All Purpose Spice Mix

This pantry-staple seasoning blend goes beyond basic salt and pepper by layering parmesan cheese, toasted sesame seeds, paprika, and poppy seeds with garlic powder, celery seed, and a crushed chicken bouillon cube. That bouillon cube is doing heavy lifting here. It gives the mix an umami backbone that ties all the other flavors together.

No cooking required. Just crush, measure, shake, and stash in the fridge where it keeps for up to four months. Two teaspoons is all you need per serving, and that small amount packs enough punch to season a chicken breast, a bowl of roasted vegetables, or a simple green salad.

The parmesan and sesame seeds set this apart from store-bought blends. They add a nutty, salty richness you won’t find in a standard seasoning jar. Sprinkle it on fish before pan-searing, stir it into stews, or dust it over casseroles right before they go under the broiler.

Pro Tips

• Crush the bouillon cube with the back of a spoon against a cutting board until it’s a fine powder. Any chunks will create salty pockets in the mix.
• Store in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. The parmesan means this blend must stay refrigerated, unlike all-dry spice mixes.
• Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes before adding them. It deepens their flavor significantly.

Variations

• Heat version: Add ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes for a spice mix that works especially well on grilled meats.
• Italian twist: Swap the poppy seeds for dried oregano and add ½ teaspoon of dried basil for a blend that leans Mediterranean.