Sometimes the best kitchen staples come from simple ingredients you already have. These from-scratch basics are affordable, customizable, and surprisingly easy to make. Whether you’re aiming to reduce waste or stretch your pantry a bit further, these recipes help you make the most of what’s on hand.
Pesto
All you need to turn your pantry pasta into a meal is basil and nuts!
Try out some of these simple pesto recipes, and you’ll get the hang of how to make it work with what you have on hand.
Pickled Vegetables
Pickled vegetables can easily enhance a meal. Spice up your salad, give a sandwich a little zing, or add a fresh, crispy crunch to your rice bowl.
While we’re sharing our recipe for pickled red onions, this recipe can work for any vegetables you have on hand. Especially more solid vegetables such as carrots, zucchinis, radishes, cauliflower, and broccoli.
Granola
Granola is a delicious addition to your breakfast. Whether on its own, or as a topping for yogurt, this mix is easy to make at home!
The nice thing about granola is you can customize with your choice of oats, nuts, dried fruit and sweetener. No matter what dried goods you have on hand, you can make yourself a substantial snack.
Salad Dressing
Speaking of ways to spice up your salad – it’s easy to make salad dressing at home! There are simple, creamy dressings you can make – like this Honey Miso or Cilantro Lime dressing. But the easiest dressings to make are vinaigrettes.
A vinaigrette is as simple as oil + a mild acid (such as vinegar or lemon juice). See what you have on hand and test how the flavors mix together. Use up your leftover hummus and make this Hummus Vinaigrette. Try your hand at this Maple Vinaigrette and see what else you can add to it to make it your own.
Croutons
With homemade croutons, you’re just a couple of fresh veggies away from making your own salad with what you have on hand! If you’ve got a loaf of bread that’s going stale – especially a baguette – this is a great way to make sure none of it goes to waste.
Break up your bread into your ideal crouton size. For crunchier croutons, keep the crust. If you want them a little easier to chew, remove the crust. Toss the pieces into a bowl with melted butter and oil and spread on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake at 450°F for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. They’re done when golden brown.
You can either add it to a salad like this Creamy Caesar, or make it the main event with a Panzanella (AKA, crouton salad).
Salsa
While there are a lot of easy ways to make fresh salsa, our version can be made easily with the cans of tomatoes in your cupboard. Use it as a fresh topping for your weeknight tacos or a dip for your chips.
Butter
All you need to make butter is heavy cream, a little salt, and a little time. It’s easy to make with a food processor or blender, but if you’re working with minimal tools, a mason jar (or gallon bag) and some elbow grease will do just fine.
Just shake until you’ve got the thickness you normally feel from butter – hard but spreadable – and drain the remaining liquid before use. Even when using a food processor or blender, it will take some time to reach this consistency, usually 10 minutes or more.
Want to make your butter even better? Try this sweet maple butter recipe for a delicious spread for waffles, pancakes and bread!