August 13, 2010
How Your Pantry Can Save You Money: Impromptu Pantry Meals
I’m a big believer in menu planning. I think it streamlines dinnertime, and it cuts out that nasty drive-thru habit that has a tendency to pop up when there’s nothing in the fridge. However, even the most organized menu planners don’t always stick to the menu.
Things come up, whether a meeting runs late, sports practice gets canceled or traffic is terrible on the way home. These are the times when menu planning gets trumped by a well-stocked pantry. Having a pantry that is full of everyday essentials can make these time-crunch moments and unexpected dinner guests seem like a treat rather than an inconvenience.
What to keep in the pantry?
- Flours
- Sugars
- Dry pasta
- Grains like oats and barley
- Oils
- Produce like onions, potatoes, garlic
- Canned/Jarred tomatoes
- Peanut butter
- Jams and jellies
- Honey and syrup
- Vinegars like white and balsamic
- Sauces like soy sauce and Tabasco
- Nuts like almonds and pecans
- Dried fruits like raisins and dried cranberries
- Dried beans
- Specialty foods like pickles, olives
- Herbs and spices
- Fridge items: eggs, milk, mayonnaise
- Freezer items: bacon, fruit, chicken breasts
Now that your pantry is stocked, what can you do with it?
Some of my favorite meals come from the pantry items and what we have hanging around in the fridge. For me, what makes a pantry meal doable is if it's something that can be made from scraps or from the contents of the shelves and the freezer without the need for anything else. These three meals are easy to throw together from the cupboard shelves of your pantry, eliminating the need to run to the store to grab expensive convenience food or head to the nearest restaurant.- Fried Rice: A large container of rice in the pantry is your best friend. Saute cooked rice with leftover vegetable scraps, cooked meats and even an egg or two with a few pantry staples like soy sauce and garlic and you have a complete meal in minutes, and you've eliminated waste by making sure smaller portions of leftover ingredients were eaten and not left to rot.
- Potato Salad: Potatoes are a pantry item that stores wonderfully. Boil a few and pair with a chopped onion and some mayonnaise and dill (dried or fresh will do), a bit of lemon juice and you're halfway to a real meal. Pair with a few bacon-wrapped tenderloins from the freezer or a grilled chicken breast and you have one mighty fine meal.
- French Toast: Stale bread, eggs, milk/cream and sugar are baked together into a delicious breakfast-for-dinner or weekend brunch. Add a few slices of bacon and some frozen fruit for a complete meal in minutes.
6 Comments
So glad to see my “always-keep-on-hand pantry basics” list confirmed by experts. I feel better & safer knowing my intuitions were on the mark!
What a great post!
Divine photos! Planning is always better with a complete list of shopping items. Glad to get a head start with your pantry suggestions.
Fried rice is always loved in our house, but sometimes I forget that I can make it for dinner. Silly me! I’ll be using this list to make some great meals.
This is a great list. Very informative. Thank you!
I LOVE your list of pantry basics! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!
