10 Things You Should be able to Cook Before You Leave Home

Moving out of home is a big milestone, and it is important you know the basics in order to survive. How to budget, use a washing machine and change a light globe are all skills  we should have to be independent.

But, being able to cook a few dishes is going to save you money, and keep you from starving. Whether you moved out years ago, or are preparing to do so, how many of these things do you know how to make?

Spaghetti Bolognaise

It doesn’t matter if you make your sauce from scratch or throw in a jar of the pre-made kind, if you can boil pasta, fry some mince and heat it all up…you’re going to be just fine.

spaghetti

Anything from a can – baked beans to canned soup

The first step is opening the can, which isn’t always as easy as it should be. Can openers can be utterly ridiculous. Heating up on the stove or popping it in the microwave (OK, stating the obvious but the actual can does not go in the microwave), if you can eat something out of a can you will never go hungry. When you master making tomato soup with milk and it doesn’t curdle…you have won the canned food battle.

Eggs

Eggs are good for you and there are so many ways you can cook them. Before moving out of home try to master scrambled eggs, fried eggs, omelettes and poached eggs. And, if you are really clever whip up a quiche or zucchini slice.

Toast – grilled cheese

So, toast is pretty basic but we all need to know how to do it without burning the house down. A step up from toast is grilling and if you pop on some cheese, tomato and avocado your toast has gone up a notch to gourmet level. This is making me hungry.

Stir Fry

Stir fry is healthy and it’s quick. A one pan dish, if you aren’t particularly good at cooking meat or veggies this is your one pan wonder. And, there are so many different ingredients you can use.

Meat and 3 Veg

It could be something as easy as a sausage or as difficult as a steak, but everyone should be able to cook up a meat and 3 veg meal. Unless you are vegetarian then you can have a tofu patty and 3 veg.  Grill it, bake it, fry it – whatever your style, add some steamed vegetables and you will have a meal your mum would be proud of.

Cake

Start with a cake mix (I’m still a cake mix girl – Betty Crocker is my best baking friend) and progress to something made from scratch. Having the ability to whip up something sweet is going to make you happier if you ever get the craving.

Pizza

You can go from frozen pizza to fridge pizza to creating the whole thing from flour to oven. Pizza is as easy or as difficult as you want it to be, at the very minimum you need a base, tomato paste and cheese – or add meats, prawns, vegetables, roast pumpkin…whatever you like to eat.

Salad

Salad is a good side dish, or something to bring if you are invited to a summer BBQ. If you can’t throw in some lettuce, tomato, cheese and onion in a bowl then maybe you should keep living at home. There are so many different salads you can make, so stick with it!

Baked Potato

Put some fork holes in a spud and whack it in the microwave for what will feel like forever, when it’s cooked – fill it up.

These are 10 things you should know how to cook before leaving home. Do you agree? How many do you know how to do?

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