Pantry staples

marbles · 07-12-2014, 02:04 PM

So my usual method of stocking my pantry is to choose what I want to make the next week or two and buy what I need for those meals, plus our usual snacks and breakfasts. However, that leaves me not able to pull new things together, or just make something I'm in the mood for. So what are your last minute meals, your pantry staples that you stock up on, your recurring favorites you're always ready for? I need some new ideas and inspiration. I decided it was time to change things when I wanted to make chicken salad, but didn't have anything but the chicken, salt, and pepper to make it

Bonus points for easy summer meals and snacks to have on hand!

zak · 07-12-2014, 02:08 PM

I always keep cans of beans in bulk (pinto, black, kidney) and can make several
No-brainer meals using them. Chili, taco soup, bean tacos.

Kiara.I · 07-12-2014, 02:40 PM

Other things would be olives, spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes...And of course a full complement of spices, herbs, flour, corn meal, baking soda, baking powder, chocolate chips...

Oh, capers, pickles, mayonnaise, vinegars, oils

It's pretty hard to keep fresh veggies as pantry items, unfortunately, which limits summer meal whimsy a bit.

For a while we had pesto that we'd made and frozen in muffin tins, then put in a bag in the freezer, so we kept frozen prawns in stock and could do pasta, pesto and prawns really easily.

mommychem · 07-12-2014, 02:41 PM

I prefer to make my own salad dressing but keep a bottle on hand to pour a little over pasta and frozen veggies for a pasta salad. I also try to keep different shape and thickness of pasta to change things up a bit. I keep good soy sauce on hand for quick noodle or rice stir fry.

I have recently become a granola making fanatic!!! I never knew how easy it was and that I could vary it so much. It's a Quick breakfast with milk (almond for us) or yogurt, a snack with fruit, snack on the road, etc. So I keep oats, honey, cinnamon, nuts and/or seeds, and dried fruit (raisins or apricots mostly).

cbmk4 · 07-12-2014, 02:42 PM

I may be guilty of having too many "staples":

Rice
Quinoa/barley/farro or other grain
Pasta
Canned tomatoes
Bean (dried)
Cheese (I buy it shredded in large quantities and freeze it)
Variety of season veggies (whatever CSA box has that week)
Onions
Garlic
Loads of spices, my homegrown herbs in season
Frozen chicken breasts
Greek yogurt

ShangriLewis · 07-12-2014, 05:30 PM

We cannot get Thai food or really takeout here at all. I used to be spoiled

I am working on increasing my pantry before winter. This was our first winter in Montana and some weeks grocery shopping was insane. I actually had the taxi take me a few times because I didn't want to have to wait for the van to heat up

Rice paper wrappers for making Fresh Thai spring rolls
Nori
Canned coconut milk (I keep some of these in the fridge for whipped cream)
Tamari
Sweet chili sauce
Shelf stable Thai noodles
Rice noodles
Lots of grains
Beans both dry and canned
Canned tomatoes
Spaghetti sauce
Tubes of pesto
Jarred chimmichuri is awesome when you run out of fresh cilantro
Aseptic boxes of milk
Flour, sugar etc
Popcorn
Instant falafel mix
Tabouli mix
Olives
Curry Sauce
Canned fruit
Applesauce
Canned chilies and jalapeños
Nut butter
Lots of different jams
Chutney

Seriously I could keep going

marbles · 07-12-2014, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShangriLewis

We cannot get Thai food or really takeout here at all. I used to be spoiled

I am working on increasing my pantry before winter. This was our first winter in Montana and some weeks grocery shopping was insane. I actually had the taxi take me a few times because I didn't want to have to wait for the van to heat up

Rice paper wrappers for making Fresh Thai spring rolls
Nori
Canned coconut milk (I keep some of these in the fridge for whipped cream)
Tamari
Sweet chili sauce
Shelf stable Thai noodles
Rice noodles
Lots of grains
Beans both dry and canned
Canned tomatoes
Spaghetti sauce
Tubes of pesto
Jarred chimmichuri is awesome when you run out of fresh cilantro
Aseptic boxes of milk
Flour, sugar etc
Popcorn
Instant falafel mix
Tabouli mix
Olives
Curry Sauce
Canned fruit
Applesauce
Canned chilies and jalapeños
Nut butter
Lots of different jams
Chutney

Seriously I could keep going

This will be helpful, the only Thai place in town is shutting down for the owners to retire so my new goal is to learn to cook Thai food!

---------- Post added at 10:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:36 PM ----------

So far beans are a favorite

I try to keep those stocked for Daniel, I'm allergic so those are only for him. What do y'all do with the canned tomatoes? I do chili and make pasta sauce from canned tomatoes, but those aren't very common meals. What else do you use them for?
Pesto is a good idea, I've never made it or bought it I didn't know it froze well. I do love it though! I need to find a place that sells good gf pasta, I've had it in another town but not seen it in my grocery store.

Also, grains: I would like to eat more variety, so how do you eat them?

I'm a good cook (I think at least!) but I only started learning when I got married now we eat so differently so I'm trying to learn from scratch.

Kiara.I · 07-12-2014, 09:07 PM

Canned tomatoes. Gosh. They go in soup, chili, crock-pot recipes...I'm always buying them, they seem to be called for in everything.

Pesto: yes, it freezes great! And you can make it with sunflower seeds, they're a LOT cheaper than pine nuts.

You can notice the taste difference if you really try, but it's not super obvious. You can also buy it in the pasta sauce section, in a jar, but I prefer it fresh (or frozen from fresh.) Oh, another tip: you can buy garlic pre-peeled, throw it in your blender (if you have a GOOD blender) and then freeze the puree in ice cube trays. Pop them out, put them in a ziploc baggie, and you have garlic puree cubes for use in whatever.

Grains: We use a ton of quinoa. It makes excellent summer salads. For instance you can make a greek salad, add quinoa, and maybe chicken (and sauteed smoked almonds!

) and it's an amazing meal.

We use some other grains but they're mostly not gluten-free... I tried getting teff flour to make injeri, but it was a miserable failure, I couldn't get the starter to "start".

ShangriLewis · 07-12-2014, 09:29 PM

I use tomatoes for chili, soup, salsa, rice dishes. I like the Tubes of pesto because they are dairy free. I use them to add a little flavor to pizza.

cbmk4 · 07-13-2014, 08:34 AM

I make my own pesto from basil I grow. Yes, it freezes well.

I cook most grains in my rice cooker except barley which cooks faster. I use the grains alone, in pilafs, salads, casseroles and soups as well as stir fry and curry.

RiverRock · 07-13-2014, 08:51 AM

For a quick meal I cook chicken breasts, uncovered, in diced tomatoes, and then serve on top of rice. I don't thicken the sauce, but it cooks down a bit in the oven. I use home canned tomatoes, processed with green peppers and onions, but if you add a bit of something to your tomatoes they might be flavourful enough. You could go so many directions with the seasonings you use.

I have been trying to use my pantry contents because I am usually prepared for a disaster with enough food to feed the neighbourhood for a month. Even still I have:
-beans (canned and dry)
-split peas and lentils (for soup or dhal)
-quinoa (we like it mostly in a mediterranean style salad with chickpeas)
-chicken, beef and veggie stock
-tetra boxes of soups (creamy tomato, black bean, butternut squash)
-dried fruit, chocolate chips and nuts (used in baking, granola, stewed fruit)
-crackers, rice cakes, tortilla chips
-variety of noodles (such as spaghetti, penne, rice vermicelli and plain ramen type to use in chicken noodle soup)
-pudding mixes and jello because they never seem to get used up, and always seem like a good idea to buy
-variety of flours, baking supplies, oils, vinegars and seasonings
-canned beets (dh's fave...sometimes I will pop a can in his lunch)
-canned tuna/chicken/crab
-condiments (I only hit Trader Joe's about once every 3 months so I stock up on a few canned items, grainy mustard and bottled salad dressings when I am there...otherwise dressings are made from scratch)

Sparrow · 07-13-2014, 03:52 PM

I used canned tomatoes (diced) and tomato paste for tacos. I make my own sauce (recipe from Joy of cooking)

I try to keep a couple of types of pasta on hand, beans, coconut milk, couscous, flour and corn starch (less often) for thickening, different dried herbs and spices (though I buy these in small quantities in bulk as I go usually) white rice and brown rice, chicken, veggie and beef broth.

I meal plan though. Unless something is crazy good on sale I just buy as I go. Its what we have to do for our grocery budget. I find if I don't plan, I just spend far to much on food!

07-12-2014, 02:04 PM	#1
marbles Rose Garden Our Family Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: South Carolina Posts: 5,047	Pantry staples So my usual method of stocking my pantry is to choose what I want to make the next week or two and buy what I need for those meals, plus our usual snacks and breakfasts. However, that leaves me not able to pull new things together, or just make something I'm in the mood for. So what are your last minute meals, your pantry staples that you stock up on, your recurring favorites you're always ready for? I need some new ideas and inspiration. I decided it was time to change things when I wanted to make chicken salad, but didn't have anything but the chicken, salt, and pepper to make it Bonus points for easy summer meals and snacks to have on hand! __________________ Mary K wife to Daniel for 16 years mom to 13 year old the Girl and 11 year old the Boy and 8 year old Tiny Almost always posting from my phone.

07-12-2014, 02:08 PM	#2
zak Administrator Friend of the Fellowship Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: The South Posts: 33,212	Re: Pantry staples I always keep cans of beans in bulk (pinto, black, kidney) and can make several No-brainer meals using them. Chili, taco soup, bean tacos. __________________ -zak Wife to MrZak Mama to the ZakKids - 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2017 Dedicated GCMer since 2003 Administrator and Moderating Cradled, Babes, Breastfeeding, Beautiful Mothers and Circumcision

07-12-2014, 02:40 PM	#3
Kiara.I Rose Garden Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: The Pacific South-West. You know, north of the Pacific North-West Posts: 12,922	Re: Pantry staples Other things would be olives, spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes...And of course a full complement of spices, herbs, flour, corn meal, baking soda, baking powder, chocolate chips... Oh, capers, pickles, mayonnaise, vinegars, oils It's pretty hard to keep fresh veggies as pantry items, unfortunately, which limits summer meal whimsy a bit. For a while we had pesto that we'd made and frozen in muffin tins, then put in a bag in the freezer, so we kept frozen prawns in stock and could do pasta, pesto and prawns really easily. __________________ ENTP fits me to a T, though it took me forever to figure it out! DYT Type 3, Enn. Type 1 (hold that thought...enneagram crisis...might be a 7!) Sparks (9) ; Spitfire (8); Sprite (4.5)

07-12-2014, 02:41 PM	#4
mommychem Rose Garden Butterfly on my face :) Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Louisiana Posts: 6,955	Re: Pantry staples I prefer to make my own salad dressing but keep a bottle on hand to pour a little over pasta and frozen veggies for a pasta salad. I also try to keep different shape and thickness of pasta to change things up a bit. I keep good soy sauce on hand for quick noodle or rice stir fry. I have recently become a granola making fanatic!!! I never knew how easy it was and that I could vary it so much. It's a Quick breakfast with milk (almond for us) or yogurt, a snack with fruit, snack on the road, etc. So I keep oats, honey, cinnamon, nuts and/or seeds, and dried fruit (raisins or apricots mostly). __________________ Wife with 5 DC Former Chemist Last edited by mommychem; 07-12-2014 at 02:47 PM.

07-12-2014, 02:42 PM	#5
cbmk4 Rose Garden INTJ Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 7,198	Re: Pantry staples I may be guilty of having too many "staples": Rice Quinoa/barley/farro or other grain Pasta Canned tomatoes Bean (dried) Cheese (I buy it shredded in large quantities and freeze it) Variety of season veggies (whatever CSA box has that week) Onions Garlic Loads of spices, my homegrown herbs in season Frozen chicken breasts Greek yogurt __________________ Married to my sweetheart for 25 years Mama to my four dear children ages 22, 19, (forever 13) and 10

07-12-2014, 05:30 PM	#6
ShangriLewis Moderator in Vegetarianism & Veganism Arrange whatever pieces come your way. ~VW~ Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: North Dakota Posts: 16,446	Re: Pantry staples We cannot get Thai food or really takeout here at all. I used to be spoiled I am working on increasing my pantry before winter. This was our first winter in Montana and some weeks grocery shopping was insane. I actually had the taxi take me a few times because I didn't want to have to wait for the van to heat up Rice paper wrappers for making Fresh Thai spring rolls Nori Canned coconut milk (I keep some of these in the fridge for whipped cream) Tamari Sweet chili sauce Shelf stable Thai noodles Rice noodles Lots of grains Beans both dry and canned Canned tomatoes Spaghetti sauce Tubes of pesto Jarred chimmichuri is awesome when you run out of fresh cilantro Aseptic boxes of milk Flour, sugar etc Popcorn Instant falafel mix Tabouli mix Olives Curry Sauce Canned fruit Applesauce Canned chilies and jalapeños Nut butter Lots of different jams Chutney Seriously I could keep going __________________ Heather The Prophet 23yob, The Peacemaker 20yob, The Warrior 17, The Little Flower 11yog and The Surfer 9yob and our little birdie girl 4yo.

07-12-2014, 09:07 PM	#8
Kiara.I Rose Garden Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: The Pacific South-West. You know, north of the Pacific North-West Posts: 12,922	Re: Pantry staples Canned tomatoes. Gosh. They go in soup, chili, crock-pot recipes...I'm always buying them, they seem to be called for in everything. Pesto: yes, it freezes great! And you can make it with sunflower seeds, they're a LOT cheaper than pine nuts. You can notice the taste difference if you really try, but it's not super obvious. You can also buy it in the pasta sauce section, in a jar, but I prefer it fresh (or frozen from fresh.) Oh, another tip: you can buy garlic pre-peeled, throw it in your blender (if you have a GOOD blender) and then freeze the puree in ice cube trays. Pop them out, put them in a ziploc baggie, and you have garlic puree cubes for use in whatever. Grains: We use a ton of quinoa. It makes excellent summer salads. For instance you can make a greek salad, add quinoa, and maybe chicken (and sauteed smoked almonds! ) and it's an amazing meal. We use some other grains but they're mostly not gluten-free... I tried getting teff flour to make injeri, but it was a miserable failure, I couldn't get the starter to "start". __________________ ENTP fits me to a T, though it took me forever to figure it out! DYT Type 3, Enn. Type 1 (hold that thought...enneagram crisis...might be a 7!) Sparks (9) ; Spitfire (8); Sprite (4.5)

07-12-2014, 09:29 PM	#9
ShangriLewis Moderator in Vegetarianism & Veganism Arrange whatever pieces come your way. ~VW~ Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: North Dakota Posts: 16,446	Re: Pantry staples I use tomatoes for chili, soup, salsa, rice dishes. I like the Tubes of pesto because they are dairy free. I use them to add a little flavor to pizza. __________________ Heather The Prophet 23yob, The Peacemaker 20yob, The Warrior 17, The Little Flower 11yog and The Surfer 9yob and our little birdie girl 4yo.

07-13-2014, 08:34 AM	#10
cbmk4 Rose Garden INTJ Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 7,198	Re: Pantry staples I make my own pesto from basil I grow. Yes, it freezes well. I cook most grains in my rice cooker except barley which cooks faster. I use the grains alone, in pilafs, salads, casseroles and soups as well as stir fry and curry. __________________ Married to my sweetheart for 25 years Mama to my four dear children ages 22, 19, (forever 13) and 10

07-13-2014, 08:51 AM	#11
RiverRock Moderator Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms. Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: In green pastures Posts: 9,767	Re: Pantry staples For a quick meal I cook chicken breasts, uncovered, in diced tomatoes, and then serve on top of rice. I don't thicken the sauce, but it cooks down a bit in the oven. I use home canned tomatoes, processed with green peppers and onions, but if you add a bit of something to your tomatoes they might be flavourful enough. You could go so many directions with the seasonings you use. I have been trying to use my pantry contents because I am usually prepared for a disaster with enough food to feed the neighbourhood for a month. Even still I have: -beans (canned and dry) -split peas and lentils (for soup or dhal) -quinoa (we like it mostly in a mediterranean style salad with chickpeas) -chicken, beef and veggie stock -tetra boxes of soups (creamy tomato, black bean, butternut squash) -dried fruit, chocolate chips and nuts (used in baking, granola, stewed fruit) -crackers, rice cakes, tortilla chips -variety of noodles (such as spaghetti, penne, rice vermicelli and plain ramen type to use in chicken noodle soup) -pudding mixes and jello because they never seem to get used up, and always seem like a good idea to buy -variety of flours, baking supplies, oils, vinegars and seasonings -canned beets (dh's fave...sometimes I will pop a can in his lunch) -canned tuna/chicken/crab -condiments (I only hit Trader Joe's about once every 3 months so I stock up on a few canned items, grainy mustard and bottled salad dressings when I am there...otherwise dressings are made from scratch) __________________ RiverRock, mom to a 24 year old diamond, 22 year old granite, 19 year old pearl, and 16 year old tiger eye. Married for 25 years to a rugged boulder and resting together on the one true Rock. Last edited by RiverRock; 07-13-2014 at 09:03 AM.

07-13-2014, 03:52 PM	#12
Sparrow Rose Garden Immerse your soul in love. Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Victoria, BC Posts: 17,609	Re: Pantry staples I used canned tomatoes (diced) and tomato paste for tacos. I make my own sauce (recipe from Joy of cooking) I try to keep a couple of types of pasta on hand, beans, coconut milk, couscous, flour and corn starch (less often) for thickening, different dried herbs and spices (though I buy these in small quantities in bulk as I go usually) white rice and brown rice, chicken, veggie and beef broth. I meal plan though. Unless something is crazy good on sale I just buy as I go. Its what we have to do for our grocery budget. I find if I don't plan, I just spend far to much on food! __________________ Manda Mama to: Bear 16.75 Funny and Tender. Larger than life. ENFP Max 14 Affectionate and Spirited. Artist Chickadee 8! She's Sunshine and Song. Born in the caul We have a fur baby. A cat called Charlie

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