Maybe it’s because I love to cook. Maybe it’s because I’m nosy. Maybe it’s because I am always on the hunt for fun and new-to-me good stuff of the culinary variety.
Whatever the reasons, I LOVE a look into someone else’s pantry.
Whether I’m relishing the feeling of kinship (we love the same salsa!) or jotting new items on my shopping list (those pickled veggies sure look good!), I’m interested in hearing all about—or better yet, seeing—the practical staples and fun accoutrements you turn to on the regular.
Today, I thought the best way to hear about other people’s pantry staples was to share my own, so on that note—these are the practical staples and fun accoutrements that I turn to on the regular.
To assemble this list, I took stock of my recurring shopping list, the items currently on our pantry shelves, and the ingredients needed to make our family favorites for weeknight dinners and breakfast/brunches. I only included items that are shelf stable before opening (even if they subsequently need to be refrigerated).
I hope you enjoy this glimpse into my pantry!
Dry goods
- Grits and polenta
- Rice: basmati is our go-to, we also keep sushi rice on hand
- Trader Joe’s 10-minute farro
- Quinoa
- Wheatberries (because I adore this stuff)
- Crunchy taco shells
- Pasta: we always have cavatappi/cellentani, ziti, linguine, and orzo on hand
- Rice noodles in a variety of widths
- Flour and corn tortillas
- Hint of Lime Tostitos: we often stick a few in burrito bowls or crumble onto soup
- Dried beans: black, small red, and white
- Lentils: green, red, and black (my favorite) are
- Granola: Nature’s Path (for Will) and Love Crunch dark chocolate macaroon (my fave)
- Steel cut and old-fashioned oats
- A variety of whole nuts, plus toasted slivered and sliced almonds for salads and oatmeal
- Dried fruit: cranberries, apricots, St. Dalfour prunes (my friend introduced me to these years ago and now I like to have them on hand at all times)
Canned and jarred goods
- Canned tomatoes, crushed and whole
- Rao’s marinara sauce
- Rao’s pizza sauce (we also like Trader Joe’s refrigerated pizza sauce)
- Enchilada sauce (I’m not brand loyal but taking recs!)
- Genova canned tuna
- Trader Joe’s tinned smoked salmon and trout
- Cento anchovies (I also just picked up a jar of the supposedly fancier Rizzoli brand but haven’t tried it yet)
- All kinds of canned beans; I use black and cannellini most.
- Canned lentils
- Coconut milk (I’m partial to Thai Kitchen)
- Canned pumpkin (I’m partial to Trader Joe’s and Libby’s)
- Jarred peaches, pineapple, and mandarin oranges
Condiments and accoutrements
- Roasted red peppers (typically Mezzetta, which is widely available here)
- Pickled vegetables (ditto)
- Preserved lemon (jarred in a pinch, though I prefer to make my own)
- Olives (kalamata and castelvetrano)
- Pesto (not brand loyal, but lately I’ve been liking Rao’s)
- Capers
- Chile crisp (I’ve tried a bunch and am partial to Lao Gan Ma)
- Gochujang (not brand specific but I welcome suggestions!)
- Mae Ploy curry paste: green, red, and yellow
- Trader Joe’s corn and chile tomato-less salsa
- Trader Joe’s hot & sweet pickled jalapeños
- Variety of red and green salsas: Trader Joe’s, Cholula, Frontera, Herdez)
- Miso paste
Spices and seasonings
I wrote here about my favorite spices and seasoning blends.
What are YOUR pantry staples? Please tell us your favorites in comments!
P.S. My kitchen must-haves and Little things I’m loving lately: kitchen edition.
