30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (2024)

There are some basic, fundamental recipes that every cook should have in his or her tool belt. As cooks, we learn some of these in college, on a tight budget with limited time. As we get a little older, we start to find our favorite tweaks, substitutions and improvements. Ideally, by the time we hit 30, we have an arsenal of great recipes that we feel comfortable making anytime. This way, if you invite someone over for dinner, you don't have to panic and thumb through every cookbook you own (unless you want to).

In our minds, these are the 30 essential recipes every cook should know by the time they turn 30. If you can master these, you'll have most of the tools you need to learn any other recipe with relative ease. This list is tailored toward an omnivore, but there are plenty of vegetarian-friendly options here as well, in order of relative ease and simplicity. What do you think is the most important recipe you ever learned? Let us know in the comments!

1

Grilled Cheese

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (1)

Steamy Kitchen

Make 1,000 grilled cheeses. Make them when you are half asleep. Make them when you are drunk. Eat them for breakfast. Add ingredients. Fail a few times. Make so many grilled cheeses you could make them on one leg with one arm tied behind your back.

Get the Super Frico Grilled Cheese Sandwich recipe from Steamy Kitchen

2

Basic Vinaigrette & A Simple Salad

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (2)

James Ransom/Food52

3

Guacamole

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (3)

Simply Recipes

Want to throw a party? You need party dip.

Get the Perfect Guacamole recipe from Simply Recipes

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5

Scrambled Eggs

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (5)

Melanie Einzig/Food52

Breakfast is important, and scrambled eggs are the O.G.

Get the Soft Scrambled Eggs recipe from Food52

6

Brownies

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (6)

Brown Eyed Baker

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7

Mashed Potatoes

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (7)

Simply Recipes

We like to mix a little sour cream right into ours.

Get the Perfect Mashed Potatoes recipe from Simply Recipes

8

Green Beans

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (8)

Simply Recipes

You've probably eaten a lot of mushy, waterlogged, over-cooked green beans in your life. Your job is to make them better. Still slightly crunchy, bright, great hot or cold. GO.

Get the Green Bean Salad with Basil, Balsamic, and Parmesan recipe from Simply Recipes

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10

Sautéed Greens

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (10)

Emily Todd

You can follow this same process with any leafy green: spinach, chard, mustard greens, collard greens, broccoli rabe. The bottom line is that somewhere along the line, you're going to need to feed yourself some leafy greens, so they should taste good.

Get the Kale with Garlic & Red Pepper Flakes recipe from Habitually Hungry

11

Polenta

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (11)

svariophoto via Getty Images

12

Roasted Vegetables

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (12)

Steamy Kitchen

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13

Poached Salmon

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (13)

James Ransom/Food52

This is the easiest, most reliable and least smelly way to cook fish. Learn it, love it.

Get the Aromatic Poached Salmon with Rye and Caper Breadcrumbs recipe from Food52

14

Chicken Soup

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (14)

James Ransom/Food52

The real way. With a chicken.

Get the Reform Jewish Penicillin recipe from Food52

15

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17

Deviled Eggs

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (17)

My Well Fed Heart/Food52

18

Roast Chicken

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (18)

Simply Recipes

Roasting a chicken for someone at the right time can heal a broken heart, we swear.

Get the Keller’s Roast Chicken recipe from Simply Recipes

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20

Mac And Cheese

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (20)

Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton/Food52

No powdered cheese allowed.

Get the Classic Mac and Cheese recipe from Food52

21

Pancakes

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (21)

Crepes of Wrath/Food52

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22

Ratatouille

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (22)

Mimi Thorisson/Manger

23

Perfect Rice

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (23)

Willow Arlen/Will Cook For Friends

24

Tofu Stir-Fry

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (24)

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25

Spaghetti And Meatballs

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (25)

James Ransom/Food52

27

Potatoes au Gratin

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (27)

Sarah Shatz/Food52

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28

Minestrone Soup

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (28)

Sarah Shatz/Food52

Here's why minestrone soup is one of the most important recipes you'll ever learn to make: it teaches you about using dried beans, different cooking times of different vegetables, layering flavors and improvising ingredients seasonally. Learn to make a great one and you'll be well on your way to cooking anything you want.

Get the Minestrone Soup recipe from Food52

30

Beef Bourguignon

30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (30)

Simply Recipes

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30 Recipes Everyone Should Know By The Time They're 30 (2024)

FAQs

What was the most popular food in the 30s? ›

From Hunger to Hope. From frozen foods to Jell-O molds, the 1930s and 40s saw a huge upsurge in convenience foods. Building on the popularity of brands like Wonder Bread, Kool-Aid, Velveeta Cheese, and Hostess Cakes, American supermarkets stocked up on mass-produced items.

How many recipes does the average person know? ›

A survey found that, on average, people claimed to know how to make 15 recipes without having to look them up.

What meals should everyone know how do you cook? ›

17 Dishes Every Home Cook Should Know How to Make, According to Chefs
  1. 01 of 17. Eggs. Victor Protasio. ...
  2. 02 of 17. Rice. Diana Chistruga. ...
  3. 03 of 17. Roast Chicken. Julia Hartbeck. ...
  4. 04 of 17. Bolognese. Photo and Styling by Julia Gartland. ...
  5. 05 of 17. Baked Fish. Maxwell Cozzi. ...
  6. 06 of 17. Fresh Pasta. ...
  7. 07 of 17. Steak. ...
  8. 08 of 17. French Fries.
Mar 11, 2024

What is the number one rule of cooking? ›

Of all the important advice out there about cooking, this by far has to be the number 1 rule of cooking: read your recipe completely before getting started. This may seem like a mundane task (especially when you're excited dive in!), but you'll be so thankful you took the time to do it!

What was junk food in the 1930s? ›

Many of today's favorite snacks were also introduced during this decade: Twinkies, Snickers, Tootsie Pops, Fritos, 3 Musketeers, Ritz Crackers, Kit Kat Bars, Five-Flavor Life Savers, 5th Avenue Bars, Rolo, Smarties, Heath Bar, Lay's Potato Chips and RC Cola.

What percentage of Americans Cannot cook? ›

While seven out of ten people claim to be naturally gifted in the kitchen, 56% of people surveyed in a recent poll say they struggle with even the most basic recipes.

How many meals are humans actually supposed to eat? ›

In one sense, it all comes down to math: The average adult human requires 2,000 calories per day, and you're only awake for so many hours. "Across all peer-reviewed research and health practices, three meals a day is a general recommendation to encourage consistent, adequate energy intake," Miluk said.

What percent of Americans cook at home? ›

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Since its peak in 2020 and 2021, cooking at home has decreased slightly, but 64% of Americans are continuing to do so to save money and control their budget, reported the National Frozen and Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA), with 81% of consumers cooking more than half their meals at home.

What's the easiest thing to learn to cook? ›

If you're a beginner cook looking for the perfect starter recipes, check out these three simple yet delicious dishes:
  1. Sausage Carbonara. With just four ingredients, this sausage carbonara recipe couldn't be easier for a beginner chef. ...
  2. Sausage, Potato and Pepper Skillet. ...
  3. Cheesy Broccoli Veggie Tots Casserole.

What is the most basic thing to cook? ›

10 Dishes Every Beginner Cook Should Learn
  • 01 of 10. Cream-Based Soup. Victor Protasio. ...
  • 02 of 10. Roast Chicken. Julia Hartbeck. ...
  • 03 of 10. Pizza. Bella Graves. ...
  • 04 of 10. Pasta Carbonara. ...
  • 05 of 10. Whole Roasted Fish. ...
  • 06 of 10. Risotto. ...
  • 07 of 10. Garden Salad. ...
  • 08 of 10. BLT Fried Egg-and-Cheese Sandwich.
Feb 1, 2024

What is a good dinner that everyone would like? ›

27 Quick And Easy Dinners Your Whole Family Will Love
  • One-Pot Cheeseburger Pasta. tasty.co. ...
  • Garlic Broccoli Shrimp Stir-Fry. tasty.co. ...
  • 3-Ingredient Teriyaki Chicken. tasty.co. ...
  • Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa. ...
  • Taco Soup. ...
  • One-Pot Chicken and Mushroom Pasta. ...
  • One-Pan Garlic Butter Salmon. ...
  • 20-Minute Beef and Broccoli Noodle Stir-Fry.
Oct 25, 2023

What is the 3 finger rule in cooking? ›

The technique involves holding your greens with your middle finger placed in front of your index and ring fingers, with your nails all tucked in to face your palm. Your knuckle then guides the knife as you chop. This technique helps reduce the likelihood that your heady greens will be damaged in the cutting process.

What is the golden kitchen rule? ›

Be safe about cleanliness. Wash your hands before you handle any food, keep your equipment and work surfaces clean, and don't let cooked food touch anything that previously touched raw food. You should keep your refrigerator at 40°F and your freezer at 0°F or colder.

What is the kitchen 90 10 rule? ›

What is the 90/10 rule? The 90/10 food rule isn't so much a diet, and it's not even a rule. It's more of a mindset. It basically means that you eat clean, whole foods 90 per cent of the time and splurge on the remaining 10 per cent.

What did children eat in the 1930s? ›

During the Depression, casseroles and meals like creamed chipped beef on toast, chili, macaroni and cheese, and creamed chicken on biscuits were popular. Jell-o was a cheap protein source and found its way into many cookbooks during the Depression.

What was popular in the late 30s? ›

The 1930s were primarily known for the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, jazz music, the Art Deco movement, and the New Deal. Jazz/swing music not only became popular in the U.S., but also found audiences in Europe.

Was there fast food in the 1930s? ›

In the 1920s and 1930s, some of the most famous chain restaurants—Horn & Hardart, Howard Johnson's, A&W Root Beer, Bob's Big Boy, Dairy Queen, White Castle, and Marriott Hot Shoppes among them—appeared in urban areas as walk-up lunch rooms, cafeterias, and hamburger stands.

What did farmers eat in the 1930s? ›

Almost all farm families raised large gardens with vegetables and canned fruit from their orchards. They had milk and cream from their dairy cattle. Chickens supplied meat and eggs. They bought flour and sugar in 50-pound sacks and baked their own bread.

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