How to stock a pantry

Having a well stocked pantry is an important factor in meal planning. Most of the time all you need to complete a meal is a protein and veggies. Below is a list of common ingredients that should fill your pantry so you can make a meal with ease. When there is an ingredient listed, such as rice, what follows are suggestions on different types and the kinds I use the most.

~ Anchovy paste

~ Baking chocolate squares – all-purpose, unsweetened, bittersweet, german, white

~ Baking mixes – pancake, bread, cornbread

~ Baking powder

~ Baking soda

~ BBQ sauce

~ Bread – white, whole wheat, pita, tortilla; corn and flour

~ Breadcrumbs – plain, seasoned, panko

~ Canned tomatoes - whole, diced, crushed, stewed, paste

~ Canned meat – tuna, chicken, salmon

~ Canned milk – sweetened condensed, evaporated

~ Chocolate and other baking chips – milk, semisweet, dark, white, butterscotch, peanut butter

~ Cocoa powder

~ Corn meal

~ Corn starch

~ Corn syrup

~ Cream of Wheat

~ Dried and canned beans – pinto, black, navy, great northern, garbanzo, kidney; light and dark

~ Dried mushrooms – porcini, oyster, button, crimini, shiitake

~ Flour – all purpose, whole wheat, bread, pastry, cake

~ Gelatin – instant, unflavored

~ Honey

~ Instant coffee powder – coffee, espresso

~ Jam/jelly – grape, strawberry, boysenberry

~ Ketchup

~ Maple syrup

~ Molasses

~ Mustard – yellow, whole grain, Dijon

~ Nuts – pine, walnut, peanut, pecan, almond

~ Oats – quick cooking, old fashion rolled

~ Oil – extra virgin olive, canola, vegetable, sesame

~ Pasta; noodles – spaghetti, angel hair, fettuccini, linguini, lasagna, cellophane

~ Pasta; shaped – orzo, penne, shells; small and large, rotini

~ Peanut butter – crunchy, smooth, natural

~ Polenta – quick cooking, traditional

~ Rice – long gain white, brown, jasmine, Arborio, basmati

~ Salt – table, kosher

~ Shortening

~ Soy sauce

~ Stock – beef, chicken, vegetable, seafood

~ Sugar – white, super fine, brown; light and dark, powdered

~ Sun-dried tomatoes

~ Vinegar – white distilled, apple cider, white wine, rice wine, champagne, balsamic

Up next - how to stock a spice rack