A Staples pantry is simply a section of your food storage area where you keep a supply of foods, herbs, and spices that you use frequently to season or create dishes for family meals. This is where you keep those dry goods like flour and sugar, and things like condiment packets that help you make your meals more interesting.

ADVICE: Watch out for those expiration dates! Most spices start to lose their potency after about 6 months. Store dry products such as flour in a sealed plastic or glass container. A bay leaf or two in your flour container helps ward off those pesky little bugs. The same goes for pancake mixes, baking mixes, and other similar products. HONEY lasts almost indefinitely and is a great antiseptic. But, more on that later.

There are many options for a Staples pantry depending on your own personal food tastes.

For example, if you like a lot of oriental foods, you probably want to keep some details like:

• Sesame seed
• Poppy seeds
• soy sauce
• teriyaki sauce
• Oyster sauce
• Cornstarch
• 5 spices
• ginger

and others. Check the ethnic foods section of your grocery store or visit a specialty food store in your area to see what’s available.

Latino or Hispanic cuisine can include options such as:

• Cilantro
• Cumin
• Curry
• chilli powder
• A good bottled sauce
• Hot peppers and hot sauces

Again, I suggest you base your pantry staples on your specific tastes. Your local market or grocery store should have some great deals to choose from.

Good Old American Cooking has its own set of spices like:

• Garlic powder (not garlic salt)
• onion powder
• Cinnamon
• ginger
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Sage
• Rosemary
• thyme
• mint
• pepper with lemon
• chilli powder
• Worcester Sauce

You should also have a ready supply of other items on hand such as:

• tomato sauce and pasta
• canned soups such as cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, and cream of broccoli soup
• Packaged dry mixes that are fairly easy to keep on hand include:
• dry onion soup mix
• chili seasoning packets
• spaghetti seasoning packets
• ranch and italian style dressing mixes
• breadcrumbs

And of course we all have:

• mayonnaise (not salad dressing style)
• olive oil
• vegetable oil such as canola
• Ketchup
• Mustard: ancient yellow and spicy brown.
• Assortment of bottled salad dressings
• pickles – sweet, dill and any others you like
• condiment – sweet and dill
• olives
• canned fish products such as oysters, clams, sardines, salmon, and tuna
• canned meats like ham, chicken, beef, and maybe spam (yes, it’s meat)
• Chicken and beef broth: Check the sodium content on canned and boxed varieties for the lowest amounts.
• french fried onions
• Flour
• sugar and/or sugar substitutes
• salt and pepper
• assorted pasta
• assorted rice
• canned potatoes
• canned mixed vegetables

While this is only a very small list, it will give you the things you need to create some last-minute dishes when your family bursts into the kitchen for dinner.

Use fresh meats and vegetables with different spices or sauces that you can create with any of these ingredients.

A few days ago I was faced with creating a meal for the family AND some unexpected guests. With a good variety of ingredients on hand and a well-stocked freezer, I was able to create a delicious casserole that was ready in less than 30 minutes. Served with a salad and good bread it was a hit.

I just sliced ​​the potatoes, skin on, in a skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. I added some onion and garlic powder and it started to brown. While the potatoes were cooking, I seared some small steaks that I had quickly thawed in the microwave. Cut into strips I added them to the potatoes. I then added a packet of onion soup mix, mixed well and continued to cook for a few minutes until the meat was almost done. I poured 2 cups of chicken broth mixed with a tablespoon of cornstarch and stirred until the mixture boils. Then lower the heat to a simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, about 5 more minutes. The total time was about 20 minutes.

With a simple vegetable, tomato and onion salad and some crusty French bread, the meal was complete and my family and friends raved about the “BIG Casserole” recipe. If they knew, but I won’t tell.