11 Items Needed In Your Pantry

Today, I’m sharing 11 essential items to have in your pantry. Sometimes, we need to see lists repeatedly before saying, “Oh my gosh, I forgot that one.” Knowing which items to buy can be helpful if you want to stock your pantry with essentials. However, if you’re unsure what to put in your pantry, check out this list of the 11 essential items you need to prepare various meals for yourself and your loved ones.

Update: We’ve moved into our new house, and since it’s smaller than our last one, I’m scrambling to find a spot for all my belongings, particularly in the kitchen. I have one of my 40-inch-tall, 36-inch-wide, and 18-inch-deep rolling racks in the living room/kitchen area. You know, where you watch TV, eating popcorn with food storage next to the couch (see picture)? It’s no big deal. I have to laugh because the food means more to me than decorations. That’s how I roll, literally.

11 Items Needed In Your Pantry

1. Pasta

Always keep pasta in your pantry, as you never know when you might need it to complete a meal or even make a quick pasta salad. You can buy different types of pasta, including spaghetti, fettuccine, macaroni, rotini, and more. It’s always good to have a versatile selection of pasta in the pantry. Don’t forget that you can also make homemade soups and add pasta to them, complete with meat, vegetables, and seasonings.

One of the things I like about pasta is how far a package goes. You take a handful of spaghetti and cook it for dinner, and it feels like you could feed the neighborhood—a very cost-effective item for your pantry.

2. Seasonings

Be sure to select a variety of seasonings that will enhance the flavor of your food. Some of the best herbs include pepper, garlic powder, seasoning salt, cayenne pepper, cajun seasoning, and garlic salt. Then, you can grab what you like to use on your favorite foods. Even if you’re on a budget, you can find most spices at low prices if you check store ads and are willing to try your favorite store’s brand name. Another place to check for special deals is at the dollar store.

3. Chicken, Beef, and Vegetable Bouillon Cubes

Buy some chicken bouillon cubes and keep them in the pantry for use in various meals. For example, toss them in boiling water to prepare the chicken broth for soups and other meals. Please add them to a pot with rice to enhance the flavor, and use them in other meals to elevate the flavor to the next level.

Once you start using chicken bouillon cubes in your cooking, you won’t want to go back to those old bland meals of times past. Chicken Bouillon Cubes.

And don’t forget beef and vegetable bouillon cubes. They add a great deal of flavor to many meals.

4. Canned Vegetables

Collect canned vegetables on sale and then keep them in the pantry. Then, you can serve heated canned vegetables as a side dish with some of your favorite foods, including chicken, pork chops, turkey breast, and meatloaf. The last few times I’ve been to several local grocery stores, they’ve all had full-scale case goods sales. Please take advantage of them NOW.

While canned vegetables may not have the fresh taste of fresh vegetables, they’re still delicious and nutritious. To ensure you have something healthy and flavorful to put on your plate, consider adding canned peas, carrots, beets, green beans, and more.

In case you missed this post, Canned Foods I Highly Recommend You Store

5. Boxed Cake Mix

It’s always beneficial to buy boxed cake mixes on sale and keep them in your pantry, as you never know when you’ll need to make a cake in a hurry. If your kids are in the mood for something sweet or someone’s birthday is approaching, you have the cake mix ready to go, and you can prepare a delicious dessert easily by following the box instructions.

However, you can also mix the boxed cake with minimal ingredients, such as one can of your favorite soda. It tastes good and is perfect for a pinch when you don’t have eggs or milk for the batter. Or use your dehydrated eggs and instant milk.

October is a month when my favorite Duncan Hines brand of cake mixes is typically on sale for $2.00, two for the price of one. They only do it once a year, so I like to buy 12 boxes to get me through months of special holidays, birthdays, or other events calling for a cake.

6. Beans

Start stocking your pantry with various types of beans, such as black beans, pinto beans, and red kidney beans. You can prepare side dishes with them, add them to rice, and incorporate them into various recipes, such as slow cooker meals and casseroles. Beans are good for you, containing essential vitamins and nutrients that can improve health. Most varieties of beans are also a great source of protein.

7. Peanut Butter

As long as no one in the household has a peanut allergy, it’s good to have a peanut butter container in the pantry. It’s great for making quick peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but it can also be used in many other recipes.

For example, peanut butter is an excellent ingredient for making homemade cookies or cakes, adding that distinctive peanut butter taste to these baked treats. It’s also great to spread on crackers or serve with fruit and veggies.

Who doesn’t love peanut butter and jelly/jam sandwiches, right? Harry freezes his in bags and removes the sir before he places his jars in the freezer. One more

8. Canned Tomatoes

Don’t forget about canned tomatoes! The canned tomatoes are fantastic in the pantry because you can add them to soups and stews to enhance the flavor. There are different variations of canned tomatoes, including stewed and diced options. In addition, canned tomatoes are typically inexpensive.

9. Hot Sauce/Salsa

If you like a little spice in your food, consider buying your favorite hot sauce or salsa and keeping it stocked in your pantry. Then, you can add it to nearly anything, such as fried chicken, rice, tacos, and other flavorful foods, to easily enhance the flavor and the “heat” of your food.

10. Brown Rice

Be sure to buy brown rice and store it in a container in your pantry. You can make traditional brown rice or prepare variations by adding ingredients and spices, such as vegetables, soy sauce, garlic powder, and more.

Brown rice is a great side dish to serve with vegetables, meat, or fish, such as chicken, salmon, flounder, and pork. But, of course, you don’t need to eat meat with it. You can even add it to homemade burritos to make them more fulfilling if you’d like.

Remember, brown rice has a relatively short shelf life due to the oil in the bran layer, typically lasting only about six months. I would store it in the freezer.

11. Flour

Finally, flour is one of the most important staples of all time to have in your pantry. You can do so much with flour, such as preparing pancakes, making waffles, coating chicken before frying it, making a cake from scratch, and so much more.

It’s a valuable ingredient for making homemade gravy or thickening up some of your favorite soups. Because many recipes require a bit of flour, you can’t go wrong with having it in your house. I prefer bread flour and use it in most of my recipes that call for flour. I enjoy making homemade bread, so having bread flour in the pantry is natural for me; however, I also use it in other flour-based recipes.

Final Word

When you plan to stock up on the essentials and add them to your pantry, these are the 11 items you need. Of course, you don’t have to rush out to the store and buy them all at once, but consider purchasing these items when you can find them on sale to get the best price.

When you have these staples in your closet, you have what you need to make all kinds of meals for yourself and your loved ones. Additionally, you’re likely to have all the necessary ingredients when following various recipes. May God bless this world, Linda 

Copyright Images: Spaghetti and Rice Depositphotos_216187588_s-2019

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