Essentials for a well-stocked Kitchen

From your pantry, fridge, and freezer a well-stocked kitchen should be able to whip-up a meal or two at a moments notice. Also, keeping basic ingredients in stock will help your monthly grocery budget from always having to buy every item in a recipe. Keep an eye out for sale prices and use that as your opportunity to stock-up! Below are my check lists for our pantry, fridge, and freezer as well as my personal favorite brands.

Pantry must haves:

  • Baking essentials — go with store brands or Trader Joe’s for these items
    • Sugar
    • All-purpose flour
    • Baking soda and Baking powder (yes, they do different things!)
    • Cocoa powder
  • Spices and seasonings — S&P only get you so far… 
    • Black peppercorns + grinder – I buy Mccormick’s adjustable pepper grinders which isn’t the most economical approach, but gives the flexibility for different size grounds 
    • Himalayan Pink Salt + grinder – Trader Joe’s for this one
    • Mccormick Grill Mates Seasoning, Montreal Steak – I put this on vegetables all the time 
    • Everything but the Bagel seasoning – If you know, you know, but if not, give it a try; Trader Joe’s is the best blend 
    • Red pepper flakes
    • Garlic powder
  • Chicken broth/stock — I prefer broth/stock with no additives or vegetables due to my dietary restrictions; Trader Joe’s has the best for the money but Pacific Organic Stock is my next choice 
  • Beans — You can bulk up any dish with beans or serve them as a quick side. Look for store brands/Trader Joes’ and low sodium options here. 
    • Black beans
    • Garbanzo beans
    • Butter beans
    • White beans
  • Diced tomatoes with Green Chilies, aka Rotel — In the South, we have Rotel. In New England, it’s available, but I’ve found store brands work just as well. Wegmans is a personal favorite here on price and quality. You can opt for no green chilies, but I find it adds flavor to the dish. 
  • Whole wheat pasta — DeLallo and Barilla are my favorite pasta brands. Barilla is usually cheaper, but DeLallo has more pasta variety in the whole grain family. 
  • Spray/compressed olive oil — Please, please don’t use PAM or any non-stick sprays with propellant. Trader Joe’s and Bertolli make a compressed 100% olive oil spray that will work perfectly. You can also buy a compressor bottle and fill it with your own oil.
  • Chicken noodle soup — Hear me out on this one, but a can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup is hard to beat when you’re under the weather or it’s cold outside. You won’t think you need it until the day you do.

Freezer must haves:

  • Individually packaged chicken breast — I prefer Perdue in the refrigerated section and then toss the bag in the freezer; the individual packages keep the chicken from being freezer burnt. You can also buy chicken that hasn’t been previously frozen and wrap each breast in plastic wrap and store in a ziplock bag (try and get as much air out as possible). Whatever you do, don’t buy already frozen chicken unless it’s individually packaged. 
  • Individually packaged frozen fish — Publix and Wegmans are my favorites for frozen fish. Thaw in the fridge the night before or in a bucket of cold water an hour before.
  • Chicken sausages — Al Fresco makes a variety of pre-cooked chicken sausages that can be easily turned into a quick meal 
  • Frozen broccoli — I’m a florets only gal, and think Birds Eye does it best. This can be steamed or roasted for a quick side. 
  • Frozen edamame, in pods — Try to stick with organic brands here. It’s my favorite snack while watching TV. 
  • Frozen diced onion — I never spend time chopping onion if I am cooking with it. Maybe it’s not as good, but it saves time and I haven’t noticed a difference.

Fridge must haves:

  • Minced garlic — Again, a time saver and perhaps it tastes different, but it works for us!
  • Greek yogurt — I prefer Fage
  • Butter — For every day use, I prefer Brummel & Brown, which is actually a spread made with yogurt. I cook with Land o’Lakes Whipped Butter. If I need “real butter” I go Kerrygold.

On your grocery list each week:

Depending on household size and number of meals, this can vary drastically, but based on 2 people and the list of food you now have from above, you won’t starve if you add the following to your cart each week:

  • 1-2 fresh vegetables —  go to’s include: asparagus, Brussels sprouts, radishes, zucchini
  • 2-3 fruits —  go to’s include: green grapes, blackberries, apples
  • 1-2 fresh meat options — go to’s include: ground meat, chicken, pork tenderloin, steak
  • Citrus —  I always have at least 2 limes, 2 lemons, and 1 orange for cooking + cocktails; they can easily be frozen if you don’t use them one week
  • Lunch staples:
    • Bread – I like Sara Lee 45 calories bread; my husband prefers the sourdough from the bakery
    • Tomatoes
    • Lettuce – if your grocery store has Little Leaf Farms, it’s the best and stays fresh the longest 
    • Avocado
  • Breakfast staples:
    • Brown eggs
    • Breakfast meat (Canadian bacon, turkey sausage)
  • Sparkling water —  Pelligrino, Topo Chico, or Spindrift 
  • Cheese —  for sandwiches or salads (fat free feta, crumbled goat, sliced pepper jack)

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