When the holidays are over and the budget feels a bit tighter, I find myself cooking more from what’s already in the pantry and fridge. It is a practical reset that often leads to surprisingly creative meals, since you start looking at everyday ingredients with fresh eyes. It also raises a useful question: what’s truly worth keeping stocked so you can pull together something delicious without a last-minute store run?
American cookbook author and TV cook Ina Garten has a clear answer. In a past interview with Bon Appétit, she shared six ingredients she always keeps in her kitchen, and the list is refreshingly simple. As noted by Simply Recipes, these staples are lemon, butter, eggs, Parmesan, chocolate, and oats, and they are chosen for how easily they mix and match. The beauty is that they can swing from savory to sweet without much effort.
A well-placed lemon does more than add a bright squeeze at the end. It can lift soups and sauces, sharpen dressings, and bring balance to richer dishes that need a little edge. It also works quietly in desserts, where a touch of acidity can make flavors taste clearer and less heavy.
Butter, eggs, and Parmesan form a trio that can carry weeknight dinners when the fridge looks bare. Eggs and butter turn into a quick, silky scramble, while Parmesan adds that salty, nutty finish that makes simple food feel intentional. Together, they can also anchor an easy pasta in the spirit of carbonara, where pantry cooking still feels like a real meal.
Then there is the sweet side of the equation. Chocolate is the ingredient that can instantly make a dessert feel special, whether it is melted, shaved, or stirred in at the last second. Oats are equally versatile, showing up as a comforting breakfast, a quick baked treat, or even a simple pantry dinner when you want something warm and steady. Add chocolate to oats and you have a shortcut to a treat that feels planned even when it was not.
What stands out about Garten’s list is how realistic it is. A few of the items are perishable, but they keep well when stored properly, and they earn their space by being endlessly useful. With just these basics, you can pivot from a bright, lemony dinner to a cozy, chocolate-leaning dessert without overthinking it.
What are the kitchen staples you never let run out, and which ingredient saves you most often when you need to cook on the fly? Share your go-to essentials in the comments.
