Half Baked Harvest’s Tieghan Gerard on Her Surprising $60 Kitchen Must: ‘Something Your Mom Probably Has, Too’

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Jamie McCarthy/Variety via Getty Images; Amazon

Jamie McCarthy/Variety via Getty Images; Amazon

Tieghan Gerard has revolutionized what it means to be anat-home chef.

As themastermind and best-selling authorbehindHalf Baked Harvest, Gerard has found a way to market rustic home-cooked meals as mouthwatering delicacies. Her latest cookbook,Half Baked Harvest Quick and Cozy: A Cookbook,is full of one-pot wonders and stick-to-your-ribs recipes that’ll wow any guest, including her pick for a Super Bowl party showstopper. She tells PEOPLE, “The Jalapeño Buffalo Chicken Pizza is perfect.”

Tieghan Gerard’s Amazon Kitchen Essentials

Staub 11-Inch Traditional Cast Iron Skillet

Amazon

$250 at Amazon

Gerard’s favorite “everyday pan” is the Staub 11-Inch Cast Iron Skillet. “It cooks and sears beautifully and evenly,” she tells PEOPLE. “I also love that it can go from the stovetop to the oven.” It’s also outfitted with a raised edge and handy spouts to help you pour out excess liquid and fat. For a more affordable alternative, thePEOPLE Shopping team recommendsthis $20Lodge cast iron skillet.

Overall, Gerard preferscast iron cookwareto nonstick because it offers more versatility and longevity in the kitchen. For care, she simply rinses her cookware with water as opposed to scrubbing with soap, which can damage the material. She also shares that she has “no issues with sticking” thanks to the cooking oils that fortify the pans over time.

KitchenAid 5-Speed Ultra Power Hand Mixer

$60 at Amazon

When it comes to must-have tools, Gerard highlightedsharp knives, a qualitycheese grater, and aCuinisart food processor. She also raved about the importance of a hand mixer, but it doesn’t have to be high-end; she prefers an “old-school one, something your mom probably has, too.” To Gerard, hand mixers offer a “closer contact” to ingredients, so it’s easier to cream butter or mix batter to your desired consistency, as opposed to relying on a stand mixer.

You can see Gerard and her trusty KitchenAid hand mixer in action as she whips up her Cinnamon Crunch Yogurt Coffee Cake inthis Instagram Reel.

Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Containers

$40$30 at Amazon

Quality cookware and appliances play a huge role in the kitchen, but Gerard also values organization. “One of the keys to quick cooking is having some things prepped in the fridge already,” she tells PEOPLE. “Prep containers are really nice.” These popular Rubbermaid containers can be used for prepared ingredients and leftovers. They have airtight lids, a stackable design, and they’re dishwasher-safe for easy care.

Gerard detailed even more of her kitchen essentials that you canget at Amazon, including her go-tocleaning suppliesand aCrock-Pot slow cookerthat you can set and forget. Read on to shop the rest of her staples, along with her latest cookbook.

“Half Baked Baked Harvest Quick and Cozy: A Cookbook”

$33$23 at Amazon

Staub 7-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven

$280 at Amazon

Crock-Pot 7-Quart Slow Cooker

$50$30 at Amazon

Henckels 15-Piece Knife Set with Block

$350$150 at Amazon

KitchenAid 4-Sided Cheese Grater

$25$14 at Amazon

Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor

$250$200 at Amazon

KitchenAid Variable-Speed Immersion Blender

Branch Basics Cleaning Essentials Kit

$67 at Amazon

See More from PEOPLE ShoppingThe 50 Best Amazon Deals Happening This St. Patrick’s Day Weekend — Starting at $7Katie Holmes Can’t Stop Wearing Wide-Leg Jeans — Copy Her Latest Look from $30Amazon’s Fashion Outlet Is Packed with Pretty Celeb-Inspired Dresses Ideal for a Spring Wedding

See More from PEOPLE Shopping

The 50 Best Amazon Deals Happening This St. Patrick’s Day Weekend — Starting at $7Katie Holmes Can’t Stop Wearing Wide-Leg Jeans — Copy Her Latest Look from $30Amazon’s Fashion Outlet Is Packed with Pretty Celeb-Inspired Dresses Ideal for a Spring Wedding

The 50 Best Amazon Deals Happening This St. Patrick’s Day Weekend — Starting at $7

Katie Holmes Can’t Stop Wearing Wide-Leg Jeans — Copy Her Latest Look from $30

Amazon’s Fashion Outlet Is Packed with Pretty Celeb-Inspired Dresses Ideal for a Spring Wedding

source: people.com