Refrigerator/Pantry Staples
One of the biggest questions I get is, “How do you just have all of this stuff on hand?” Truthfully, I’m pretty meticulous about going to the grocery store with a list of everything I need— that’s just the Type-A personality in me. However, there are definitely things that I just try to have in my kitchen at all times. These are items that are perpetually replaced when they’re running low simply because I know that I will use them. Some things are perfect for making a good cocktail, others are items that I can throw in any recipe and I know it will be good. Most of these things aren’t super expensive, but are easy ways to increase your kitchen arsenal.
If you read this list and are like, “….I have none of these things,” don’t feel like you have to go out and buy everything all at once. If you add a few essentials every week, it won’t take long for things to start to accumulate.
Maldon Sea Salt. I cannot emphasize this enough— this is the best salt in the entire world. It is pricer than the fine grain, iodized salt at the store, so don’t feel like you have to use it for everything. My favorite use for it is simply topping meals with a sprinkle of it! The true purpose of salt is to enhance the flavor of food that you’re eating, which is why things taste so much better with it. I actually love topping chocolate chip cookies with this right before they go into the oven. Each bite tastes balanced! It’s truly the best secret ingredient. I feel like Chicory Market might carry it in Oxford, but in the past I’ve picked it up at Fresh Market when I’m home in Mobile, or even ordered it on Amazon.
Flavored Vinegars. My favorites are balsamic, red wine, champagne, and rice vinegars. They each have a unique purpose— balsamic might be the most common out of these, but rice vinegar is ubiquitous in Asian dishes. They are perfect to have on hand to whip up a quick salad dressing.
Citrus Fruits. The most common are lemon and limes, but I occasionally will buy a grapefruit as well. These are so great to have on hand because they’re perfect for anything. I use lemon juice ALL the time, and the fresh is SO much better than the bottled juice. If you’re even thinking about making cocktails, these are a must to have in the house. I usually buy 2 lemons and 2 limes at the store each week. They do go bad within a week or 2 just because they’re a fresh item, but I promise you won’t have trouble going through them.
Peanut Butter. William loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, so we always have it in the house. It’s amazing for Asian dishes— a peanut sauce is so good with seared tuna (I’ll post a recipe with that soon— it’s William’s absolute favorite).
Olive Oil. I cook with it all the time, but it’s perfect for mixing a quick salad dressing (oil and vinegar, the OG), drizzling on top of pasta— I mean the list just goes on.
Butter. I always have a pack of butter on hand. ALWAYS. I bake frequently, so I never want to be without it, but you truly never know when you’ll need a little pat of butter.
Herbs. Fresh herbs are what can elevate a dish to the next level. They are more expensive and do have a short shelf life. One of my favorite money-saving hacks are the “lightly dried” herbs that you can find near the fresh herbs in the refrigerated produce section (“Gourmet Garden” is the brand that my Kroger carries). They aren’t as good as totally fresh herbs, but they last so much longer!! I currently have lightly dried chives in my refrigerator and I add them to everything.
Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. Spices are great to have on hand, always. Some of my favorite individual spices that are pretty versatile include onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds (for asian dishes), dried oregano, dried basil, cayenne pepper, and obviously, salt and pepper. With that said, my favorite spice blend, hands down, is Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, more fondly known as “Tony’s.” I put this on everything. It’s the perfect mix of salt and spice.
Dry Pasta. Always have a box or two of this in the pantry. The quickest dinner there ever was = pasta + jarred sauce/pesto. EASY.
Rao’s Pasta Sauce. I love making my own sauce, but Rao’s is truly one of the best sauces I’ve ever had, store-bought or homemade. They have several different flavors!
Steamable rice packets. I love these. Partially because I think making rice is slightly harder than it has to be (I realize the irony of the fact that I have a food blog and think making rice is difficult) BUT the 90-second steamable rice packets are, in my humble opinion, God’s gift to modern society. Target has so many different kinds! I always have 1 or 2 packs on hand. They’re perfect for eating plain or steaming and making into fried rice.
Milk. I love non-dairy milk because it has such a longer shelf-life than dairy milk. I’ve always been loyal to unsweetened almond milk, but have been on a huge oat milk kick lately because I love using it to make lattes, and oat milk froths better than any of the non-dairy options that I’ve tried.
Eggs. This goes back to how much I bake, but one of my favorite lunches is avocado toast with a fried egg on top. Eggs are an excellent (and inexpensive!) source of protein.
Shredded Cheese. This one seems like a no-brainer, but I love having shredded cheese in the fridge. I always keep some variation of cheddar/colby jack blend and parmesan.
I could probably think of 100 more, but these are the basics that I like to keep in the pantry and fridge so that I can throw together a meal at a moment’s notice. What is something that you always have to keep on hand?