10 Recipes to Cook Before 30 

I’m turning 30 in two weeks! I’ve made a few things on this list (roast chicken, cupcakes, salmon, risotto) but definitely have some work to do building out my kitchen skills and recipe repertoire!

10 Recipes to Cook Before 30 

Guest post by Louisa from Living Lou

I’m making my way through my twenties right now and while I’ve definitely thought of things that I would love to do before I turn 30 (I’m 26 right now), I find having a fully baked “list” to be a little daunting. But a list of recipes to make my way through? Totally do-able! 

Think Julie & Julia, and how she cooks her way through Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. But instead, this is a list of recipes that I hope will become some of your go-to recipes that you will make throughout your life.

1. Risotto 

If you learn to master one dish on this list, have it be risotto! This is a dish that seems complicated but is really simple and super impressive. In the fall I love this butternut squash risotto and in the winter, I’ll opt for spinach and mushroom risotto. 

2. Vanilla Cupcakes 

Be that friend who makes homemade cupcakes for your friends’ birthdays. It is so thoughtful and it honestly couldn’t be easier. My recipe uses a reverse-creaming method, which may be a new technique for some of you. 

3. Beef Stew

Low and slow in the oven, I love that this recipe just uses a Dutch oven (no need for a slow cooker). It’s the perfect winter-weekend comfort food, I love the way the butternut squash pairs with beef and the peas add a nice brightness to the dish. 

4. Braised Lamb Ragu

I think learning to cook different kinds of proteins (unless you are vegetarian/vegan) is one of the best things you can do for you cooking! Lamb is totally underrated, though I think Alison Roman, one of my favorite food writers, is bringing it back into fashion. 

5. Poached Salmon 

O.M.G. this poached salmon is to die for! It’s inspired by Thai flavors and poached in a curried coconut milk, this has quickly become a reader favorite since I posted it last spring. 

6. Buttermilk Roast Chicken

A good roast chicken recipe will last you a lifetime, I’ve been making a buttermilk roast chicken like this for years and it’s honestly the most juicy, beautiful chicken. I also love this lemon thyme chicken which reminds me of the British-style roast chicken I grew up eating. 

7. Broccoli Quiche 

Make your own pastry! Quiche is a dish that gets a bad reputation for being complicated, but I mastered this recipe (after many failed attempts!) when I was in university. I don’t make this dish often, but I love knowing that it’s something I can do. 

8. Cheesecake 

I love cheesecake. My biggest tip? Just don’t forget to chill it! I did that once for my boyfriend’s family, and the cheesecake flowed out all over the plate. Talk about an LOL moment. 

9. Macaroni and Cheese

Comfort food at it’s finest. Honestly, I’ll take a creamy stovetop mac and cheese over a baked one any day. 

10. Vegetarian curry

I make this recipe at least three times a year—especially when I’m trying to keep my grocery budget in check. I think everyone needs a good go-to vegetarian recipe, and this is mine.