14 Best Recipes Every Beginner Home Cook Should Learn to Make
As Ree Drummond says, "Don't be intimidated."
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It's true that not everyone is destined to become a world famous professional chef. But it's also true that everyone needs to eat. And at some point in your life, you should learn how to cook. Not only is it often more budget friendly, but it can also give you a sense of pride and accomplishment. You―yes, you―made that family meal. It will nourish your mind, body, and soul. And if you get to share it with those you love? Even better.
But learning how to cook can be daunting, especially if you don't know where to start. While culinary basics like knife skills are essential, you still have to get dinner on the table ASAP. That's why focusing on actual recipes to build on your skill set is the smart way to go, because you're not only cooking to eat but learning at the same time. To get started, try these recipes every beginner chef or or home cook should know.
From building block recipes like perfectly cooked rice and savory stock to impressive steak dinners, this list will set you up for success while keeping you fed. It's also good to reference for anyone already versed in cooking to brush up on their skills, or heck, just get the best go-to recipe from The Pioneer Woman. Then just go for it! The best tool in the kitchen is confidence. As Ree Drummond once said, all the way back in 2007 when she posted her first recipe: "Don’t be intimidated." You got this!
Pan-Fried Ribeye Steak
Did you know that Ree's first ever recipe she published on her blog was a steak recipe? "You just really can’t ever know the wonder of this beauty until you prepare it in your own kitchen," she says. Don't be afraid to rely on your meat thermometer!
Get Ree's Pan-Fried Ribeye Steak recipe.
Spaghetti Sauce
A good homemade red sauce can be life changing. Ree's version is "rich, meaty, a cinch to make, and it can be frozen and used on spaghetti, in lasagna, on top of garlic bread, or over the top of ricotta-stuffed pasta shells." The Italian dinner ideas are endless!
Get Ree's Spaghetti Sauce recipe.
Roast Chicken
"There's nothing simpler than roast chicken. And there are few things more delicious," Ree says. Bonus: "You can use this basic recipe and change it up however you like: different herbs, different citrus fruits, different seasonings." And then you have endless meal ideas for leftover chicken, too.
Get Ree's Roast Chicken recipe.
Caesar Salad
Salad? Really? Yes! Because once you learn the process of making your own homemade dressings and vinaigrettes, you'll really improve your side dish game. You'll learn how to layer flavors for similar applications like marinades, too. Oh, and croutons are the easiest way to use up stale bread.
Get the Caesar Salad recipe.
Omelette
It's hard to overestimate the importance of knowing basic egg recipes and techniques. Learning how to fry, hard-boil, and poach them will give you endless flexibility in the kitchen. But knowing how to make an omelette means you'll always have a good meal.
Get the Western Omelette recipe.
Stock
One of the best ways to reduce waste, save money, and improve your culinary skills is to make stock. Whether it be vegetable, beef, or poultry, having homemade stock on hand will then lead you to soups, stews, and learning to deglaze pans for sauces.
Get the Turkey Stock recipe.
Rice
Once you unlock the basics of how to cook rice, the world really opens up to a whole host of applications. It makes an easy side dish, but it's also the base of so many easy dinners like rice bowls and casseroles.
Get the Rice recipe.
Veggie Stir-Fry
Learning the high-heat technique of stir-frying 101 is often under appreciated. But once you nail the simple concept, you'll have an unbelievably fast way to get dinner on the table with pretty much anything you find in your fridge. Start with veggies and you'll always have a go-to side.
Get Ree's Veggie Stir-Fry recipe.
No-Knead Bread
There's nothing better than freshly baked bread. You could spend years perfecting it and many chefs have. But if you want an easy recipe that yields an impressive loaf without a ton of effort, this boule is it! You only have to do about ten minutes of work in total and it will teach you the basics of leavening with yeast.
Get the No-Knead Bread recipe.
Baked Salmon
Making fish can be challenging! But once you master the shockingly easy way to bake fish, the world is your oyster (or salmon, if you will). Because you don't have to flip the fish over while cooking, you don't risk the filets falling apart on you.
Pancakes
You can certainly learn about chemical leaveners like baking soda by making chocolate chip cookies or homemade cakes. But if baking isn't quite your forte, start with breakfast! If you can master not overmixing pancake batter, then baking is the next step.
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
You should have a least one potato side dish in your repertoire, so why not start with arguably the most popular one? Mashed potatoes are a labor of love, but then you'll master peeling, boiling, mashing, and mixing in one crowd-pleasing dish.
Get Ree's Creamy Mashed Potatoes recipe.
Stew
Learning how to make a stew will teach you how to layer flavors and thicken liquids. It combines the elements of cooking meat, vegetables, and starches together for a one-pot meal. And once you know how to make a stew, you can move on to soup recipes, chilis, chowders, and more.
Get Ree's Beef Stew recipe.
Apple Pie
It's hard to choose just one dessert to learn, but tackling all the steps of a classic apple pie will set you up for success for so many other applications. Learning how to make, roll, and crimp pie crust alone is a skill set you'll have for life.
Get the Apple Pie recipe.
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