Building A Dinner Pantry

Stock your pantry with simple and practical items to make dinner planning easier than ever!  Here is a detailed list, including a printable checklist!

This January I’ve taken it upon myself to get my kitchen in order, organized and well stocked…there’s something about this time of year that makes me want to get things organized.  So far I’ve shared how I stock my pantry with baking supplies, and today I’m sharing how I keep my kitchen stocked with staples for making dinner!

Keep a Well Stocked Pantry

To make dinner planning easy and stress free, it’s important to keep a well stocked pantry.  It’s so frustrating to be looking for ingredients for a healthy dinner at 4:00pm, only to find that you are out of something.  So I try really hard to make sure that we’re well stocked each week!  Over time I have developed a list of ingredients that I always try to keep on hand.  So, here is a list of my pantry must-haves!

Building A Dinner Pantry…stocking the essentials!

1. Stock/Broth:  Chicken, Beef, Vegetable or Homemade
2. Canned Tomatoes:  Whole, Diced, Stewed and Pureed
3. Tomato Sauce (plain)
4. Tomato Paste
5. Spaghetti Sauce
6. Pizza Sauce
7. Soups
8. Consomme
9. Canned Beans:  Brown Beans, Chick Peas, Kidney Beans, Black Beans
10. Dried Beans and Lentils
11. Dry Pasta:  Spaghetti, Elbow Noodles, Spiral Noodles, Lasagna, Orzo, Rice Noodles
12. Macaroni and Cheese
13. Canned Pasta:  Alphagetti, Ravioli, Spagetti-O’s
14. Rice: White Rice, Jasmin, Brown Rice, Long Grain Rice
15. Grains and Seeds:  Quinoa, Wheat Berries, Barley
16. Milk: Condensed Milk, Coconut Milk
17. Olives and Pickles
18. Wine (I like to use it in sauces and stews)
19. Canned Fish and Seafood:  Tuna, Salmon, Sardines
20. Canned Meat:  Ham, Chicken
21. Canned Corn:  Cream Corn, Niblets
22. Canned Vegetables:  Beans, Peas, Beets
23. Canned Fruit:  Peaches, Pears, Pineapple
24. Starch for thickening sauces:  Rice, Corn or Potato
25. Vinegars:  Rice, Apple Cider, White Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar
26. Oils:  Olive Oil, Vegetable Oil, Coconut Oil
27. Condiments:  Ketchup, Mustard, BBQ Sauce
28. Spices (Dried):
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • Thyme
    • Rosemary
    • Oregano
    • Bay Leaves
    • Cumin
    • Chili Powder
    • Paprika
    • Parsley
    • Basil
    • Sage
    • Ginger
    • Onion Powder
    • Garlic Powder
    • Hot Pepper Flakes
    • Homemade Taco Seasoning
    • Homemade Rib Rub
    • Red Curry Paste

Print It!

Here is a checklist that you can print off and use to get your pantry stocked!  Just drag the checklist image below on to your desktop and print it off.

Now that the pantry is full and ready for dinner, you can get cooking!  Here is the link to my dinner recipes if you need some dinner inspiration!  Enjoy!

In case you missed my post on stocking a baking pantry, just click on the image below to see it!

Have a delicious day!

P.S.  If I missed anything, please let me know in the comments below!  🙂