30 Basic Recipes Everyone Should Know

By Jenn Segal

Whether it’s your first time in the kitchen or you’re a seasoned cook, there are a few dozen basic recipes that you’ll want in your back pocket. From pizza dough and rice to pancakes and tomato sauce, here are the classic recipes you’ll make on repeat.

A Really Good Tuna Salad

A classic — and the only tuna salad recipe you’ll ever need.
Oatmeal Cookies with Raisins & Pecans

These classic cookies are slightly crispy on the outside and deliciously chewy on the inside.
Best Homemade Pancake Recipe

Toss the pancake mix — these fluffy-inside and crispy-outside pancakes are so much better.
Crusty Artisan Bread

This crusty bread recipe is astonishingly easy — no kneading required — and it makes three beautiful loaves, which you can bake as needed.
Spaghetti and Meatballs

This spaghetti and meatball recipe is easy enough for a busy weeknight — and it’s a family favorite, too!
Pizza Dough

This pizza dough recipe yields a crispy, chewy, and flavorful pizza crust.
Homemade Tomato Sauce

Based on Marcella Hazan’s famous recipe, this is a simple and delicious homemade tomato sauce.
Classic Egg Salad

Most egg salads are bland, mayo-laden affairs, but this one is vibrant, fresh and delicious!
The Best Grilled Chicken

Say goodbye to dry, bland grilled chicken breasts. This recipe guarantees juicy, flavorful chicken every time.
Big Italian Salad

A good salad to go with everything Italian — you’ll love the homemade dressing!
Perfect Basmati Rice

This recipe makes tender and fluffy basmati rice every time.
Steakhouse Burgers

These burgers are packed with flavor and reliably juicy, even when cooked to well-done.
Pesto Sauce

This is my go-to pesto recipe — and it’s delicious on just about everything, from pasta to sandwiches to salads.
Restaurant-Style Pan Seared Salmon

Golden-crisp on top and just barely cooked in the center, this pan-seared salmon is easy to make and elegant to serve.
How To Cook Steak On The Stovetop

Pan-searing is the best way to cook a steak, and it’s also the easiest!
Sunday Night Roast Chicken with Herb Butter

Everyone needs a good roast chicken recipe — this is one of my longtime favorites.
The Best Brownie Recipe

Fudgy in the center and cakey-crisp on the surface, these brownies from pastry chef Nick Malgieri are truly out of this world.
Best Banana Bread

This is my go-to banana bread — it’s phenomenal right out of the oven and even better toasted the next day.
Perfect Couscous

Instant couscous makes a great weeknight side dish because it cooks in five minutes.
Best Rice Krispie Treats

A few tweaks to the back-of-the-box recipe make these Rice Krispie Treats the best ever.
Zucchini Bread

This zucchini bread studded with walnuts and currants (or chocolate chips, if you prefer) is a great way to use up your summer zucchini.
Chocolate Chip Muffins

A kid favorite, these chocolate chip muffins taste like chocolate chip cookies in muffin form.
Turkey Burgers

With only 5 ingredients, you can throw these flavorful and juicy turkey burgers together in a matter of minutes. A summer staple!
Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

My family loves this rich and creamy dressing. It’s not overly garlicky or fishy — it’s just right.
Classic Chicken Salad

A great basic recipe, this classic chicken salad is similar to the version served at many delis.
My Favorite Pie Crust Recipe

With this simple recipe, making a tender and flaky homemade pie crust is totally doable, even for beginners!
Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

A few tweaks to the classic Nestlé® Toll House® recipe make these the best chocolate chip cookies ever.
Chocolate Lover’s Chocolate Cake

A dark chocolate cake with a rich and creamy chocolate frosting — this is the ultimate chocolate cake for chocolate lovers.
Vanilla Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

The perfect dessert to feed a crowd, this vanilla sheet is easy to frost and decorate, easy to transport, and easy to serve.
Pumpkin Bread

Kids love it, grown-ups love it…this pumpkin bread is hard to beat!