Take a look at your pantry. Do you have the everyday ingredients you need to pull together a quick meal? These 10 essential pantry items are staples I like to keep stocked in my kitchen cupboards so dinner can come together with minimal effort.
I’ve also included a free printable checklist you can use to help keep your pantry organized and well stocked.
Check out the Weekly Meal Plans available to help you get dinner on the table with your well-stocked panty.
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This recipe has been updated since it first appeared in 2012 with new photos, information and a new printable.
At-A-Glance
Quick pantry staples: Highlights everyday ingredients that help you prepare simple meals without an extra trip to the store.
Time-saving meal prep: Keeping these items on hand makes it easier to pull together breakfast, lunch, or dinner quickly.
Flexible cooking options: Pantry basics work across many recipes, from soups and casseroles to quick skillet meals.
Beginner-friendly list: Helpful for stocking a first kitchen or refreshing an existing pantry.
Budget-conscious cooking: Shelf-stable ingredients help stretch grocery dollars and reduce food waste.
Make sure you check out my popular Make Ahead Freezer Meal Plan to help you put together meals your family is going to love. Along with the Pantry List Printable, don't forget to grab the Freezer Inventory Printable.
Table of Contents
Pantry Staples Every Home Cook Should Keep on Hand
A well-stocked pantry makes it much easier to get dinner on the table without extra trips to the store. Keeping a few dependable staples like pasta, canned soups, broth, and other shelf-stable ingredients on hand means you can pull together a quick meal with very little effort.
It also helps to keep a few frozen ingredients in the freezer for nights when cooking needs to be simple. Before planning dinner, take a quick look at what you already have in your pantry and freezer. Using ingredients you already own makes meal planning easier and helps keep grocery costs down.
With a little organization and a few reliable basics, preparing a family dinner becomes much more manageable on busy weeknights.
The list below is not meant to cover every possible ingredient, but it includes 10 pantry staples that are helpful for building an organized and well-stocked kitchen.
Please feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you would include!
Dried Goods:
- Flour, white sugar, brown sugar, powder sugar, baking powder, baking soda, oatmeal, baking mix such as Bisquick, cereals and pancake mix.
- Also included in dried goods are breadcrumbs.
Dried Spices:
- Basil, parsley, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Seasoning salt that you can use for chicken or steak.
Cheese:
Ideally, you wouldn't keep cheese in a pantry, however, our kitchen is always stocked with cheese and other common dairy products.
- A variety of cheeses such as American, cheddar, mozzarella.
- Most cheeses freeze well, which is great.
Canned Goods:
- Vegetables, Soups, Fruits, Tuna Fish, Beans, Tomatoes.
- Olives, pickles, roasted red peppers, mushrooms.
- Some of these can be purchased from the store or canned from your summer garden harvest.
Oils and Vinegars:
- Vegetable, olive oil and non-stick cooking spray.
- Coconut oil is another popular oil to use for cooking.
- I would also include in this category, solid shortening.
- Vinegar - white, red, apple cider vinegar and balsamic.
Condiments:
- Mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, jams, jellies, salad dressing, barbecue sauce, salsa, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, honey.
- Peanut Butter - this is a must in our household!
Baking Supplies:
- Cake mixes, chocolate chips, candy melts, cocoa powder.
- Make sure you check out my Cake Mix Baking Secrets and Printable for more great cake mix ideas.
- Yeast - I like to purchase a "brick" of yeast that lasts a very long time in the freezer.
- All-purpose flour, Pancake mix; although I use my homemade bulk pancake mix and keep it in a large mason jar in our pantry.
- Baking powder and baking soda.
- Oatmeal.
Sweeteners:
- Any type of sugar substitute if you use this for coffee or tea, honey, maple syrup, corn syrup.
- White sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar.
Rice and Grains:
- Pasta, brown rice, white rice, rolled oats, barley, dried beans.
Nuts and Dried Fruits:
- Grab your family's favorite for snacking and baking.
- It helps to store the nuts in the freezer to prolong the shelf life.
Like this list? Check out these Cooking Tips:
- Kitchen Essentials Tools List - a collection of the kitchen tools I use every day to help me cook dinner for my family.
- Favorite Baking Tools List - here's what I like to use that help me bake delicious desserts.
- Homemade Spices - help save money by making your own homemade spices.
- Cake Mix Baking Secrets - another FUN printable too!
My Journey With Candida says
Hahahaha, I had to laugh when I seen pasta on your list. For Italians, you don't have anything to eat if you don't have pasta in the house.
Sue says
I think you have pretty well covered everything, Lois, the one thing I am not without in my pantry is coconut oil, I have just recently found this product, and it is healthy and amazing. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Enjoy your day.
Hugs,
Sue
Chatty Crone says
Okay I have everything in your list here at home except cheesecake. lol I think I would have chocolate added to that list. sandie
Cranberry Morning says
Someone actually has a pantry that looks like that?? Wow.
My list definitely includes all varieties of tree nuts and peanuts. It's what I go to when I think I'm starving.
Olives: Green, pimiento stuffed, black, kalamata, Moroccan, etc.
Add Feta to the cheese list
Beans. Black Beans, red beans
Gluten-free tortillas. (Food for Life)
Yogurt, non-fat, plain.
Tammy ~ Country Girl at Home ~ says
You covered it really well, Lois. I am always reaching for my spices and it seems like my soups for cooking (pantry). And for the refrigerator - my shredded cheeses and my eggs!
Tammy
Aunt B says
10)Sauces and condiments (including Worcestershire sauce and Soya sauce, fish sauce, bean paste, curry paste, relishes and chutneys)
9)Herbs and spices
8)Dried beans
7)Boxed pasta
6)Rice
5)Baking supplies (flours, sugars, honey, baking soda, baking powder, yeast)
4)Canned salmon and tuna
3)Canned tomatoes
2)Dairy products (cheese, milk, yogurt, butter, eggs)
1) Fresh fruit and vegetables
Marlys Folly says
Love you list and love #1~~~ should be a staple in anyone's pantry!
JT says
My wife's pantry has a lot of stuff in it. It is a mess. She can stick her hand in that mess and pull out what she needs. I don't know how she does it.
Cheryl @ The Farmer's Daughter says
I would love to have a pantry like this one! You have most of the essentials on your list, Lois. I had to laugh at the Cheesecake. I'd put chocolate at #1 on my list! 🙂
Beth says
I like to bake, so baking powder, baking soda, salt,cocoa,and pan spray.
Must also have eggs on hand at all times, bacon, sausage, pancake mix and syrup.
AND, most importantly, a good cook book,