Must-Have Staple Ingredients
Promise me you will stock these kitchen staple ingredients!
Staple ingredients are essential for planning dinner. I always have these items readily available so I don’t get in a pinch and get into a bind with hungry little people and no ingredients. I’ve have learned it’s vital to my sanity and health and the lives of family members to never run out of these!
5 pm is too late: “What’s for dinner?”
If it’s 5 o’clock, it’s usually too late or too stressful to start thinking about dinner. Sometimes, in frustration, you might grab a glass of your boxed white wine (a staple ingredient, by the way) and just give up and order takeout. But you should save takeout for a special night, like Friday, and try to plan for meals at home during the week. The only “wining” I want is the little 4 ounces of wine it takes to relax me so I can get dinner ready!
Pantry staple ingredients, in three categories:
DRY PANTRY STAPLE INGREDIENTS
- Olive oil (extra light)
- Olive oil cooking spray
- Lemons
- Capers
- Spice Hunter chili, taco and other spice mixes. Great brand with “real” ingredients, no added colors. Or make your own. 🙂
- Sea salt – fine (for your table) and course (cooking) . I use Redmond Real Salt.
- Herbs – basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley
- Organic spices and dry herbs
- Balsamic vinegar
- Honey
- Pasta (whatever your family loves) I always have spaghetti and penne on hand.
- Dried cranberries or cherries. Great in salads!
COLD PANTRY STAPLE INGREDIENTS
- Feta cheese
- Goat cheese
- Minced garlic in a jar
- Garlic peeled cloves
- Dijon mustard
- White wine (boxed)
- Cherry tomatoes (great to put on top of green beans or chicken or in salads.)
- Broccoli (not my kids favorite but I make them eat anyway) 😉
- Green Beans
- Berries (whatever is in season)
- Roasted chicken (I always have a already cooked chicken that I can use the meat for salads or put in soups)
FROZEN PANTRY STAPLE INGREDIENTS
- Flank steak (steak and veggie night)
- Ground beef grass fed if available (taco night)
- Chicken breasts or cutlets organic if available (chicken night)
- Ground turkey or beef grass fed if available (burger night)
- Chicken drumsticks (chicken drumstick night)
- Beef or Pork Roast
