Episode 177 Pantry Cooking

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

 I am in the middle of a really busy season in my personal life and I am relying on my pantry to help me get dinner on the table fast.

Pantry cooking is using ingredients that you keep on hand to make meals. For me this includes my pantry, freezer and refrigerator staples.

4 Tips for Pantry Cooking

Tip 1: Have a well-stocked pantry and freezer. 

In episode 99 I talked about deep dive grocery shopping. For me, this is the key to keeping a well-stocked pantry and freezer. I like to do a deep dive shopping trip about once a quarter. I use the checklist in the Holiday Planning Guide to plan my shopping trip. 

Different seasons have different pantry staples in my home. In the summer I have Make Ahead Hamburger Patties and hamburger buns in the freezer. I always have canned salmon and canned tuna in the pantry. My friends, Betsy and Kate, talked about topping salmon patties with hollandaise sauce in their podcast. It is a great example of how pantry cooking can still be delicious. 

Tip 2: Create a list of pantry staples. 

If you are making a meal at least twice a month, then the ingredients to make that meal should be on your list of pantry staples. Keep the ingredients in your home so you can easily make your go-to dinners.

Tip 3: Add fresh ingredients to make pantry dinners delicious.

To make pantry dinners delicious you need to add something fresh. My favorite fresh ingredients to keep on hand include:

lemons

herbs (parsley or cilantro in the winter and whatever I grow in a pot in the summer)

green onions

cheese (parmesan is a great choice)

avocados (I love getting pre-made single servings of guacamole that last for weeks in the refrigerator.)

cherry tomatoes (These last a really long time at room temp.)

Tip 4: Create a list of “base ingredients” to make lots of different meals. 

In episode 146 I talk about base ingredients. When you have go-to ingredients and flavors you can make dozens of different meals. Look for new recipes that use your base ingredients. 

Marie Fiebach is a married mother of four active teens. She helps busy families plan and execute weeknight dinner so they can recapture a little calm in the crazy. Check out her YouTube Channel or listen to the Feed Your Family Tonight Podcast.

For a transcript click here.