There are quite a few staples that your college kitchen should always have. Yes, beer is one of them, but I am talking about ingredients and equipment for cooking up a great meal in a flash. If you keep these things as fixtures in your kitchen, you will never have to worry about what to make for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even dessert. So instead of providing you with a recipe and a witty story about why I chose to make it, I am going to give you a list of items you should stock up on to make sure you don’t have one of those moments of, “SHOOT! I knew I forgot something!”
Equipment:
- Baking sheet/ cookie sheet- this can be used not only for baking cookies and other baked goods, but is great for roasting vegetables and cooking chicken cutlets.
- Both a large and small pot- the large pot is good for cooking larger items and heaping batches of pasta, where as a small pot is better for individual meals and warming up sauces.
- 13×9 in baking dish- another good thing to have for both baking brownies and cooking casseroles
- Medium-sized skillet- for sautéing, frying, making pancakes… take your pick.
- 9-inch baking pans/cake pans- you definitely need this if you’re planning on making cake for your roommates birthday
- Measuring cups- at least have a 1 cup, ½ cup and ¼ cup measurement for both liquids and solids.
- Spatula- believe me you don’t realize how much this item comes in handy!
- Can opener- canned goods have a long shelf life making them a great commodity to have on hand, just make sure you have a tool to actually open them.
- Large bowls for mixing
- Spoons for mixing
- A flexible cutting board
- Sharp knife- a nice sharp knife makes your life easier when it comes to cutting and chopping
- Table and teaspoon measurements
Cooking and Baking Staples:
- Pasta- I like whole wheat penne, but you could keep whatever variety on hand that you like
- Marinara or other tomato-based sauce
- Salt and pepper
- Italian seasoning- other dried herbs to keep on hand that come in handy are parsley, thyme, rosemary and oregano.
- Frozen vegetables- although they shouldn’t always replace fresh vegetables, frozen keep for much longer and don’t lose the nutrients.
- Cooking spray
- Salsa
- Eggbeaters- can substitute for eggs in any dish even when eggs are just an ingredient in a larger dish
- Instant rice
- Shredded cheese
- Cake mix
- Canned goods- beans, vegetables, soup
I suggest printing out this basic list and taking it with you to your next grocery store visit. After that you’ll be cooking in no time.
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