One of the first steps to creating a stocked pantry is to store only items that you use in your everyday cooking. With the right pantry staples you can easily cook up a pot of Red Beans and Rice or a Puttanesca Sauce with ease, no refrigerated goods needed. The bottom line is that a well stocked pantry is only well stocked if it includes the items YOU use for your cooking style. When I finally cleaned out my own pantry I threw or gave away a lot of specialty items I had picked up in places like TJ Maxx, Cost Plus, etc thinking one day I might use it in a special dish.
As long as my pantry is stocked properly all I need to do is make a quick stop at the grocery store and pick up a piece of meat or fish and a couple veggies. I generally prepare simple meals, lots of pasta , rice and fish dishes. With the ingredients kept in my pantry I can pretty easily whip up a honey mustard sauce for chicken or simple vinaigrette. I mostly prefer foods on the lighter side except during Fall/Winter when nothing beats chicken and dumplings, chili or a nice pot roast.
An organized and well stocked pantry is not only efficient it also helps you save money and avoiding waste. The tray next to my stove which I refer to as the counter top pantry, is reserved for the oils, balsamic vinegar, salts and various dried herbs and spices I use most often.
My pantry includes the following items:
Click on the link to check out my post on De-cluttering the Kitchen.
Basic Pantry
Beans-canned: Kidney, Black and Refried
Beans-dried: 15 Bean Soup Mix and Split Peas
Chicken Broth – ( if you’re so inclined ,make your own and freeze for future use)
Chicken Soup- (you never know when a Cold will come one)
Chili Jalapeno’s
Crackers: Club, Trader Joe’s Fig and Saltines
Honey: Savannah Bee Tupelo
Jam: Bon Marman Strawberry, Raspberry and Wienke’s Strawberry Rhubarb
Mac N Cheese: Cracker Barrel
Marinara Sauce: Victoria’s (add some cooked ground beef and you have a quick and easy meat sauce)
Oatmeal
Olive: Diced Kalamata
Pasta : Spaghetti and Penne
Peanut butter
Real Maple syrup
Rice: Lundgrens long grain and Arborio for risotto
Sauerkraut: Bubbies (needs refrigeration but has a very long shelf life)
Tomatoes: Organic Muir Glen Diced, Diced Plum, RO*TEL
Tomato Paste in Tube
Garlic Paste in Tube
Condiments and Sauces
A-1 Steak
Ketchup
Mayonnaise: Best Foods small glass jar
Mustard : Dijon, Yellow, Horseradish and Deli
Peppercorns
Salsa-Casa Martinez Chipolte
Sea Salt-Baliene
Soy Sauce
Worsteshire
Canned Meats
Anchovies
Tuna
Salmon
Oil and Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Vegetable Oil
Baking Ingredients
Flour : King Arthur Unbleached
Brown Sugar
Granulated Sugar
Lavender Sugar
Powdered Sugar
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice
Vanilla Extract
Lemon Extract
Almond Paste
Chocolate chips
Bisquick
Cornbread Mix
Cake Mix- Duncan Hines
Pudding Mix – Vanilla, Lemon and Chocolate – I use these mainly for adding to the cake mix.
Evaporated milk
Cocoa Powder
Graham Crackers
Fruit Filings : Cherry
Miscellaneous
Wine: small bottles for cooking and a few larger ones for drinking.
Liquor: small individual bottles of Brandy, Kahlua and Zambuca