A prepared pantry is a beautiful thing. Keep staple items in your fridge at all times and you will never have to fret about having an empty fridge or pantry. You will also save lots of money by buying items only when they are on sale. Below is my personal list of staple items in my kitchen. Of course yours will not be the same as mine, as every family has their own specific tastes and eating habits. My family loves Mexican food for example, so we always have on hand chili powder, pinto beans, tortillas, and the makings for homemade salsa. And many families are more into frozen or prepackaged meals than we are. Still, this should give you a good starting point. Here are the staple items that I keep in my kitchen:
IN THE FRIDGE:
Vegetables/Fruit/Produce
Flat-leaf parsley
Carrots
Bell peppers
Cilantro
Seasonal fruit
Bakery/Bread Items
Tortillas
Meats
Sandwich meat
Polish sausage
Bacon
Dairy and other Refrigerated Products
Milk
Eggs
Cheese: mozzarella, parmesan, other
Cream cheese
Butter: salted, unsalted
Margarine
Yogurt
Sour cream
Condiments (I like to keep extras of all of these in the cupboard as well):
Salad dressing
Mayo
Mustard
Ketchup
Miracle whip
Soy Sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Hoisin sauce
IN THE FREEZER:
Frozen Foods
Frozen veggies
Strawberries or other berries
Juice concentrate
Lemon juice (frozen in cubes)
Meats
Chicken breasts
Ground beef
Pepperoni
Other meats (whatever is on sale)
Other
French bread
SOMEWHERE IN THE KITCHEN OR PANTRY:
Vegetables/Fruit/Produce
Fresh tomatoes
Potatoes
Onions
Garlic
Bananas
Bakery/Bread Items
Sandwich bread
Tortilla chips
Canned Foods
Tomatoes: stewed, crushed, paste, sauce, diced, Ro-tel (for salsa)
Canned salsa
Green chilies
Jalapenos
Broth: chicken, beef
Peanut butter
Jam
Kidney beans
Corn
Cream of: chicken, mushroom soups
Honey
Canned fruit
Boxed Foods
Ranch dressing packets
Lipton onion soup packets
Rice mixes
Dried Beans/Pastas/Fruits, etc
Pinto beans
Raisins
Cranberries
Rice: white, brown
Spaghetti
Short pasta (penne, rigatoni, etc)
Couscous
Staples/Spices
Flour
Sugar
Brown sugar
Oats
Oils: olive, peanut, canola, vegetable
Dried spices:
Cayenne
Bay leaves
Chili powder
Thyme
Basil
Oregano
Paprika
Ground cinnamon
Ground cumin
Curry powder
Peppercorns
Other
Tortilla chips
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