Cooking from scratch? Start here.

You’ve just moved into your first apartment and are staring at empty cabinets, possibly remembering the fully stocked kitchen of your childhood. Now it’s up to you to maintain your own food supply. Here’s your absolute must-have grocery list of staples to ensure you’re ready to start cooking in your new kitchen. 

1. Cooking oil

In order to start cooking (almost) anything, cooking oil is absolutely essential. Olive oil is a good go-to with its neutral flavor that’s good for sauteing vegetables. Another lighter option that can do the same things is canola oil. These cooking oils help keep food from sticking to your cookware. Store it in a cabinet or a cupboard, and it should last you all year. 

2. Rice

Rice can be cooked into all sorts of dishes and an unopened bag can be kept in your pantry just about forever, according to The Pioneer Woman. A box of white quick rice will cost you less than three dollars at Target. 

3. Butter

Butter can be used as a spread, an ingredient in recipes, a cooking fat and more. It’s used so frequently in my college apartment that we have a weekly trip to the store – just for butter. Butter can be kept at room temperature or in the fridge. 

4. Pasta noodles

They cook quickly, they can be made in advance and they pair well with just about anything. Dry pasta is inexpensive and can be kept right in its box. Not to mention, pasta comes in all kinds of shapes to keep cooking fun!

5. Salt and pepper

These might be ingredients that can sometimes be overlooked, but (in my opinion) they always make every dish better. Salt and pepper are pantry staples I didn’t buy right when I moved into my first apartment, and I seriously regretted it. They last forever and add flavor to every dish you’ll ever make. 

6. Flour

It’s used in many dinner dishes, like if you’re attempting to make homemade mac and cheese, and a ton of baking. Flour is versatile and will just keep coming up as an ingredient you need in recipes. Just have it on hand. Keep flour in an airtight container to preserve it the best, according to MasterClass.

7. Canned tomatoes

Soups, sauces, pasta, salsas: you name it, canned tomatoes can probably be thrown into it. A can of tomatoes will last you (basically) forever if kept in your pantry, so they’re always a good item to have on hand to give a meal a bit more substance. 

8. Canned beans

Similarly to canned tomatoes, canned beans can be thrown in all kinds of different meals like chili, sauces, and soups. They also last forever. Better yet, these canned beans offer just over 15 grams of protein per cup of beans, according to Healthline. If you’re needing to find a way to sneak some extra protein into your diet, reach for a can of beans.