Top Ten Ingredients I Always Have in Stock

Today is Thursday. I don’t know about your neck of the woods, but here in Indianapolis, Thursday is when the grocery store circulars come out. Looking through the circulars I realized that besides the staples (eggs, milk, bread, etc) I had most everything I could possibly need for the next few meals in stock.

Being a single woman with a job that varies hours depending on the week, I tend to get my shopping done every two weeks or so. A lot of what I keep in my pantry/fridge tends to work for my lifestyle and me. Below is a list of foods that I typically always have on hand for whatever reason. Feel free to take ideas, leave comments or remind me of something I left out.

1. Jarred Spaghetti Sauce (Marinara)
Yes, my Italian grandmother is rolling over in her grave and my father is swearing that I am not his daughter and he taught me nothing about good taste. In actuality, I’m lazy and I learned that while general spaghetti sauce is simple to make, I don’t have the freezer space to accommodate the leftovers of a pot of sauce. If I go to the store and buy one jar of simple sauce (usually something labeled Tomato Basil) I can fix it up on my stovetop later and make it mine. I use it as an ingredient, not a final product. Chill out! Just check the label to make sure there’s nothing funky in it. Rule of thumb, if you can’t pronounce the ingredient, don’t buy it.

2. 7 oz. Can of Mushrooms
Mushrooms are amazing. My major problem is that they don’t sell fresh mushrooms in smaller sizes. You can buy one size of bucket and that’s about it. Cooking for one doesn’t use up mushrooms all that quickly before they go bad. The canned kind works well cause they keep better in the pantry and are easily stored in the fridge for later use. Also since they are just button mushrooms, they are good for most uses.

3. Italian Breadcrumbs
Just have some. They work well for recipes that require breading (Chicken Parmesan), Stuffing (Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms), or topping (Veggie Tuna Casserole). There is no ending to what you can do with them or mix into them (fresh herbs or fried onions perhaps?).

4. Pasta
I’m Italian. I love pasta. If I didn’t have some kind in the pantry, I’d probably go into fits. Type doesn’t really matter. I usually have penne or spaghetti in stock, but if I’m feeling extra awesome, I’ll have the tri colored spirals.

5. Cheese
I love my cheeses. Each type is good for something different. Cheddar is good on sandwiches, on chili, or baked as crackers. Parmesan is good as a pasta topping or mixed into eggs for breakfast. Mozzarella is good just to eat or melted with mushrooms and breadcrumbs. There are others, but I could go on for ages. Bottom line, some kind of cheese is always needed in the fridge. Makes for deliciousness in the end.

6. Eggs
The world’s most versatile food. Eggs aren’t just for breakfast. They go in everything and have so many applications, that you always should have some in the kitchen. If you don’t, go buy some. Easy as that.

7. Chicken and Beef Bouillon
Technically two things, but since they are the same thing in different flavors, I count them as one. I always have two jars in the fridge for making gravies, sauces, flavoring for rice, etc. One of those things I can always tell when it’s missing or should’ve been used. I get the paste kind rather than the cubes because the paste tastes better. The cubes are just too gritty and never dissolve just right.

8. Minced Garlic
You can find the minced garlic jars in the produce section. Why the pre-minced stuff rather than fresh? I don’t like peeling garlic. I don’t think I’ve ever actually done it. Once again, I’m lazy.

9. Onion
So tasty. You always need one. It shows up in everything. Kinda like corn.

10. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Seems silly, but I do always have to have this on hand. I rarely think a day goes by that I don’t use olive oil in something. Sometimes it’s just good to eat it on bread and call it good. Such a simple flavor that makes the world (or maybe just me) happy.


And there you go. I realize it’s a bit skewed towards Italian foods, but as I said earlier it works for me. And I’m Italian, so there. And as for things like vegetables and proteins, I tend to pick up those with the seasons and sales. So it’s unfair to say that I always have one in my pantry, because it just depends.

Enjoy!

Julie