Rice, beans, veg and cheese. So many meals can be made out of these things!

Eggs and onions are on my list, too--I'd say rice, black beans, and ground beef take the other three spots in my pantry! I am newly married and cook for only two, as well--plus, my husband is very picky. It's a challenge! But it is fun learning to get creative with what's there. :)

Eggs, onions, canned tomatoes, rice, and beans would be my five. Corn tortillas are pretty high on the list too-- they last forever in the fridge and there's so much you can do with them.

It's "nec plus ultra", btw. :)

I get nervous if I have less than 6 eggs in the refrigerator. I also feel the same way about onions.

Quinoa, lettuce, garlic, onions and olive oil

When I was in college my pantry was: seasonal or frozen veg, whole chicken, rice, beans & bread. It's grown since then. A lot actually.

Corn meal, Garlic, Quinoa, Hummus, 3-4 doz local eggs

Russet Potatoes, Goat Cheese or Ricotta, Mushrooms [in lieu of meat], Eggs, and Garlic

frozen veggies, Uncle Ben's rice packets and frozen extras like the other night I made pork dumplings and put half in the freezer. I may also have pre-scooped cookies in the freezer as well...

My list is pretty similar, not shockingly because my go-to meals are also eggs, pizza, and pasta! Eggs, onions, tomato sauce, check. Frozen spinach and canned beans would be my replacements for the red peppers and sausage.

This is making me think about how pantry staples depend on having other foods around, so you can't list just five, though. Even though you can combine the above in a lot of ways, if you don't have bread/rice/pasta around, you're going to get hungry. At least if there is an athlete or male over 10 years in your household.

Always some shape of whole wheat pasta, beans or lentils (I made a pot of those amazing lentils from Bon Appetit and froze 1/4 cup portions-still using them!), red cabbage & bell pepper for a big filling salad tossed with plenty of tangy vinegar.

As a classier alternative to the chips and salsa dinner, my wife and I always have an assortment of nice cheese and some bread in the freezer, so on nights that we don't know what to do we have bread, cheese, olives, and beer.

I loved a previous commenters post about what she gets "nervous" over if she doesn't have it in her pantry. For me, hands down that is cheese. I realized how much I use cheese in my cooking when I make a special trip to the store just to stock up on different varieties. Parmesan, feta, goat, cheddar, swiss-they are an indispensible addition to our meals. A little goes a long way.

For us its eggs, pasta, some kind of green leafy veg, canned tomatoes, and garlic. My veggie lactose-intolerant partner would happily live on those ingredients forever, plus extra spices.

I always make sure I have cooked ground beef in the freezer. I freeze it in meal sized portions, and it makes so many recipes much quicker and easier without having to thaw (or buy), brown, and drain raw ground beef each time.

I use it for tacos, shepherd's pie, spaghetti, chili, stroganoff, etc. And my boyfriend will often just cook up a pot of kraft dinner and add a tub of ground beef and call that dinner for him.

Yep, local eggs, onions (and garlic -- sort of a package deal for me), and diced tomatoes are on my list. Also quinoa or brown rice and a bag of spinach. If I at least have those five things, I'm set. But I keep some ground turkey, chicken breasts, and homemade chicken stock in the freezer for ease of mind.

Mine would be soba noodles, tortillas, eggs, black beans, tofu then of course the more standard staples such as garlic, ginger, onions, cheese, olive oil, spices, etc....

My pantry sounds a lot like Nicole's. There are always black and white beans, good vegetable stock, soba noodles, garlic, and some sort of fresh herb in the fridge. It's amazing what a fresh herb can do for almost any dish! Fresh spinach is another one - it doesn't last all that long, but it can go in literally anything.

Also, if AliceLost is looking to take a second wife - the promise of dinners of bread, cheese, olives, and beer has convinced me to be open to it. Call me, Alice.

Cheese, olives, pickles, crackers, baby carrots, and apples or grapes. When I don't know what to eat, I assemble a plate of those items.

Chinese greens (Shanghai bok choy is my go-to, but I'm flexible!), rice, tofu, eggs, alliums. If I can cheat and add a few more, it would be chiles, mushrooms and kale.

@Ariane...LOL
@Engineergirl...Iv nevr tryed nec and altra, were cin I bye it? o_0

My five are: eggs, cheese, onions, evaporated milk and pasta. If I could add another five they would include: jars of pasta sauce, kidney beans, frozen ground beef, crackers and peanut butter. (can we live w/o peanut butter???). If I could add another
5...I'd be filling a whole pantry and might be banned from further posts, so I won't. Darn, I'm getting awfully hungry. Sorry, I lied, I have to add butter to my staples.

I have to say, I need a LOT of staples. haha but if I narrowed it down to 5...Rice, Chicken, feta, Coconut Milk, lettuce. That's a loose 5! I'm always reaching for potatoes or curry paste or peanut butter or bread crumbs. Not much on pasta though.

We almost always have whole wheat pasta (various shapes), eggs, onions, rice, dried beans (husband cooks them in pressure cooker instead of soaking them, awesomeness!), feta or mozz.

Oh yeah, and we usually have fresh garlic and ginger on hand. Husband also keeps lots of canned tomatoes in stock (no idea what he does with them, but he's always restocking those), and we have a basil plant on the window sill.

Tomato paste, thin spaghetti, onions, chicken breasts, rice noodles, soy sauce, broth bases, and frozen beef. We can pretty much rule the world with that.

I hate it when I run out of onions and they are really expensive so when they are really low in price I buy lots and slowly cook them down with olive oil - then put 1-2 cup containers of them in the freezer. That way I have already prepared onions for soups and cooked dishes. It is easy to cut off a portion and quick to make a meal.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ne%20plus%20ultra
Christine........tut tut

If I had to get it down to five it would be; crushed tomatoes, pasta, shredded cheese, onions, potatoes.

The 5 I use most are:
eggs
lentils
quinoa
goat cheese
roasted red peppers

I always keep pasta, cream, parm reg, beans, brown rice, quinoa, and lots of veggies. I can almost always throw together a quinoa and roasted veggie salad, bean and rice tacos with salsa, cheese, and often avocado, a creamy pasta with sauteed veggies, and we also end up eating grilled cheese on sourdough with a quick homemade tomato soup.

Everyone's lists are so similar...and to mine as well...if I have quinoa, I am 'not nervous'. Must have butter, milk, eggs and mushrooms! : )

Eggs, pasta, spinach, cheese, and some form of fruit. Lately it's bananas.

Eggs, Pasta, Canned tomatoes, Onions and Carrots

If I have all five (and like others have said, if i'm sub 6 eggs, I too get nervous), there is a meal in there somewhere

- My next 6 are 2 loaves of bread (whole wheat for toasts and peanut butter sandwiches and white Italian fresh for anything else), milk, yogurt and round transportable fruit (read pears and/or apples)

I'd also add chickpeas, lentils and canned tuna...I love tuna, canned lentils and olive tapenade wrapped in a tortilla. Also, you can never go wrong with hummus! ;-)