Pantry Staples

Turning your house into an “ingredient household” begins in the pantry. This may seem obvious, but sometimes we can forget it all starts at the beginning! If we have all the right parts, we can make just about anything on a whim. Whether a neighbor swings by right before dinner, a friend after church or you make a lunch date with friends, you should be able to make a simple meal at any given time. For every home, this may look a little different depending on dietary needs and preferences for meals; but here is a list of our favorites!

Mornings are busy regardless of whether you work outside of the home or not. So if you are going to stock the pantry, start with snacks and breakfast. Having things your whole family can grab quickly on the go or throw together on a busy morning makes having a home cooked meal much more convenient. Consider what your favorites are and find ways to make them shelf stable for easy grab and go!

Think about what your main carbs and starches are when you make your meals. These can be stored in the pantry (potatoes, rice, etc.) or premade and dried (pasta) for future use. Making breads and pasta is far easier than most anticipate. With a few simple ingredients from our baking section and some eggs, you can start a stash of noodles and breads in your kitchen!

Canned goods are vital to any ingredient household, whether you can them yourself or purchase them from the store. It can make cooking a delicious homemade meal faster, easier and healthier depending on the method. If you garden or want to start canning, now is the time to start thinking about what your family uses most throughout the year so you can plant what you need to fill your pantry!

All of these ingredients are based solely on personal preference, your family’s taste may be drastically different than ours, I just want to give a basic view of our staples in case anyone is starting from scratching looking for inspiration. Whether you can and make your own or you prefer store bought, these are all essentials in our home to throw together some quick meals on a busy day. The spices are our more frequently used and are typical in most cuisines, but we have cabinet full because we love to adventure with different flavors from all over the world.

If you have most or all of these you should be able to whip up just about any baked goods you could think of. We do have a grain mill, but I still like to keep AP & bread flour on hand just in case. You can adjust any of these things, like sugar or extracts, based on your family’s preferences and dietary needs.

This isn’t technically the pantry, but this bonus list is also important for us to be able to throw a quick meal (be it breakfast, lunch or dinner) together! I find it easier during the week when I have premade meatballs or a baked loaf of bread I can just toss in the oven. I also store extras in the freezer (like flour and fruits/veggies).