Having a well stocked pantry can keep you from realizing 10 minutes before dinnertime that you haven’t taken anything out to cook. There are several key items that I must keep in my pantry at all times. These items play a key role in helping me to always have backup plan for dinnertime mishaps. I have chosen my well stocked pantry items based on three principles.
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Is it easy to prepare?
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Can my two oldest children prepare it?
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Will it be done in less than an hour?
With these three principles in mind I’ve come up with the following list.
Canned Goods:
Beans/Peas (black, kidney, black eyed peas)
Cooked Meat (tuna, chicken, corned beef, salmon etc.)
Diced Tomatoes
Vegetables (corn, green beans, carrots, peas etc.)
Tomatoes & Green Chillies
Chicken Broth
Tomato Paste
Tomato sauce
Mushrooms
Grains:
Rice
Pasta
Corn Meal
Flour
Tortilla Chips
Condiments:
Soy sauce
Barbecue sauce
Vegetable oil
Olive oil
Cooking spray
Ranch
Honey
Italian Salad dressing
Pasta Sauce
Dried Spices:
Salt
Black pepper
Cumin
Chili Powder
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Oregano
Basil
Paprika
Parsley
Chicken/Beef bouillon cubes
Goya Adobo or Sasson
Lawry’s
Perishable Items:
Eggs
Sliced Bread
Hamburger Buns
Wraps (Pita, Large Burrito Wraps, etc.)
Butter or Margarine
Frozen Vegetables
Shredded Cheeses
This is the basic pantry list I use when stocking my pantry. If I have these items or a combination of them I can throw together a meal in less than 45 minutes. A great resource that Ive used to find recipes by ingredient is Food.com which was formerly Recippezar.com.
I have based many of my go to recipes on this list of pantry items which makes it easy to throw together a meal fairly quickly. Here a few ideas:
Bean Burritos and Spanish Rice with steamed corn
Salmon Croquettes, Yellow Rice and Sweet Peas
Chicken Enchiladas, Salsa and Tortilla Chips (or Spanish Rice)
Cheesy Ziti (Here’s my Crock Pot Cheesy Ziti recipe)
I’d love to hear what quick menu items you would come up with using this list or even what items you would add to this list.
