Can You Fill in the Missing Ingredient From These Common Recipes?

FOOD & DRINK

Talin Vartanian

6 Min Quiz

Image: Adam Gault / OJO Images / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Recipes consist of various types of ingredients that are stirred, fried and put together to create a flavorful dish. Some recipes call for a long list of ingredients, while others only need fewer than five ingredients. Today, we're taking a look at 40 everyday recipes that you're probably familiar with. We'll give you the photo and a brief description of the ingredients, and all you have to do is tell us which ingredient is missing.

Various cultures use different types of vegetables, proteins, and seasonings to create hearty meals. For example, you're probably familiar with fajitas, spaghetti and meatballs, and a classic hamburger recipe. While these types of meals vary in origin, they can be simply prepared with a minimal amount of ingredients. Other recipes, like a gumbo, lasagna or jambalaya require an extensive amount of ingredients. Some ingredients are also exotic and hard to find, such as saffron and rose petals. Not to worry though; most of the ingredients in these common recipes are easy to find, while some are probably already in your kitchen.

But not all of the common recipes in this quiz are savory. Some are actually sweet, like cornbread, while others are classic desserts. These include key lime pie, s'mores and a cobbler, which can be enhanced with fruit like blueberries and peaches.

Whether you're a chef or a beginner in the kitchen, test your food knowledge now by taking this recipe quiz!








What's the main thing that is missing from this chocolate chip cookie recipe: flour, eggs, butter, sugar and....?

Chocolate chip cookies wouldn't be the same without chocolate chips. Other variations include adding in nuts and M&Ms.

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A key lime pie would be nothing without sweetened condensed milk, a graham cracker crust and...?

Limes are essential to a key lime pie. It's what gives the pie a tangy burst of flavor.

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If you want to bake bread, you'll need water, sugar, flour and....?

It would be quite difficult to bake bread without yeast. Other variations of homemade bread includes chocolate chip bread and banana nut bread.

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A pot roast can be made with beef, potatoes, onions and...?

A quintessential pot roast recipe calls for beef, potatoes, onions and carrots. This recipe can also easily be prepared in a slow cooker.

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A fajitas dinner calls for meat of your choice, as well as tortillas, onions and...?

Peppers give fajitas a crunchy bite, as well as a southwest flavor. You can use green, yellow or red bell peppers for fajitas.

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If you're making biscuits and gravy, you'll need biscuits, milk, flour and...?

Ground sausage is used to add heartiness to biscuits and gravy. Milk and flour are used to make the gravy, which can be seasoned with salt and pepper.

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Grits are made with water, cheese, butter and...?

Grits would be nothing without hominy grits, the main star of this recipe. Variations of this recipe includes seasonings and even savory proteins like shrimp.

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You can't make mac and cheese without noodles, butter, milk and...?

Cheese is essential for any mac and cheese recipe. Some variations call for cheddar, while others include parmesan, brie and gouda.

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Crab cakes are prepared with mayo, bread crumbs, eggs and...?

Lump crab meat is best for traditional crab cakes, which are held together with bread crumbs, mayo and eggs. These can also be seasoned with salt, pepper and Old Bay for flavor.

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Half and half, potatoes, butter, flour and ______ are used to make clam chowder.

You can use either a can of minced clams or clams in their shells for a clam chowder soup. Other variations include milk and/or heavy cream.

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A chicken noodle soup can be made with noodles, carrots, celery, chicken broth and...?

Chicken gives heartiness to a classic chicken noodle soup recipe. You can also add in herbs like parsley and bay leaves for depth.

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Enchilada sauce, a protein of your choice, cheese and _______ are used to make enchiladas.

Tortillas are not just used for tacos, but for enchiladas as well. You wrap a protein of your choice in a tortilla, then top it with enchilada sauce and cheese and bake it for a hearty meal.

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Everyone loves s'mores, which require graham crackers, marshmallows and _________.

Chocolate is one of the layers in a classic s'mores recipe. These are great for roasting over a campfire as well.

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Buffalo wings are a great snack that can be prepared with chicken wings, flour, butter and...?

You can't have buffalo wings without enjoying the hot sauce that is smothered over them. These can either be fried or baked to perfection.

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A BLT consists of bacon, lettuce, bread and...?

A BLT actually stands for "bacon, lettuce, tomato." This is a classic sandwich for a quick snack or a dinner meal.

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Pie crust, sugar, butter and ______ are used to make a classic apple pie.

Apples are great for baking a homemade apple pie. Granny smith apples are best used for baking.

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Chili is prepared with beef, diced tomatoes, chili powder and ________.

A classic chili recipe calls for beans, a can or two of diced tomatoes, beef and a plethora of hearty seasonings. Some regions also serve chili on top of spaghetti noodles as well.

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Cheese, tomato sauce, vegetable toppings and a _____ ______ is used to make a pizza.

You can't make a pizza without a pizza crust, which you can either make yourself or buy pre-made from a store. You can also top a pizza with ingredients like bacon, pineapple, and anchovies.

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A classic burger recipe calls for hamburger buns, lettuce, tomatoes and...?

Burgers are an iconic American staple and can be made with ground beef, burger buns and vegetable toppings of your choice. Some people even put fried eggs and ghost peppers on their burgers!

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A hearty nachos recipe calls for ______ ______, ground beef, diced tomatoes and cheese.

Nachos are made with a base of tortilla chips, which are piled with ingredients like ground beef, onions, diced tomatoes, sour cream, and cheese. These are usually baked, so the cheese melts over the nachos.

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Beef, bread rolls, peppers, cheese and ______ are used for a classic philly cheesesteak sandwich.

Onions are used to add a soft crunch to a philly cheesesteak sandwich, as well as spicy bite of onion flavor. These are usually grilled as well.

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Hot dogs are made with hot dogs, ketchup, mustard and...?

A classic American staple, hot dogs are very simple to make and budget-friendly as well. These can be topped with ketchup, mustard, relish and a variety of other toppings.

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Banana bread requires butter, eggs, flour, sugar and...?

Great for a quick snack, bananas are a staple for a classic banana bread recipe. Variations also include adding in nuts and chocolate chips.

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A reuben sandwich often requires cheese, corned beef, bread, dressing and...?

Sauerkraut adds a soft crunch to any type of sandwich, most notably the reuben sandwich. This is considered to be of American origin.

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Gumbo is a Southern favorite that consists of ingredients like sausage, celery, onions, peppers and...?

Though the ingredients list of a gumbo recipe is long, no bowl of gumbo would be the same without Cajun seasoning. This type of seasoning is essential in Southern cuisine and adds a bit of spice as well.

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Jambalaya is made with rice, onions, peppers, a protein of your choice, tomatoes and __________.

Celery is used to add a soft bite to a classic jambalaya recipe. This is usually added in first to soften it, and to remove the bitter flavor.

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Pancakes can be prepared with butter, milk, eggs, sugar and ________.

Without flour, the pancake batter would be too wet and messy to cook evenly. Other variations include adding in pumpkin spice and chocolate chips.

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A caesar salad recipe calls for parmesan cheese, lettuce, croutons and...?

Caesar dressing can be used for a variety of salads, but is best used for a classic caesar salad. The dressing can also be made from scratch, or bought pre-made from a store.

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Flour, chicken and _______ are the basic ingredients for fried chicken.

You'll want to use a type of oil with a high smoking point for fried chicken, such as peanut oil. You can also enhance the taste and texture of fried chicken by brining it first.

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A cobbler is made with sugar, flour, butter and _______.

You can use a wide variety of fruits for a cobbler recipe, such as blueberries or peaches. These are also baked to a golden perfection.

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You can make a country fried steak with eggs, milk, seasoning, flour and...?

A country fried steak is a steak that is fried to a golden brown color. Cube steaks are traditionally used for this.

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Butter, cream, salt, pepper and ________ are used to make mashed potatoes.

You can't make mashed potatoes with the potatoes themselves. Russet potatoes and Yukon gold are best used for this classic side dish.

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The basic ingredients for a pumpkin pie are: pie crust, sugar, flour, eggs, salt and...?

A pumpkin pie calls for pumpkin puree, which adds that sweet pumpkin flavor. Pumpkin pies are also prepared in many grocery stores during the fall months.

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Ground beef, onions, eggs and ____________ are used to make a classic meatloaf.

Breadcrumbs are used to bind the wet ingredients together, which would be the eggs and the ground beef (as well as a sauce like ketchup, if you're using it). The meatloaf is then baked in an oven and should be soft and moist in texture.

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Bread, cheese and _____ are used to make a comforting grilled cheese sandwich.

Butter gives a grilled cheese sandwich a nice golden crust. It's also used to add a buttery flavor to the bread.

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To make cornbread, you'll need flour, salt, milk, butter, a raising agent and __________.

Maize is used to manufacture cornmeal, which is then used to make a classic cornbread recipe. This can also be sweetened with sugar.

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French toast is made with bread, milk, flour, sugar and __________.

French toast needs several "wet" ingredients for the bread to soak in, such as eggs and milk. In some cases, bourbon is also used to add flavor.

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Spaghetti noodles, sauce and _________ are all it takes to make spaghetti and meatballs.

Spaghetti and meatballs are a hearty, comforting dish that requires three simple ingredients: meatballs, sauce and spaghetti noodles. You can also add parsley and parmesan cheese on top for extra flavor.

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You'll need beef, tomatoes, cheese and ________ _______ to make classic lasagna.

Lasagna noodles are used to hold all of the layers together in a lasagna meal. Other variations use various kinds of cheese and seasoning.

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A flavorful tuna sandwich consists of lemon juice, mayo, bread and _______.

Canned tuna is best for tuna sandwiches, which is enhanced by lemon juice and mayo. You can also add in salt, pepper and even curry powder for extra flavor.

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