anything you can throw at it. This is a great purchase for the price, and we highly recommend it. Our premium pick is the Vitamix Professional series blender. High quality food storage containers are essential for bringing lunch to work and storing ingredients or cooked meals in the refrigerator so they stay fresh for several days.

Our recommended glass containers from Kinetic are dishwasher, microwave, refrigerator, freezer, and oven safe and are made from environmentally friendly glass instead of plastic.

This is a set of three containers with locking lids, which is great for a single cook who plans on taking their lunch to work. If you cook for your family or significant other and need more than three containers containers, try our premium option which comes in a bigger set.

You can purchase these highly rated glass food storage containers from Snapware in sets of 10, 16, and Plus, the reviews are amazing! Aluminum foil can be used in the kitchen for all sorts of different purposes. From cooking to cleaning, protecting, scrubbing, lifting, or steaming, this is one versatile kitchen essential.

For this reason, we recommend stocking up on high quality foil from Reynolds. Parchment paper is used in cooking as a disposable non-stick surface that greatly helps with avoiding messes in the kitchen.

Our recommended parchment paper from Kirkland is high quality, comes in high quantity packaging, and is a very reasonable price. Everybody needs towels in their kitchen for drying dishes, wiping up spills, dusting, and regular cleaning.

But as with all of our other recommended kitchen items, some sponges are better than others. These sponges are tough and will last a many tough jobs in the kitchen. If they get smelly all you have to do is put them in the dishwasher, run a cycle, and they'll come out as good as new. A quality dish rack is needed because you can place your dishes on the rack and have it drain the water back into the sink.

If you want to fancy your dish rack up, the Zojila Rohan dish rack is the ferrari of dish racks. This is a pricey purchase, but the positive reviews back it up. These trays allow you to release the cubes with a single, simple twist that will get the entire cube out.

Never again do you have twist and hit your trays to get broken ice cubes out. The silicon lid seals water into the tray before freezing which allows you to place the tray any way you like in the freezer.

Popping the cubes out is an extremely simple affair, and the reviews of this tray are glowing. Because everyone needs trash bags, you may as well choose the best designed ones you can find. These small trash bags from Glad are perfect for apartment dwellers who only have room for a small trash bin.

These bags come in a 4-gallon size, which is perfect for under-the-sink trash bins that need to be tucked away. They're also extremely sturdy and can handle being carried when full without you having to worry that they'll tear and spill garbage everywhere.

For a small bag that does a tough job, these trash bags are a great quality buy. With fantastic reviews on Amazon, these large trash bags from Glad will fit your large trash bin perfectly. These bags come in a gallon size, which works well for taller trash bins that aren't stored under the sink.

They also have reinforcing bands woven throughout the bag which makes them extremely tough and sturdy - a nice feature that gives peace of mind when carrying a full bag.

Whether you use these bags in your busy kitchen or even in the office, you won't be disappointed. Designed for apartment dwellers using small trash bags , this stainless steel small trash bin from Simplehuman is elegantly designed, highly rated, and comes with a 5-year warranty.

It has custom handles on the inside of the bin that holds grocery bags in place so they never sag when filled with trash. Even the step that opens the can is designed well - it works with a small amount of pressure and has a soft-close feature that won't make a racket when you close the lid.

Overall, this is a fantastic bin for use under the sink in your kitchen or bathrooms. This large trash bin from Simplehuman is perfect for people who have the space for a full-sized, high-quality trash bin. This bin also comes with a 5 year warrantly and will fit your large trash bags perfectly.

It comes with a steel foot pedal with a soft-close feature that makes closing the bin after use quiet and smooth which is a nice change from those bins that close with a crash.

Innovative design allows you to place the bin right up against the wall and still allow the lid to be opened. For use as a standalone bin that isn't tucked away anywhere, this large bin is a clear winner.

By purchasing only high-quality multi-purpose items that have a strong value proposition, you can end up with a fully stocked kitchen that will last a lifetime without costing you an arm and a leg! Check out our free simple recipes , or join our free personalized meal planning service here.

Recipes Cookware Guides For Work Log in Download. Chef's Knife. Chef's Knife Budget. Cutting Board. Cutting Board Premium. Can Opener. Measuring Cups. Measuring Spoons. Mixing Bowls. Vegetable Peeler. Potato Masher.

Salad Spinner. Citrus Juicer. Garlic Press. Paring Knife. Paring Knife Budget. Bread Knife. Bread Knife Budget. Knife Sharpener.

Stainless Steel Skillet. Stainless Steel Skillet Premium. Sauté Pan. Sauté Pan Premium. Small Saucepan. Small Saucepan Premium. Medium Saucepan. Medium Saucepan Premium. Large Pot. Large Pot Premium. Cast Iron Skillet. Grill Pan. Baking Sheet Pan.

Muffin Pan. Casserole Dish. Broiler Pan. Stockpot Premium. Stirring Spoon. Slotted Spoon. Oven Mitts. Splatter Guard. Immersion Blender. Immersion Blender Premium. Kitchen Scale. Blender Premium.

Blender Budget. Food Storage Containers. Food Storage Containers Premium. Aluminum Foil. Parchment Paper. Heavy Sponges. Dish Rack. Dish Rack Premium. Dried lentils are a wonderful protein-packed legume, with the added benefit of not needing soaking before cooking.

When made into soup with some simple fresh aromatics, they are hearty and satisfying. If you want your soup a bit creamier, you can puree a couple cups of the finished soup and stir it back in. Red lentils are really a style of split pea, and since they have been hulled before drying, they cook super fast.

This dish only takes 10 minutes to prep and 40 to cook, so you can put it on as soon as you get home from work and have dinner ready for your family by the time you have changed and walked the dog.

Serve over rice for a complete meal. Need a great pantry dish for vegans? Look no further than this sweet potato chickpea curry, which is luxurious and satisfying enough to please even the meat eaters at the table.

Serve over rice, or with naan or pita breads for sopping up all the spicy sauce. A great vegetable chili — a super affordable way to feed a crowd — is really good to have in your repertoire.

This recipe calls for fresh corn and tomatoes, but you can sub in canned versions when they are out of season or if you have them in your pantry. This Asian-inspired rice bowl pairs equal amounts of rice and tuna by weight to ensure that the one-pot meal is a perfect balance of protein and carbs.

Make a double batch and eat leftovers cold over chopped lettuce for a great lunch salad. Taco Tuesdays get an affordable pantry makeover by featuring canned black beans cooked in a rich sauce of canned green salsa and savory spices.

No time to pick up tortillas? Serve over lettuce for a taco salad, or pile into baked white or sweet potatoes. Fried rice is an ideal way to use up leftover rice, but this dish is so good, you will want to make rice fresh just to cook it! This recipe features quick-cooking brown rice for a great texture along with plenty of vegetables in the mix, including frozen peas.

If you want to up the ante with protein, stir in some scrambled eggs or strips of omelet at the end. Having canned salmon in your pantry is a wonderful and affordable way to get more fish into your diet without breaking the bank.

These patties come together start to finish in 25 minutes, making it a perfect after-work meal. You can serve with rice or potatoes, on top of a salad, or even put on buns for a version of salmon burgers.

Ask any Italian what they cook when they need something fast and easy out of the pantry, and chances are they will say spaghetti aglio e olio. Pasta in garlic-scented oil topped with Parmesan cheese can be a main dish or a side and is perfect in its simplicity.

The key is not to rush the toasting of the garlic: if it burns, the dish will taste acrid and unpleasant. We love to keep couscous in the pantry — needing only a steep in boiling water to bring it to life, it is the fastest carb to prepare.

Add in some canned and frozen vegetables and a punchy lime vinaigrette and you have a salad that eats like a meal. If you have rice, onions, and canned tomatoes in the pantry, Italian sausage in the freezer, and some bell peppers in the crisper drawer, you are a half hour away from popping some killer stuffed peppers into your oven.

Have any leftovers after dinner? Chop them up and make a hash, and top with fried or poached eggs for a hearty breakfast. A great savory casserole to serve up on a brisk fall or winter evening, this one-dish pantry wonder only needs a little salad on the side to turn into an amazing dinner.

This recipe stretches one pound of ground beef and some pantry ingredients into a meal that can serve people. Have a craving for tomato soup but no cans of soup in the cupboard? If you have canned tomatoes, you are 30 minutes away from fresh homemade soup that cries out for a grilled cheese for dunking.

This is so easy to make, you may never go back to canned tomato soup again. Indian cookery has always made the most of beans and pulses the technical name for the part of the legume we generally eat , and this dish of spiced chickpeas is everything you could hope for in an affordable pantry supper.

We've gathered a list of essential gear to get cooking in a new kitchen, all for around $ total 14 Musts for a Budget Pantry · Eating on a Budget · Brown Rice (or Other Whole Grains) · Canned Beans · Dried Spices · Do Not Sell or Share Rice, pasta, beans, canned tomatoes, herbs & spices, sugar, salt, flour, etc. Then just buy fresh meat/poultry/fish

Budget-friendly cooking essentials - A Good Chef's Knife · Start with a chef's knife, · Cutting Board (or two) · Measuring cups and spoons · Hot pot or electric We've gathered a list of essential gear to get cooking in a new kitchen, all for around $ total 14 Musts for a Budget Pantry · Eating on a Budget · Brown Rice (or Other Whole Grains) · Canned Beans · Dried Spices · Do Not Sell or Share Rice, pasta, beans, canned tomatoes, herbs & spices, sugar, salt, flour, etc. Then just buy fresh meat/poultry/fish

Consider buying a set of different-sized bowls that nestle into one another. Utensils Start with a large spoon. Add a grater. After that, what you cook will help you determine what you need such as whisks, ladles, etc.

at a Goodwill and these items cost less than a buck each. A baking or casserole dish Great for casseroles, lasagna, quiches, pot pies, brownies or small cakes, plus even roasting a chicken, a small yet heavy baking dish is a great place to start when cooking for one or two people.

You can use an oven mitt as a trivet, too, once something hot has to go onto a table. In addition to preventing food from going to waste, you can also store foods you can buy in bulk, such as cereal, spices, flour, sugar, oatmeal, nuts, spices, etc.

Plus, a glass jar is great for making vinaigrette. When on a budget, no food should be left to spoil as wasted food is wasted money. Pouring ,rather than ladeling, liquids make you a tidier cook.

You often need more than a cup of liquid measured. Or, undercook that roast chicken. No one likes pink poultry. Great investment. I agree wholeheartedly. I love my pressure cooker, and wish I had gotten it when the family was younger.

Very quick way to cook favor-filled meals. The cookers they make now are much safer than those made decades ago. There are some very good cookbooks out there for pressure cooking too—check them out! Hey Kat — Great list! Yes, a digital thermometer really takes the guess work out of cooking meats.

Dutch oven for braising. Do you feel like you have all the essential tools covered? Here are our picks for budget-friendly cast-iron skillets and one highly reviewed option. Budget-Friendly Option: Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron Skillet, Dutch Oven Do you love soups, stews, braises, or freshly baked boules of bread?

Budget-Friendly Option: Lodge Enameled Cast-Iron 5. Wood Cutting Board A wood cutting board is another tool that, with proper care, can last you years. Here are our cutting board picks. Be sure to use mineral oil regularly on a board like this.

Digital Meat Thermometer Finally, every kitchen needs to be equipped with a good instant-read digital thermometer. Here are our picks for a digital meat thermometer. Courtney Hamilton.

Courtney Hamilton is a writer and editor with over seven years' experience in journalism, blogging, communications, and other media.

She has written for publications like PaleoHacks, PaleoPlan, The Center for American Progress, OC Weekly, and more. Check out more of her work at www. ButcherBox on YouTube Click to Subscribe.

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Loading Comments Email Required Name Required Website. We all have a go-to stash: rice and dried pasta, dried and canned beans, canned tuna and salmon, canned vegetables, and usually plenty of potatoes, onions, and garlic.

Add some pantry basics like broth, oils, and spices, and you are well on your way to a wonderful meal without hitting the grocery store. These 15 budget-friendly pantry recipes lean hard on staples you probably already have on hand—and whatever you might be missing is easy and inexpensive to pick up.

Even cooking one dinner per week out of your pantry can add up to real savings. Here's what to make out of your pantry tonight! Stacey Ballis is a novelist, cookbook author, freelance food and lifestyle journalist, and recipe developer who specializes in culinary fiction, and empowering home cooks to create extraordinary cooking and dining experiences for themselves and their loved ones.

Dried lentils are a wonderful protein-packed legume, with the added benefit of not needing soaking before cooking. When made into soup with some simple fresh aromatics, they are hearty and satisfying. If you want your soup a bit creamier, you can puree a couple cups of the finished soup and stir it back in.

Red lentils are really a style of split pea, and since they have been hulled before drying, they cook super fast. This dish only takes 10 minutes to prep and 40 to cook, so you can put it on as soon as you get home from work and have dinner ready for your family by the time you have changed and walked the dog.

Serve over rice for a complete meal. Need a great pantry dish for vegans? Look no further than this sweet potato chickpea curry, which is luxurious and satisfying enough to please even the meat eaters at the table. Serve over rice, or with naan or pita breads for sopping up all the spicy sauce.

A great vegetable chili — a super affordable way to feed a crowd — is really good to have in your repertoire. This recipe calls for fresh corn and tomatoes, but you can sub in canned versions when they are out of season or if you have them in your pantry.

This Asian-inspired rice bowl pairs equal amounts of rice and tuna by weight to ensure that the one-pot meal is a perfect balance of protein and carbs.

Make a double batch and eat leftovers cold over chopped lettuce for a great lunch salad. Taco Tuesdays get an affordable pantry makeover by featuring canned black beans cooked in a rich sauce of canned green salsa and savory spices. No time to pick up tortillas? Serve over lettuce for a taco salad, or pile into baked white or sweet potatoes.

Fried rice is an ideal way to use up leftover rice, but this dish is so good, you will want to make rice fresh just to cook it!

This recipe features quick-cooking brown rice for a great texture along with plenty of vegetables in the mix, including frozen peas.

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