Recipe finder

UKUSWorks in the UK and the US. This version uses UK words and measures (hob, grams, gas marks); the US version uses stove, cups and °F. · US version of this page

Type what is in your fridge and cupboards and we will show the recipes you can make, closest matches first. Every recipe is a Classfern teaching recipe, checked for safety, with allergens, swaps, nutrition and a step-by-step lesson. Some are adapted from the openly licensed Wikibooks Cookbook, and those recipes show their credit and licence.

Tell us about allergies or a vegetarian or vegan diet once, and we will only show recipes that are safe.

My allergies and diet

Ingredients you have (separate with commas)

Kind of recipeAll recipesBreakfastsSoupsSaladsBreadsPastryPasta and riceVegetarian mainsFishMeatBaking and puddingsSnacks and dipsFood from around the worldSide dishesSauces and preservesDrinks and smoothiesBudget family mealsFestivals and celebrationsPacked lunchesCooking for allergies (free-from)No-cook (early years and KS1)

DietAnyVegetarianVegan

Free fromNo allergen filterCeleryCereals containing glutenCrustaceansEggsFishLupinMilkMolluscsMustardTree nutsPeanutsSesameSoyaSulphur dioxide and sulphites

No cooking with heat Suits primary-age childrenFind recipes

How the finder chooses

It looks at the main ingredients of each recipe and puts the ones you can make with the fewest extra things first. Kitchen basics such as salt, pepper, oil and water are assumed. It only ever shows recipes from the Classfern library – it never makes one up. Always check labels for allergens: brands differ.

Popular recipes

• Pancakes (thin, Pancake Day style)Thin, lacy pancakes for Shrove Tuesday or any day: whisking a smooth batter and cooking safely in a hot pan.
• Homemade pizza margheritaPizza from scratch: a yeast dough kneaded by hand, a simple tomato sauce and a very hot oven.
• Macaroni cheeseReal macaroni cheese with a homemade roux sauce – the all-in-one way to make a smooth white sauce without lumps.
• Spaghetti bologneseA family favourite: browning mince safely, building a slow-simmered tomato sauce and cooking spaghetti.
• Cupcakes (fairy cakes)Light little sponge cakes made by the creaming method, then iced – the first cake most children bake.
• Chocolate chip cookiesChewy chocolate chip cookies: melting-and-mixing, shaping even balls and spacing them for the oven.
• FlapjacksChewy oat flapjacks made by the melting method – a classic school bake.
• ShortbreadScottish shortbread from the easy 1-2-3 ratio: one part sugar, two parts butter, three parts flour.
• Banana breadA moist loaf that uses up over-ripe bananas – mashing, the all-in-one method and testing with a skewer.
• Victoria spongeThe great British sandwich cake: two light sponges by the creaming method, filled with jam.
• Yorkshire puddingsTall, crisp Yorkshire puddings: a simple egg batter and very hot oil, and the science of why they rise.
• Cheese and tomato quicheA homemade shortcrust case filled with a savoury egg custard, cheese and tomatoes – baking until just set.
• FocacciaItalian olive-oil bread with dimpled tops and crispy edges – a wet dough you stretch and fold instead of kneading.
• Fish pieA family classic: white fish and salmon poached in milk, a sauce made from the poaching milk, and a mashed potato top.
• French toast (eggy bread)Bread soaked in a cinnamon egg mixture and fried until golden – cooking egg through safely, with fruit on top.
• Chicken tikka masalaYoghurt-marinated chicken in a gently spiced tomato and cream sauce, with fluffy rice – a British-Indian favourite that teaches safe handling of raw chicken.
• Chicken chow meinStir-fried noodles with chicken and crunchy vegetables in a soy and honey sauce – fast, hot wok cooking with raw chicken handled safely.
• LasagneLayers of rich beef ragù, pasta and a homemade white sauce, baked until golden – the Italian family classic, with a lesson in making a roux sauce.
• Shakshuka (eggs in spiced tomato sauce)Eggs gently cooked in a pan of peppers and spiced tomatoes, popular across North Africa and the Middle East – sauce-making and cooking eggs until set.
• Hot cross bunsSoft, spiced fruit buns marked with a cross and glazed with honey – the Easter bake, teaching kneading, proving and shaping an enriched dough.