20 Must-Have Items for a Well-Stocked Pantry

With Fall right around the corner and school back in full swing, it’s the perfect time to get our pantry’s perfectly stocked for easy access dinners, desserts and snacks.  I don’t want to admit how many times I have had to dash to the grocery store for a few things because my pantry wasn’t properly stocked.  When your pantry is nicely stocked it makes grocery shopping so much simpler.  You generally only have to buy your proteins and produce. 

Here are 20 items to get your pantry in tip top shape.

1.    Flours (all purpose, whole wheat and cake flour)
2.    Sugars (granulated, brown sugar and powdered sugar)
3.    Baking soda, baking powder, corn starch, cream of tartar
4.    Chocolate chips (a variety of semi-sweet, milk chocolate and white chocolate)
5.    Vanilla Extract (pure)
6.    Dry Pastas (your favorites shapes and sizes)
7.    Grains (quinoa, rice and barley)
8.    Oils (olive oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, sesame oil)
9.    Vinegars (balsamic, apple cider, white)
10.    Tomatoes (diced, crushed, tomato sauce, tomato paste)
11.    Beans canned and dry (black, pinto, white, garbanzo)
12.    Jars of your favorite pasta sauce
13.    Boxes of your favorite cake mix and brownie mix -Even for the most accomplished cook, having a few mixes handy means being able to jazz up a boxed dessert when in a pinch for time.
14.    Peanut Butter, almond butter
15.    Nuts, variety of your favorites
16.    Oatmeal, perfect for breakfast and adding to baked goods.
17.    Jams and jellies
18.    Maple syrup
19.    Herbs and spices.  Stock what you use.  It is easy to buy every spice available but reality is you don’t use them all.  Evaluate what you use most often and keep your favorites on hand. 
20.    Kosher salt and black peppercorns for fresh ground black pepper.

Blogger Jenny Flake wrote this article, and you can find more of her pieces at Picky-Palate.com.