Tips and Tricks: Pantry Staples (part one)

Having a fully stocked pantry always makes it easier to pull dinner together – but what does a fully stocked pantry look like? We’re putting together a series of posts that talk about good staples to have on hand in your kitchen, plus some tips on what to do with them! Today we’re starting out with dry goods like pasta, rice, and dry beans, and over the next couple weeks we’ll talk about foods like canned goods, frozen food, herbs and spices, and refrigerated foods. Below we’ve made a list of some dry goods that are helpful for building up your own pantry!

• Flour and sugar are great if you like to bake things like bread, cakes, or cookies from scratch – however, if you don’t bake that often or if you have limited storage space, you might want to skip on these ingredients for the time being. We usually have some on hand because we like making homemade bread, but they’re definitely not the first pantry staple college students reach for! 
• A good food for college pantries, however, is rice! It makes a great side dish when topped with butter and herbs, or you can use it as a base for a curry or a stir fry. If you’re not confident cooking rice on the stove, you can always get Minute Rice – it’s not as healthy, but it’s fast and easy to make in a microwave! Roast some vegetables and chickpeas to go with it, and you’ve got a filling, rounded meal!
• We mentioned dry beans briefly in our post last Wednesday – while we don’t cook with them that often at school, due to limited space and time, they’re super inexpensive and will last for ages! They’re a little time-consuming to prepare, but not difficult – usually all you have to do is soak them overnight or cook them in a pressure cooker to soften them. If you have the space and time to use them, they’re a great addition to your pantry! 
• Pasta is another good food to have on hand. It’s super versatile, and you can use it as a filling base for lots of different flavors. Classic spaghetti and meatballs, pasta with a creamy garlic sauce, homemade macaroni and cheese, chicken noodle soup… there are so many great recipes you can make with pasta! If you prefer fewer carbs in your meals, you can also make spaghetti squash or ‘zoodles’ from vegetables and use them the same way you would use pasta! 

❤ Juliana and Sarah