• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Smart In The Kitchen

Dinner is done!

  • Smart Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • Gift Cards
  • About
  • Cooking Classes
  • Kitchen School

How to Stock Your Pantry and Freezer

March 13, 2020 By msmart 3 Comments

JUMP TO SHOPPING LIST

Perfect Your Pantry Game

Stock your pantry with cooking essentials to make your weeknight dinners a breeze. Some of my favorite “faster than fast” dinners come from pantry ingredients: Penne with Rao’s, chicken thighs plucked from the freezer and cooked with a jar of salsa verde, roasted red pepper and tomato soup or my throwback fave: tuna salad!

These days, stocking your pantry has a whole new meaning. With cancelled school and vacations, less social interaction and more time spent at home, there’s also more of my favorite thing: HOME COOKING! So fear not, crank up the tunes and let’s cook through some essentials. Cooking can soothe your soul, relieve stress and nourish you and your family. Let’s do it!

Before we get started, give your pantry and freezer a good deep cleaning. Take everything out and clean the shelves. Vacuum the floor. Organize similar ingredients together, clean out bins and throw out anything that’s expired. Smell all your spices — if they smell dusty, toss them. If there’s something in good condition and unopened that you won’t use, donate it to a local food pantry.

Print this out. Cross out anything you already have or don’t need and add items that your family uses. Stay tuned for our next post, which will be a roundup of easy and delicious recipes to cook with your stockpiled ingredients!

Salt

I use Redmond Real Salt, Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt and Maldon sea salt. And yes, I have all three out on my counter when cooking. Pepper is good to have on hand, but I would also be totally fine without it. Salt? Not so much, it’s the top of my list!

Seasonings and Spices

The spices I use the most often are red pepper flakes, paprika, cumin, cayenne, bay leaves, garlic and onion powder. For baking, I always have cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla extract. Those are just the basics!

Pantry spices

Condiments

Hot sauce has a long shelf life and adds a punch of flavor to soups and tacos. Mayonnaise, ketchup, BBQ sauce and mustards are a good idea to keep on hand. Soy sauce, tamari, hoisin and sriracha can also be used to punch up the flavor in a ton of recipes. Look at what’s currently in your refrigerator and think about what you use most and stock up! I always have dried chilies, extra capers, olives and pickles in my pantry because I use them frequently.

Oils, Vinegar and Cooking Fats

Extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil are musts in my kitchen. I store extra Kerrygold unsalted butter in my freezer and transfer it to the fridge as needed, and nut oils like sesame or walnut go in my refrigerator since they spoil quickly. Stock your favorite vinegar for homemade super simple salad dressing, I always have apple cider, red wine, balsamic, sherry and rice vinegar. With that said, only buy what you use! I run a cooking school out of my home so we tend to be stocked to the gills.

Stock and Broth

Cartons of organic chicken stock line my pantry shelves; homemade chicken bone broth and beef stock are stored in Souper Cubes in my freezer. Stocks can be used for vegetable or minestrone soup and sauces.

Canned Beans

I stock everything from organic refried beans to black beans, white beans, pinto beans and kidney beans. Add drained and rinsed beans to soups or chili, mash white beans with sautéd garlic as a side dish or add black beans to quesadillas or tacos. I also make dried beans in my Instant Pot, and they are delicious!

Instant Pot Black Bleans

Rice & Grains

The rice I use most often is Cal Rose short grain white rice. I also stock basmati, jasmine and arborio. I keep a couple boxes of pre-made frozen brown and jasmine rice in my freezer for grab-and-go servings. Other grains I keep stocked for side dishes and soups are polenta, farro, barley, quinoa and oats.

Barley Soup
Freezer essentials

Legumes

Red lentils, yellow lentils, brown lentils, split peas for soup and canned chickpeas. I love legumes.

Pasta

Dried pasta in all shapes and sizes! Whether you use gluten-free varieties, whole wheat or good old spaghetti, it doesn’t go bad and it’s a tried-and-true dinner option.

Pantry Pasta

Canned Tomatoes

You can use these to make a quick tomato sauce, add to soup or use in stews or chili. Whole stewed tomatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes and tomato sauce can be used in thousands upon thousands of delicious dinners.

Meats & Seafood

In the pantry, stock line-caught canned tuna and salmon. I also like anchovy paste for a punch of flavor in salad dressings and pastas. In the freezer, I store ground beef in 1-pound servings, boneless chicken thighs, Teton Waters Ranch sausages, bacon and pancetta. You can also freeze stew meat, roasts or pork tenderloin. I have whole sides of wild salmon in my freezer, along with individual wild Alaskan cod and salmon.

Instant Pot Chicken and Sausage Gumbo (Whole30) recipe by Smart in The Kitchen

Nut Butters, Jam, Honey and Maple Syrup

Peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter or whatever floats your boat, along with your favorite jam and honey. Maple syrup for frozen waffles and pancakes is a must!

Sugar and Flour

Anxiety baking must go on… I have all-purpose flour and Cup4Cup gluten-free flour, as well as brown sugar, coconut sugar and organic cane sugar. I also have a basket of alternative flours, such as almond flour, corn flour, coconut flour and arrowroot flour. If you get stuck at home for a period of time, I would suggest grabbing a carton of pasteurized egg whites because they will last in your refrigerator for a month or more. Did someone say chocolate chip cookies?

Nuts and Seeds

I store nuts in the freezer to extend their shelf life. I always have a stock of almonds, cashews, pine nuts and peanuts. Store smoothie mix-ins in the same place: Hemp hearts, flax and chia can go bad quickly, so it’s best to store them in your freezer.

Frozen Fruit

Organic berries, pineapple, mango and bananas are fabulous sources of nutrients and fiber and can be added to morning smoothies.

Frozen Vegetables

My favorite frozen veggies to keep on hand are broccoli, riced cauliflower, spinach and edamame and peas (even though the last two are technically legumes). Frozen stir-fry mix is a great way to pack in a large serving of veggies!

Frozen Convenience Foods

Stock up on a few frozen cauliflower crust pizza (or whatever floats your boat), tortellini, tamales, taquitos, dumplings or other favorite “easy” items.

Extras

Sparkling water (I’m addicted to the bubbles), chocolate (again, addicted), coffee (again!), tea and juice. Of course, this list doesn’t include household essentials, like cleaning supplies, paper products and medicine, but I’m here for all the food!

Friday loves
Print Recipe

How to Stock Your Pantry & Freezer

Ingredients

Salt

  • Finely ground salt (Himalayan or Redmond Real Salt)
  • Kosher Salt (Diamond Crystal)
  • Maldon Sea Salt or other flakey “finishing salt”

Oils and Cooking Fats

  • Avocado oil
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Sesame oil
  • Butter unsalted

Seasonings

  • Black pepper
  • red pepper flakes
  • paprika
  • cumin
  • cayenne
  • bay leaves
  • chili powder
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • cinnamon
  • whole nutmeg
  • vanilla extract

Vinegars

  • apple cider vinegar
  • red wine vinegar
  • balsamic vinegar
  • champagne or white wine vinegar
  • sherry vinegar
  • rice vinegar

Stocks

  • Chicken Stock store-bought and/or frozen homemade
  • Vegetable stock
  • Beef stock

Condiments

  • Mayonnaisse
  • Ketchup
  • Mustard
  • BBQ sauce
  • Soy Sauce or Tamari
  • Hoisin
  • Sriracha
  • Hot Sauce
  • Capers
  • Olives
  • Strawberry or raspberry jam
  • Maple syrup
  • Honey

Beans

  • Canned black beans, or dried
  • Canned pinto beans, or dried
  • Canned white beans, or dried
  • Canned refried beans

Rice & Grains

  • Short grain white
  • Basmati rice
  • Brown rice
  • Arborio
  • Polenta
  • Farro
  • Barley
  • Quinoa
  • Oats

Legumes

  • Garbanzo beans, canned or dried
  • Green or brown lentils
  • Red or yellow lentils
  • Split peas

Pasta

  • Spaghetti, penne, fusilli Gluten-free, whole wheat or traditional

Canned Tomatoes

  • Whole stewed tomatoes
  • Fire-roasted tomatoes
  • Tomato sauce unseasoned, for chili and stews

Pantry Meat & Seafood

  • Canned tuna and salmon
  • Anchovy paste

Freezer Meat & Seafood

  • Chicken thighs or breasts
  • Ground meat beef, turkey, lamb, pork or chicken
  • Bacon
  • Pancetta
  • Stew meat beef or lamb
  • Whole roasting chicken
  • Pork tenderloin or pork roast
  • Sausages/Italian Sausage and Brauts
  • Wild salmon or cod

Sugar, Flour and Baking Supplies

  • Cane sugar (or regular white sugar)
  • Brown sugar
  • All-purpose flour
  • Almond flour
  • Gluten-free flour
  • Baking Powder
  • Baking Soda
  • Arrowroot powder and/or cornstarch
  • Chocolate

Nut Butters, Nuts and Seeds

  • Almond butter
  • Peanut butter
  • Almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, pistachios and pine nuts store in the freezer
  • Flax, hemp, chia store in the freezer

Frozen Fruit and Veggies

  • Frozen strawberries
  • Frozen pineapple
  • Frozen Bananas peeled and sliced for smoothies
  • Frozen mixed berries
  • Frozen blueberries
  • Frozen peas
  • Frozen edamame
  • Frozen broccoli
  • Frozen spinach
  • Frozen pearl onions
  • Frozen stir-fry mix

Frozen Convenience Foods (for those nights you need a break!)

  • Tortellini cheese and/or spinach
  • Gnocchi
  • Tamales
  • Taquitos
  • Pizza cauliflower crust or regular
  • Dumplings

Extras

  • Sparkling water
  • Coffee
  • Tea
  • Microwave popcorn or popcorn kernels
  • Boxed mac & cheese
  • Boxed brownies

Filed Under: Basics, Kitchen, Uncategorised Tagged With: freezer food, freezer meals, kitchen essentials, pantry basics, pantry essentials, pantry meals, pantry organization, shopping list

Previous Post: « Weekly Meal Plan // March 8-13
Next Post: Pantry Meal Plan »

Reader Interactions

By Category

By Date

Search

Comments

  1. Melissa

    March 13, 2020 at 2:08 am

    Love this! Thank you.

    Reply
  2. Julie

    March 13, 2020 at 3:44 am

    Any chance you can make this a t that’s easy to print?

    Reply
    • msmart

      March 13, 2020 at 8:57 pm

      Just added a printable shopping list divided into categories…

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Primary Sidebar

Marcia Smart
Marcia Smart is a cooking instructor, recipe developer and food writer who wants to help you make good, simple meals for your family and friends. She craves food that's seasonal and delicious and wants to share it with you. A California girl living in a Houston world with her husband and three children.

FIND ME HERE

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

FOLLOW ME ON YOUTUBE

Recent Posts

  • Low Effort Dinners
  • Cinco de Mayo Favorites
  • Big Batch Jalapeño Margaritas
  • Weekly Meal Plan // March 27-April 1
  • Weekly Meal Plan // March 20-25

GET SMART IN THE KITCHEN RECIPES AND NEWS

Categories

  • All Recipes
  • Appetizers and Snacks
  • Basics
  • Breakfast and Brunch
  • Casseroles
  • Cocktails
  • Condiments
  • Dairy-Free
  • Dessert
  • Dinner
  • Entertaining
  • Fall
  • Freezer Friendly
  • Friday Love List
  • Gift + Product Guides
  • Gluten-free/Gluten-free adaptable
  • Grain-free
  • Grilling
  • Holidays
  • Instant Pot
  • Kitchen
  • Mains
  • Meat
  • Meatless Mains
  • Mediterranean
  • One-Pot Meals
  • Pasta
  • Poultry
  • Retreats
  • Salad Dressings
  • Salads
  • Sauces and Salsas
  • Seafood
  • Sheet Pan Suppers
  • Slow Cooker
  • Smoothie
  • Soups
  • Spice Mix
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Thanksgiving
  • Travel
  • Uncategorised
  • Vegetable Side Dish
  • Weekly Meal Plans
  • Wellness
  • Whole 30
  • Wine
  • Winter

Archives

  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • October 2016
  • June 2015
  • April 2015

Copyright © 2022 · Smart In The Kitchen