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A well-stocked pantry is the secret weapon for making homemade meals easy and effortless. With the right ingredients and a little preparation, cooking can go from a daily chore to an act of self-care. No more stress or last-minute grocery runs—not when there is always something planned for dinner.
What Are Non-perishables?
The key to an adequately provisioned pantry is keeping a good selection of non-perishables. Non-perishables are foods that go through a special preservation process.
This process prevents them from growing harmful bacteria and going bad. It also makes them safe to eat for a longer amount of time.
1. The Basics: What You Should Already Have
Most recipes begin with one or more of these fundamental ingredients: salt, vinegar, oil, and sugar. These are the building blocks of flavor. Healthier alternatives are low-sodium salt, sugar substitutes like honey, and vegetable oils like peanut oil.
Make a No-Fuss Salad Dressing
Save money and cut calories by making a healthy salad dressing at home. Combine three tablespoons of olive oil with one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Add a teaspoon of mustard or honey for extra flavor and pour it over any salad.
2. Sauces and Condiments
Simple meals can be mouthwatering when made with the right sauces and condiments. These include ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, barbecue sauce, cooking wine, soy sauce, curry paste, and hot sauce. Any of these ingredients can transform a dish.
Take Grilled Chicken From Plain to Delicious
Save time during the weeknight by preparing the chicken with a game-changing marinade. For a honey soy chicken marinade, combine a half-cup of soy sauce and a half-cup of honey. Finish with a tablespoon of minced garlic and a teaspoon of vinegar.
3. Spices and Dried Herbs
When cooking with spices, start with the essentials: black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, ground cinnamon, and crushed red pepper flakes. Want to stock up on dried herbs? Begin with rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, and bay leaves.
A Slow-Cooker Shortcut
For a speedy meal, choose a pre-made seasoning mix that requires no effort but adds tons of flavor. Consider making a slow-cooker chicken recipe using coconut milk, canned tomatoes, and a spice blend like curry powder or garam masala. Put it in the slow cooker in the morning and forget about it until dinnertime.
4. Canned Fish and Other Proteins
Canned meats have an unwarranted bad reputation. Tuna, salmon, sardines, and chicken breast are great (even healthy) options. Just make sure to buy canned proteins preserved in water or brine, which have lower amounts of sodium and fat.
Justice for Spam
Nothing beats Spam musubi as a fast and cheap meal. In a hot pan, fry thin slices of Spam until they are golden and crispy. Then, add soy sauce and honey and cook until the glaze looks thick and sticky. Place each slice on top of a small bed of rice, bundle it up with a strip of seaweed snack, and enjoy the Hawaiian treat.
5. Canned Fruits and Vegetables
According to the American Heart Association, canned fruits and veggies are a nutritious and affordable alternative to fresh produce. The most important thing is to always check for sodium and added sugars.
Options for Dinner and Dessert
Canned fruit like peaches and pineapples pair well with ice cream, on top of oatmeal, or in yogurt smoothies. For a savory option, try whipping up a quick pasta sauce. Just throw together some canned tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and canned tuna—all pantry ingredients.
6. Pasta and Noodles
Pasta is a non-negotiable pantry item. Bowtie, macaroni, spaghetti, tagliatelle—there is a pasta shape and type for everybody, including the gluten-free crowd. Fans of East and Southeast Asian cuisines should also invest in a good selection of noodles ready to make their favorites at home.
No More Cup Noodles
Upgrade from instant ramen by putting together a homemade noodle dish. First, cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Then, sauté in a pan with any sauce of choice.
For an extra punch of flavor, try making one at home with peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, and lime juice.
7. Rice and Other Grains
For 3.5 billion people around the world, rice is a staple food that they consume every single day. Rice and other grains are relatively cheap, nutritionally dense, and have long shelf lives. This category also includes grains like quinoa, oats, and corn.
Get the Most Bang for Your Buck
Although rice is cheap, it can become inadvertently costly when the bottom of the cooking pan constantly gets burnt due to bad rice-to-water ratios. Make perfect, fluffy white rice by adding a cup of water to a pot for each half-cup of rice. Bring to a boil, then cover with a lid and lower the temperature to the barest simmer for 15 minutes.
Serve with tomato sauce and a fried egg to enjoy it Cuban style.
8. Dried and Canned Beans
Black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, lentils, and split peas are great protein sources. Dried beans can last 3 to 6 years in the pantry when stored properly. They are great for batch cooking.
Soak them overnight and make enough stew the next day to last all week.
Three Ways to Use Chickpeas
If soaking beans overnight sounds like too much work, canned beans are pre-cooked and ready to eat. Canned chickpeas are extremely versatile. Toss them onto a salad, use them to make homemade hummus, or roast them in the oven for a crunchy snack.
9. Flour and Bread
While the perks of keeping a breadloaf on hand are obvious, flour is the unsung hero of the kitchen. Not everyone makes bread at home, but everyone enjoys the occasional dessert. Always have a bag of wheat flour – preferably all-purpose flour – available for any at-home baking projects.
The Smaller, the Better
Nothing satisfies a sweet tooth craving faster than the almighty mug cake. In a mug, combine 1/3 cup of self-raising flour and three tablespoons of sugar, stirring them together. Next, pour 1/4 cup of milk into the mug. Add two tablespoons of oil and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla essence. Microwave the mug for 90 seconds at full power. Serve your mug cake with a scoop of ice cream, drizzled with chocolate sauce, or topped with whipped cream. A delicious 2-minute treat!
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