Make your meal prep time easier when you have these essential spices in your kitchen! Add flavor and change up your meals quickly and easily!
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Is your meal prep getting boring? Are your meals becoming “ho hum” and your family dissatisfied? I am here to tell you it’s not your fault. Sometimes, you just need a change in your meals.
And that change could be as simple as changing up a spice or two. These spices are all must haves in the kitchen, and are sure to make your meal prep flavorful and easy.
So, what spices should be in every kitchen?
Most of us have our favorite “go to” spices and seasonings that we use all the time. What spices are most commonly used will vary depending on culture, where you live in the country, and what you and your family like to eat. Here are our favorites that we have on hand all the time.
Dried herbs are something that every kitchen should have.
Dried herbs are great to buy in bulk, as they are typically cheaper. You can use a smaller amount of dried herbs over fresh, as the flavor is more concentrated. Since they can lose aroma and flavor after 6-9 months, you will want to only buy what you can use in that amount of time.
Store your dried herbs in a cool, dark place. You don’t want to store them by the stove where you are cooking, as the heat changes could cause them to lose aroma faster.
Cardamom-very aromatic, slightly sweet. Perfect for adding a warming, punget flavor to foods. Try it in cardamom ginger French macarons.
Cayenne Pepper-intense heat that is warming. Available in mild, medium, and hot heats, it’s perfect for this one pot Cajun chicken pasta, DIY taco seasoning, and can add more kick to Buffalo Wings.
Chili Powder-adds a warming spice to foods. You can also get this spice in 3 different heats, mild, medium, and hot. Try it on spicy sweet potato fries or in ground beef chili. Add kick and spice to homemade ketchup and easy homemade barbeque sauce as well.
Cumin-Slightly bitter, with a very strong scent, this is one of my favorite herbs I keep on hand. Used in varying cuisines like Indian, Southwestern, and more, it’s great for refried beans, black bean burgers, Traditional posole, homemade quick and easy guacamole, and DIY taco seasoning.
Garlic Powder-made from dehydrated and ground up garlic, this adds that wonderful flavor in sauces, soups, and more. Try it in homemade BBQ sauce, homemade ketchup, and our delicious seasoning salt.
Ginger-another warming spice that is used in various cuisines, ginger pairs wonderfully with chocolate, and is often used in pumpkin or apple recipes. Try ground ginger in our ginger chocolate cupcakes, cardamom ginger macarons, or in this homemade pumpkin butter.
Italian Seasoning-made up of basil, garlic, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory, and thyme, this spice is perfect for all your pasta or pizza dishes. Add flair to meatballs or meatloaf. You’ll love it in this bread dipping oil, Italian parmesan crackers, or in this creamy chicken one pot chicken pasta dish.
Minced onion-diced and dried onion pieces, this adds a savory flair to your dishes. Perfect for homemade dips like French onion dip and more.
Nutmeg-warming aromatic that is used in pumpkin butter, and apple pie spice. It’s also perfect for bringing out the flavor in homemade alfredo sauces. Try it in caramel apple scones, classic apple crisp and apple pie French toast.
Onion Powder– perfect for when you want the onion flavor, but need it to blend easily. It’s great in homemade spice mixes like this DIY taco seasoning, and our homemde seasoning salt.
Pepper–while pepper has many different colors, ranging from white to pink and black, my go to constant is plain black pepper. You’ll see this in all of my savory dishes, with very few exceptions. My favorites are brisket tacos, lemon pepper chicken, and spaghetti Aglio E Olio.
Salt -another seasoning that comes in a variety of colors and even slightly varying flavors, salt is a go to in recipes both savory and sweet. The one I always have is this Himalayan pink salt, which has pink and white crystals in it. Check out some of the different salts here.
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