You’ll find that a well stocked pantry is the key to every chef’s kitchen!

For the home cook, a well stocked pantry can make cooking so much easier and tastier!

These are the 12 pantry staples I have at all times!

This may be different for you & your family, but I encourage you to go through you pantry, see what you currently have, and can’t live without…those are your family’s pantry staples!

Olive Oil:

Olive oil is all about versatility, I’d choose second press olive oil as a pantry staple in lieu of a really nice bottle of EVOO any day!

You can actually cook with a second press olive oil, and it actually works pretty well for a salad dressing. If you only have one bottle of olive oil…go for the multi-use; but if you have room for two bottles, grab a bottle of EVOO too!

Rice

Choose your favorite rice, buy it in bulk, and keep it on hand.

Rice is a quick and easy side that can accompany a stir fry, a more traditional protein-veggie-starch meal, or can be made into fried rice!

Soy Sauce

Umami powerhouse! We typically associate soy sauce with Asian cuisine, but really it’s another way to add salt and complexity to a dish!

I prefer to buy low sodium soy sauce (so I can better regulate the amount of salt). In addition to the uses your probably familiar with; soy sauce can be added to sautéed dark leafy greens, or marinades instead of salt, this adds an extra burst of flavor and really brings out the other flavors you use!

Sambal (Hot Sauce)

We like to spice it up! Sambal is a fresh chili paste typically used in Asian cuisine (its like Sriracha’s unfiltered cousin).

While you can add Sambal to just about anything, I love to combine it with a berry based jam and some chicken stock; use this combination to reheat chicken or pork or reduce the sauce on it’s own to use it as a dipping sauce!

SOOO GOOD!!!!

Kosher Salt

I mean…salt is an essential in cooking, but truth be told I use very little salt when cooking.

I think the most important use for salt is when cooking grains like pasta and rice! Especially with pasta, it is imperative that you salt the pasta water!

Note that Kosher Salt typically has larger crystals than traditional table salt (I highly recommend making the switch if you haven’t already).

Black Pepper

With salt, comes pepper. I highly recommend using freshly ground black pepper whenever possible!

Talk about night and day flavor; invest in a pepper mill, purchase some pepper corns, and keep the remainder of the peppercorns airtight until you need them. Use freshly ground black pepper any where you’d use salt, they are besties and don’t like being apart.

Vinegar

I don’t have a favorite vinegar, as a matter of fact I usually have 3-4 different types of vinegar on hand at any given time!

They all have their own uses and particular flavors. I like using red and white wine vinegars to deglaze pans and mix with lemon juice to make dressings.

Balsamic is rich and pairs well with Caprese salads, and with freshly squeezed orange juice to make a salad dressing. Another I always have is rice wine vinegar which pairs well with lime and sambal.

Beans

I’m 100% a fan of canned beans!

If you enjoy cooking them from scratch, more power to you…but for quick and easy weeknight meals, canned beans are a go to! When buying canned anything look for “No Salt Added” or “Reduced Sodium” whenever possible so you can regulate how much salt is in your food.

Next, be sure to rinse the beans before using them. One of my favorite flavor combinations is cannellini beans with sautéed dark leafy greens finished with lemon zest and black pepper — simple and delicious!  

Canned Tomatoes

Tomatoes transcend almost every cuisine—canned tomatoes provide acidity, sweetness, color and even freshness when fresh tomatoes are out of season.

They can be used in slow cooker meals, pasta sauce, soups, and even salsas! When available, I like to buy fire roasted tomatoes; they have so much flavor from being roasted.

Pasta

The essential grain in any Italian (I mean…literally every) kitchen! I like to have a couple of different shapes and sizes on hand…because each shape holds onto sauces differently.

Have a box or two of long pastas like spaghetti, bucatini, and linguine; have a box or two of short pastas like rotini, mostaccioli, or orecchiette; lastly, have pastina on hand like orzo, acini de pepe, or stelline for soups. 

Garlic

Okay…this one is probably pushing it as a “pantry” staple, but I store garlic in my pantry…so it’s going to count.

If you’ve ever asked yourself “What is this missing?” the answer is probably garlic! It is a pantry staple, and acts as a quick addition to any meal whether you grate it raw, roast it whole, or sauté it with other veggies it is a perfect addition to most dishes.

Flour

Good ol’ AP flour can be used to thicken sauces, whip up a sweet or savory crostata, or used to bake your favorite cookies on a rainy day!

If you're into baking, I recommend having baking powder/soda on hand as well as sugar so that you are ready to bake when ever!

Remember your pantry staples may look a bit different than mine, but its all about what works best for you & your family!