I'm so with you on the onions and garlic. I went to visit a friend and I was going to make her dinner and I asked where the onions and garlic were. She didn't have any! I couldn't believe it. Its as if someone said we don't have water here.

Beans! Cans of beans are a great source of quick protein. I actually like Whole Foods fat-free refried beans, too.

I definitely agree with most of these, and it makes me curious to play around with anchovies! Most grains are great to have around, even stuff like farro. Even though it might take a little longer than couscous, it's definitely less than an hour cooking.

Graciela, I can't even imagine! Sometimes I run out of them, and don't realize it, and I swear, I can't do a good meal without one or both!

All of the above along with canned beans. I know its better to make a pot of your own but you can't beat the convenience and nutrition of the canned variety.

Oh gracious! Canned beans - I forgot them. They were what gave me the idea for the post in the first place.

I especially like canned chickpeas; they seem to hold their shape and texture better when canned than other softer varieties.

All of the above, but also:
-frozen corn (burritos, southwestern stews, corn chowder, cornbread)
-frozen peas (no need to cook them, throw them frozen into pasta, fried rice, grain salads, add a bit of broth and fresh herbs and yogurt milk for a spring pea soup)
-instant dashi stock for impromptu noodle bowls
-canned beans

trader joes, represent!

1. pasta
2. rice
3. canned beans (cannellini and black)
4. frozen peas
5. onions
6. garlic
7. parmesan cheese
8. eggs
9. canned tomato puree
10. olive oil
11. lemons

This started as my bare-minimum top 10, but I had to add lemons because if the pantry is just about truly bare when I get home from work, but I have those 10, I can do something. Add a lemon and I feel I can do something NICE.

lemons, fresh herbs (we have a little garden), homemade frozen chicken stock, tortillas and block cheeses of all variety.

Frozen bread (good quality, mind you), cut into slices before freezing. It isn't dinner without bread. :)

Eggs, onions, and garlic; where would I be without them? Oh, and cooked brown rice, also portioned out and stored in the freezer. It thaws in no time at all in the microwave.

ABreadADay.com

I am loving this thread. I'm someone who's not a good cook, and is plagued by poor planning -- i.e., I never have anything around to whip up, and end up eating out, or nibbling on potato chips. Thanks for these easy ideas -- I'm inspired!

@eprewitt - love the idea of freezing portions of brown rice. My weeknight dinners typically go like this:

9 Year Old: "When is dinner going to be ready?"
Me: "As soon as the rice is done."
9 Year Old: "When is that?"
Me: "When it's done cooking."
9 Year Old: "How long will that take?"
Toddler: "Mommmmeeeeeeeeeee Dinnnnnerrrrrrrrrr!!"
Me: "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

I agree on all these things, but I wish I could come up with more low carb staples. I fall back on pasta and rice too much! I like having some canned wild salmon around for salmon cakes or to throw in with a white bean salad.

Definitely frozen peas, or the peas-and-carrots mixed bag. With that and a hard-boiled egg in slices, a packet of ramen is actually like real food (as long as you leave out most of the seasoning).

Ditto to almost everything that everyone stocks. During the summer, I make and freeze pesto (basil pesto and argula pesto are favorites) so with pasta, I have a quick dinner. I also keep corn tortillas in the freezer and some soy "cheddar" on hand, which, with beans, make up into quick tostadas. (During the summer, I add whatever garden veggies make sense; during the winter, Trader Joe's peach salsa.) I'm also a BIG fan of vacuum-packed Mori-No silken tofu and cartons of soy milk, neither of which require refrigeration. We also continue to grow greens in our garden throughout the winter (in cold frames, last year). Having a four-season garden has extended the pantry in wonderful ways.

This is a small point but I have to make it: cous cous is not a grain at all, it's just pasta, and not whole wheat pasta either. I'm not anti-pasta (haha) but don't want people to think they are preparing some nice healthy whole grain side dish when really they are just eating very tiny noodles! :')

Good call, Pav09. Couscous and orzo, delicious as they are, are 'just' forms of pasta.

My list would include just about all of the things mentioned here, plus: canned coconut milk, marinated artichoke hearts, and -- because dinner includes dessert, right? -- those delicious and totally addictive butter waffle cookies (either the ones from Trader Joe's or their more expensive Belgian counterparts).

haha-- I live in Israel, but I actually use regular rather than "Israeli" couscous (which we call ptitim). I love the way a bad of whole wheat couscous can give me a grain side dish in five minutes no matter what, with just boiling water and a bowl. This has saved many dinners!

and by "a bad," I mean "a bag." hehe

The things I always have in the house are:
eggs
potatoes (Spanish tortillas or egg scrambles)
various frozen vegetables (these and a chicken leg/thigh make a quick soup with herbs, garlic and lemon)
pasta (I pre-make uncooked turkey meatballs and defrost a few at time for a quick meal with protein)
pasta sauce (with the above)
parmesan
canned tomatoes (various soups and pastas)
individually wrapped frozen fish fillets (tilapia, mahi mahi, salmon)
flour
milk (I'm a big breakfast person)
lemons (use the zest in scones, the juice with fish or soup)
canned beans (various)
swiss chard or collards (minestrone, caldo verde, side dish)
lowfat refried beans
torillas (I freeze these and toast as needed)
pita (I cut these in half and "open" them before freezing them in the bag. Then I toast as needed for herbed scrambled pita breakfasts)
mango pickle (great with the eggs and pita)
about 50 herbs and spices

Potatoes are such a necessity...
baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, potatoes au gratin, oven roasted in slices with olive oil and rosemary, cooked in curry with onion and carrots...

suprised they haven't made a stronger appearance on the list.

Pasta, Rice, Polenta, Couscous
Onions, Potatoes, Garlic, Shallots
Canned beans (black, kidney, and white), tomatoes, corn, hominy, artichokes, tuna, anchovies
Frozen peas, corn, broccoli
Fresh baby spinach
Cheese!
Eggs
Olive oils and vinegars
Dried fruit
Fresh herbs (grown in the windowsill!)
Stock
Bacon, frozen chicken breasts, frozen shrimp and/or scallops, frozen hamburger or turkey

That's the list of stuff that when I run out, or am close to running out, it goes on the shopping list. In a pinch I can make quiche, pastas, soups, chili, salads, baked potatoes with a chicken breast or some shrimp - my quickie, go-to meals in the evening.

The bacon and hamburger I usually bring home and portion out into smaller amounts so I can grab just a little bit to use at night.

Another favorite thing I like to do is make a batch of pizza dough and pizza sauce, and pre-portion and freeze that, along with some mozzarella cheese. Then, during the week, if I decide I want a pizza, I can just sit it out in the morning, and it's thawed and ready to go when I get home. Pizza in 15 - 20 minutes, and so much better than delivery.

And for any leftovers that I'm tired of, if they freeze well (soups, beans, meatloaf, cheese) I will portion and freeze for a lunch or dinner in a month or so, when I'm no longer tired of it.

Wow, thanks so much for the great idea. As a uni student living alone, cooking for one person has always been hassle, so quick & simple meal is always my issue in the kitchen. Instant noodle is likely to be my staple food...
I think I got good ideas from this post, which seems ideal for time-saving & healthy meal with students' budget. Now I run into the grocery to fill my pantry with those items above though some items would be replaced with upon my preference...

LOVE this. I agree with most of your top 10!!

Mine would have to be

1. Garlic
2. Onions
3. Potatoes
4. Dried Beans
5. Canned Tomatoes
6. Pasta
7. Quinoa
8. Frozen Veggies
9. Eggs
10. Parmesan

Great post! And great comments too. I want to add jarred salsa verde to the list. I'm amazed at how much we eat. I use it as a base for white chili, in casseroles, on eggs, on everything. Oddly never with chips :)

I love this post! I have some great ideas after reading everyone's list.

Here is mine:

1. Onions
2. Potatoes
3. Brown Rice
4. Chicken Stock
5. Frozen Spinach
6. Canned Tomatoes
7. Various Canned Beans
8. Good Whole Wheat Flour (King Arthur - I make my own bread)
9. Frozen Chicken Breast Fillets (I love these for a quick dinner)
10. A jar of organic marinara sauce. (Many leftovers from the week have been rescued by being tossed with sauce and baked with pasta)
11. Eggs!!!!!!

wow, these are all such amazing ideas. i've been trying to build up a nice arsenal of easy weeknight dinners (and weekday lunches). here's my list, similar to others:

1. pasta - tortellini, bowtie or penne
2. jasmine rice
3. chicken/beef/pork (cut into portions and frozen)
4. rice noodles
5. olive oil
6. small bags of instant-steam veggies
7. quinoa
9. lemons
9. eggs
10. margarita mix :)

seriously though, thanks for the great ideas...grocery shopping tonight!

I always have

Eggs
Cheese
Whole wheat tortillas (these three make up breakfast)
onions
pasta
tomato sauce
garlic
homemade chicken stock, frozen in ice cube trays
cooking wines and soy sauce

I should keep more stuff on hand, but I don't plan that well. I'll be adding frozen veggies (artichoke hearts! Yum!) and whole wheat couscous to my arsenal, though. Between this list and the sturdy veggies (carrots, cabbage, that sort of thing) I have rolling around in my fridge, I can usually make a reasonably healthy dinner pretty fast.

If I have them, 8 oz of sliced mushrooms cooked with red wine over a fried egg on cheese toast makes for a delicious dinner. They're also good cooked with marsala wine and tossed with pasta. They don't keep well, though, which is why they aren't on my list. Onions cooked slowly with oil or butter until browned and then splashed with madeira make for a delicious pasta sauce, too, but they do take time.

si, I like potatoes. esp. in easy potato torte/flan. make speedy pastry but grating butter and mixing it with four and a little water, kneed a bit, but not too much (why it puffs and is speedy). Roll out and bake 5-10 min in the oven. Thinly slice potatoes and layer over pastry - at this point add what ever is in cupboards, fresh tomatoes are good, as is spinach or leeks or caramalised onions under the potatoes. top with another layer of thinly sliced potato top with herbs (rosemary or fresh basil are good - and cumin deprending on what other veges you use) and cheese if you have it, or a bit more grated butter. Bake another 10-15 min. Umm. . . this suddenly doesn't sound that quick - was quick a prerequisite? I seem to be able to do this in the time that it takes to make and drink my afternoon, just walked in the door cup of tea and a salad to go with afore mentioned potato pleasure.

rice, some form of bread (my go-to lunch is bagels, they freeze great and go straight into the toaster, w. cream cheese or PB.)
beans, chickpeas, canned tuna, PB
forzen small portions of meat - usually chicken, extra lean grond beef
so much produce i cant keep up with myself: bananas, peppers and potatos are cheap, but i love to have berries, spinach, citrus around.
yogie, milk, or soy milk.
this site and jamie oliver are inspiring me to expand my herb and spice shelf!!

my number 1 would have to be either oatmeal (breakfast every day) or cereal, which i think i have a clinical addiction to. its so good dry as a snack mid-day, or anytime with milk and fruit and cinnamon on top.

Love the original list but would substitute whole wheat couscous and/or brown rice for the quinoa (not that I don't like quinoa-I just dont' buy it as much) and like many others, would also add canned beans. Love canned beans.

Frozen vegetables! I try to avoid cans for the most part until the BPA stuff is sorted out, but vegetables thrown from freezer to steamer basket are ready in just a few minutes.

I keep lots of jars of cooked beans and hummus in the freezer too, so those are my other quick meal staple as long as I remember to move them to the fridge.

How about whole wheat tortillas? Those are my backup grain since they keep so much longer than a loaf of bread.

Really enjoying this post. Many good suggestions!

I would add - Booze.
A splash of tequila on tropical fruit.
Creme de Casis on berrys
A little bit of Sherry in about anything savory
Bourbon in maple syrup

A little bit of good quality booze seems to take things a little out of the ordinary and is really easly.

Another unrelated suggestion - frozen edamame, whole and shelled.

Agree with all of the above, as well as:

Sardines

Dry vermouth

Lemons for juice

Frozen collards

Salmon burgers

Turkey burgers

When I buy frozen greens, I prefer the frozen whole or quiescently frozen types, because the leaves have a much nicer texture than the kind that is chopped to within an inch of its life and mashed into a block.

Bobejina, how nice to hear that this is inspiring you.

Doesn't everyone have some pasta, white & brown rice and cous cous stashed away, as the absolute bare minimum? I would add to this list burghul (cracked wheat), 2 kinds of lentils minimum, arborio/carnaroli rice (for risotto) and some dried beans. Buy bulk, store in recycled jars. Cheap as chips & useful as ... something very useful.

Instead of listing my "top 10" staples (there are way more than 10) I'll just describe some of my recent thrown-together-from-this-n-that dinners that made use of things I always have around...

• Wholewheat pasta spirals. Boil 'em. Meanwhile heat some butter in a small frypan til it stops foaming, then add 5-6 roughly chopped sage leaves, a clove or 2 of chopped garlic, and a handful of walnuts. Drain the pasta, toss the nut mix through, and top with a generous squeeze of lemon juice & some grated parmesan. OK, the walnuts might not be a cupboard staple, but they're the only thing in that dish that I don't ALWAYS have.

• Yellow spinach dal. Made with the lentils that are actually salmon-pink before they're cooked - not yellow - an onion, garlic, olive oil/butter/ghee, a handful of spinach leaves, water, some spices... There are lots of variations on this recipe with different proportions of each thing.

• Spaghetti with Marcella's tomato sauce: cut an onion in half/quarters & 2 garlic cloves in halves. Saute them all in 2 tbs of butter for an hour. Fish out the solids. Toss it all together, add chopped parsley & basil. Done.

As well as the obvious things like lemons, parmesan, stock etc, I've found it makes a huge different when you always have some herbs and a few greens to fall back on - they really can make an otherwise crappy dish lovely. Just a couple of window boxes; one with sage, parsley, basil, bay and rosemary; and the other with some cut-and-come-again greens like rainbow chard, spinach and a couple lettuces is enough, but it really does a lot.

I would note that if you can get anchovies in a little jar (not sure if this is common in the US...?) it's much better than a tin because you can keep them in the fridge forever, just so long as the anchovies themselves are always submerged in oil.

Oops, that third dish was meant to read "saute them in butter, then add 400g of tinned tomatoes and THEN cook for an hour"

OH! And spices. So much tasty Indian food is this kind of basic cupboard-staple stuff, and if you've got the right spices and know how to use them your whole range is opened out.

1. Rice - I cook so much asian food, and cannot imagine a meal without rice. I must have 10 varieties - love, love, rice - risotto, stir-fries, biriyanis, I love it all...
2. Parmesan
3. Pasta
4. Eggs
5. Tomatoes
6. Onions/Garlic
7. Canned fish (tuna or salmon or trout)
8. Frozen peas
9. Potatoes
10. Home-made chicken broth in the freezer
11. (must add!) - chiles!

one of my necessities is a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer at all times. i can get a two lb. bag of 31-40 size, tail on, for about $12. it's so awesome to have on hand!

1. onions
2. garlic
3. carrots
4. canned roma tomatoes
5. parmiggiano reggiano
6. flour (for making pasta)
7. eggs
8. polenta
9. olive oil
10. some type of flavorful canned fish; anchovies, octopus, tuna in olive oil

We grow a bunch of herbs outside that I use almost every night as well.

I cannot live without having onions, garlic, potatoes, carrots, celery, eggs and usually chicken leg quarters (usually on sale very cheap.) and EVOO. With the onions, garlic, potatoes and eggs and EVOO, I can make fried potatoes, onions and eggs. Slice the potatoes very thin after peeling (or if you like the peel, just wash and dry them.) After slicing, dry the slices on paper towels to make the frying go faster, with less splattering. When the potatoes are halfway done, have the onions thinly sliced along with a clove or two of garlic chopped, and add them to the frying pan. (I use 4 to 5 tablespoons of EVOO in the pan). When the potatoes, onions and garlic are done, scramble the eggs (how many depends on how many potatoes you've used, use your best judgement) and pour them into the frying pan stirring frequently until almost dry. I usually don't add salt and pepper until this point, because as they cook, it could be naturally salty. Put ketchup on top if desired. I think I just made myself very hungry. lol The carrots, chicken and celery always make a nice soup that doesn't take too long to do, even on a weeknight. :)

@graciela

Since I hate onions and garlic hates me (or rather my GI system), I never keep them around at home.

I'm totally addicted to the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day recipe (http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/), so I always keep a batch of dough in the fridge. Then I can bake a crusty loaf to have with a last-minute fritatta, or roll it out to make naan to have with a quick curry, or pita to have with some hummus, or throw together an impromptu pizza.

1. Cream cheese
2. heavy cream
3. pasta
4. potatoes
5. onions
6. stock
7. eggs
8. cheese
9. frozen veggies (corn and haricots verts especially)
10. canned tomatoes
11. canned beans
12. lemons
13. assorted fresh vegetables
14. fresh French bread!
15. sour cream

Adding a little cream cheese to pasta, sauces, etc. is my favorite way of adding a little fat (although I generally use neufchatel), creamy texture, and a little tang. Sour cream is great for dishes with lemon in them. Or on top of anything even vaguely "Mexican." Heavy cream is great for whipping up biscuits or smoothing out a sauce. It's especially good on top of sugared fruits!

Fresh veggies dressed up with a little lemon or mixed in with mashed potatoes or just in a hot broth with good bread make a great meal.

And you can't go wrong with spanish rice mix (I cheat and use Zatarain's), tomatoes, black beans, and frozen corn all cooked together and served with chips. *nom*

I find that cooking meals without meat is actually much faster, especially if you have to defrost your meat (like I often do since I only go grocery shopping once every week or two weeks). Not to mention better for you! Although with cheese, cream cheese, heavy cream, and sour cream, that's debatable.

P.S. This is such a great thread! I love reading everyone's "essentials."

Re: Polenta's long cooking times. I buy De La Estancia brand organic polenta, which cooks in 2 minutes (it's not a processed food and it's still a whole grain, just maybe a finer grind than longer-cooking polenta?) I bought it from FreshDirect when I lived in NYC. Now I get it at Surdyk's, a specialty foods store in Minneapolis.

1. canned beans (chick peas, pinto, refried, black, white, black eyed peas)
2. limes/lemons
3. cheese- feta or parmesan
4. olive oil
5. red pepper flakes
6. canned tomatoes
7. vegetable broth
8. roasted red peppers
9. olives
10. corn tortillas

1. rice (I *always* have white and brown jasmine on hand, plus basmati, and usually a few other varieties as well.)
2. onions, garlic, ginger, green onions
3. soy sauce and vinegar
4. eggs and tofu
5. red chile flakes and fresh Thai chiles
6. olive oil and peanut oil
7. rotating fresh veggies (lots and lots and lots of greens recently)
8. spices (whole and ground; cumin, coriander, turmeric, fennel, fenugreek, mustard, thyme, and oregano are the ones I use most often)
9. dried beans
10. stock (homemade or boxed)
11. pasta
12. canned tomatoes

Lately I've also been making big batches of potstickers to freeze; they make a great quick dinner with a quick broccoli stir-fry!

Tuna and peanut butter...not together, of course!

I don't think you can refer to Israeli cous cous as a "grain." It is a refined white flour product no different than pasta. Tasty, though. Healthier options would be beans, cooked and frozen qinoa or brown rice. All freeze beautifully and are great pantry staples.

Another great staple for kids is Whole Foods private label small elbow whole wheat pasta. They go into all sorts of healthy dishes and then we can call it "pasta"

Best. Thread. EVAR!!!

Saffron, dried mushrooms, butter, chocolate

Sort of surprised no one has mentioned GREENS. I always have a variety of leafy veg on hand since salads are a constant for us.

Greens
Sweet Potatoes
Other root veg (parsnip, turnip, carrot)
Good bread
Cheeses
Cooked protein (often from the weekend)
BACON

Along with usual pantry staples like pasta, farro, nuts, and eggs.