5 Grocery Store Items Famous Chefs Can’t Live Without

Sarah Rae Smith
Sarah Rae Smith
Sarah Rae Smith has lived all across the Midwest and currently calls the bratwurst-laden city of Sheboygan home. She seeks out kitchens that make the best pie and farmers with fresh eggs.
updated May 24, 2019
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When it comes to the special ingredients our favorite chefs use, sometimes the list can seem daunting and hard to acquire (snails flown in from a remote island, or the oil of a pressed rock that’s only expelled during a full moon, anyone?). But these five famous chefs use household ingredients just like we do. Even though caviar has its place, these products are always a solid bet in their house — and maybe yours, too!

If you live in a small town and don’t have a Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods Market on every corner, finding “chef-quality ingredients” can feel frustrating. The products below, however, are the best of the best according to these chefs that we’ve all come to love and respect. And you can find them all on Amazon!

Food Network has done a great roundup of some of their chef’s favorite “normal” ingredients and here are a few of our favorites.

Ree Drummond: “I am so snobby about Hellmann’s mayonnaise. It has that pure flavor and none of the off-putting vinegary-ness.”

Buy now: Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, $3.50 for 30 ounces

Alton Brown: “I’m crazy about Georgia Olive Farms olive oil because it’s green, bright, fruity, and from my home state.”

Buy now: Georgia Olive Farms Olive Oil, $35 per bottle

Sunny Anderson: “The Rolls-Royce of cornbread mixes is Jiffy corn muffin mix.”

Buy now: Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, $0.69 per box

Alex Guarnaschelli: “I love to eat Bonne Maman preserves throughout the year according to the season: I put a small dollop of the wild blueberry in my summer blueberry pies. I eat the four-fruits flavor on toast in spring. In fall, I go for the marmalade, cherry or fig.”

Buy now: Bonne Maman Wild Blueberry Preserves, $4.19 per jar

Ina Garten: “Why make your own marinara when RAO’S marinara sauce tastes homemade? It’s simmered for hours with good tomatoes, basil, garlic, and oregano. I use it as a base for pasta sauce or lasagna.”

Buy now: Rao’s Marinara, $9 per jar

Do you love any of these products too? Let us know in the comments!