10 pantry essentials for home cooking

Putting together dinner every night can seem like a lot of work.

But with a little bit of preparation and a few basics on hand, it is very easy to throw together a delicious family meal.

I plan out my menu for a week or month at a time so I know what’s coming up and can have the necessary ingredients on hand.

But even so, I get caught some nights needing to improvise or change things up and that’s when it’s great to have these staples on hand. I can put together any number of fast, easy, delicious homemade meals with these foods at my fingertips.

Stock your pantry with these essentials — and your fridge/freezer with these — and you’ll be ready for anything.

Pantry essentials:
1. Onions
2. Potatoes (russet, sweet, Yukon, red, any of your favorites)
3. Brown rice (here's how to make perfect brown rice every time)
4. Other grains: quinoa, barley, farro, couscous
5. Pasta (various types: spaghetti, macaroni, farfalle, rigatoni, orzo), preferably whole wheat
6. Canned beans (various types - black beans, cannelini beans, garbanzo beans, refried beans, great Northern beans, pinto beans)
7. Chicken broth
8. Bread/English muffins/wraps (preferably whole wheat)
9. Taco shells
10. Basic spices (paprika, chili powder, cumin, thyme, oregano, cinnamon, etc.)