Food & Drink

Want to Teach Yourself to Cook? Start With These Recipes

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Cooking is a learned skill—it doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Now is as good of a time to teach yourself to cook as any other, but if you’re not sure where to start, it can feel overwhelming. My advice? First, think about what you like to eat. Are you a salad every day kind of person? Are eggs for weekend breakfasts a must? Make yourself a little list of your favorites and then you’ll have a better idea of what kinds of cooking skills you actually want to learn. If you’re only interested in eating roast chicken at a restaurant, then learning how to make your own at home (while dead simple) is a definite non-necessity. Scared to attempt to conquer baking as well as cooking? Stick to store-bought treats for now.

Basic soups, salads, pasta, and more can teach you tons of techniques that you can then apply to different things or new recipes. So if you’re hoping to teach yourself how to cook—or just improve the skills you already have—try cooking your way through these 21 recipes.

 

1. Roasted Vegetables

 

2. Avocado Kale Caesar Salad + Sweet Potato Fries

Source: Pinch of Yum

 

3. Green Salad

 

4. French Onion Soup

 

5. Chicken Noodle Soup

 

6. Beef Stew

 

7. Fettuccine Alfredo

 

8. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

 

9. Date Night Rigatoni

Source: Pinch of Yum

 

10. Broccoli Pesto Mac and Cheese

 

11. Frittata

 

12. Garlic Butter Shrimp

 

13. Sheet Pan Broiled Salmon

 

14. Baked Cod

 

15. Indian Coconut Butter Cauliflower

 

16. Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Source: Isabel Eats

 

17. Roast Chicken

 

18. Slow Cooker French Wine and Mustard Chicken

 

19. Bourbon Cherry Crisp

 

20. One-Bowl Sprinkle Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

 

21. Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars