Stock the kitchen with these key ingredients and you would always have a dinner backup plan.
We covered everything here, beginning with the essential, bare-minimum store ingredients that you would need and including other dry goods and key canned, condiments, freezer foods, fridge, spices, spices, and those tiny extras that are nicer to have on hand. Let’s take a look!
The Bare Minimum
These are the necessary six staples to always having on hand.
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil
• Vegetable oil
• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
Table of Contents
Canned Goods
Beef broth and Chicken broth are awesome to have if you make sauces and gravies in which liquid is cooked down. The salty broth flavor gives these dishes a good extra punch.
• Chicken stock or broth
• Beef stock or broth
• Canned tomatoes
• Tomato sauce
• Tomato paste
• Can/jar of marinara sauce
• Canned beans: white, black, kidney
• Tuna
Starches and Dry Goods
Does your family eat a lot of pasta? Do you prepare other Asian dishes and stir-fries? Stocking up on what you loved to eat.
• Pasta (in various tubes, shapes, and strands)
• Rice (brown and white in short -grain or long-grain varieties)
• Lentils
• Split peas
• Dried bread crumbs
The Root Cellar
Storing these in a cool, dark, well-ventilated space–not in the refrigerator and plastic bags.
• Potatoes
• Onions
• Garlic
Condiments
• Vinegars (balsamic, cider, white, wine vinegars and sherry)
• Soy sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• Hot sauce
The Spice Rack
• Dried basil
• Bay leaves
• Cayenne or
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Curry powder
• Seasoned salt
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Cinnamon
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Oregano
• Paprika
• Dried parsley
The Almost-Bare Fridge
• Eggs
• Milk
• Butter or margarine
• Ketchup
• Mustard (yellow, Dijon, whole grain)
• Mayonnaise
• Parmesan cheese
• Other cheese
The Freezer
• Frozen corn
• Frozen spinach
• Frozen peas
• Ground beef
• Chicken breasts
Extras
Ingredients and Flavors that kept well and are pretty nicer to have on hand.
• Lemons
• Fresh ginger
• Shallots
• Capers
• Canned chiles
• Prepared horseradish
• Anchovy paste
• Almond extract
• Vanilla extract
• Kosher salt
• Cooking spray
• Cornstarch
• Confectioner’s sugar
• Honey
• Brown sugar
Salt
Salt might be the most significant ingredient in all baking and cooking. At the very least, having a solid kosher salt supply (I love Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt) on hand, which can be utilized for baking, seasoning, and brining, and doesn’t have some anti-caking agents like other brands. Keep a salt cellar complete of this next to the stove as you cook for easier pinch-by-pinch seasoning. If you have the space, a great flake salt such as Maldon is good for finishing sprinkling on desserts and dishes, and a fine sea salt is ideal for popcorn.
Pepper
Unlike salts, black pepper is much the same across the boarding. I prefered freshly ground, so I purchase huge bags of whole peppercorns at the local international market so I always have a few on hand to fill up the pepper grinder.
Honey
Did you understand that honey not expires? Even if it crystalizes, just microwave it for a certain seconds to bringing it back to life cycle. I try to ignore the super cheap honey since they all seemed to have the similar fake flavor. Once you begin trying various varieties you’ll be astonished at the tasty variations! My current favorite is Honey, which has a lovable licorice undertone. Local raw honey is seemed to be good for those with rhythmatic allergies.
Maple Syrup
Another option sweetener that is pretty handy to have on hand, and not just for the pancakes. You don’t require the super expensive stuff, just a solid grade B maple syrup is the awesome choice for the baking.
Corn Syrup
It’s not as bad as you’ve been led to believe, and light corn syrup is essential for some recipes such as marshmallows and pecan pie, and supportful to prevent boiling sugar from solidifying. Unless you’re making a pecan pie regularly, you probably don’t require darkening at all. Lyle’s Golden Syrup is a good substitute if you’d rather ignore corn syrup entirely.
Canned Goods
Canned tomatoes
I tried to only purchase tomatoes when they are in seasoning, which leaves about 9 months of the year when they aren’t. It’s then that canned tomatoes are a boon. I usually have some big cans of whole tomatoes (the best for pizza sauces and tomatoes), along with tomato puree and diced tomatoes (while you are always making your own puree utilizing whole tomatoes if you want to, it’s rather handy to have it already done for you).
Tomato paste
In addition to the above, tomato paste is a good foundation for many stews and sauces, even if the product isn’t overly tomato. I likened the tomato paste tubes that are accessible now, as they are easier to portion out the tablespoon or two. But some cans are supported too for recipes and sauces that need huge quantities. If you have leftover tomato paste, it freezed out beautifully.
