Pantry Staples Guide- The Essential Ingredients to Equip Yourself for Cooking at Home

If there's anything we can learn from this time spent at home, it's that being prepared is essential. I'm not talking hoarding toilet paper, but if there's a way that we can come out of this with a greater confidence in our abilities to adapt and feel prepared, then that in itself adds value to our lives. Since this whole thing began, I've been getting countless messages with questions regarding pantry ingredients, substitutions, sourdough tips, etc. It's so nice to hear from people who are trying new things in their kitchen and hopefully finding some enjoyment and solace from current events.

I've had several requests for help in planning out what to buy to stock up a pantry, from spices to baking supplies to dry goods to keep on hand, I'm breaking down what I have deemed "essential" in my pantry over the past several years. This is basically a list of everything I use regularly in my cooking and baking adventures. If you're just starting to build your own kitchen, maybe as a newlywed or in your first home on your own, I hope these tips might give you some direction as to what things are necessary, and what are just an added bonus to have around. I've created a 5- page printable download for you as well with checklists so you can equip your pantry with everything you need to be able to conquer basic cooking and baking without lots of extra shopping trips for missing ingredients.

Spice Pantry Staples

The following is a list of everything you need in your pantry to be fully equipped to conquer MOST general cooking recipes, or to whip up your own creation. Depending on the type/genre of foods you like, you may find that you want to add a few things (for example, if you plan to cook a lot of Indian cuisine, I'd recommend adding coriander, turmeric, and garam masala to your list). This list includes more than just jars of dried herbs and spices. I've included some recommendations for various oils, sauces, and other ingredients to have on hand to add flavor to your foods.

Basic Flavor Pairings...What goes well together?

Do you ever find yourself lacking inspiration or direction when it comes to which ingredients work well with others? I've got a really general list of some of the main ingredients and flavors that complement different proteins well. Just don't use all of them at once. :)

Beef

• Butter
• Chives
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Horseradish
• Thyme
• Mushrooms
• Mustard- Dijon
• Parsley
• Black Pepper
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Soy Sauce
• Shallots
• Dry Red Wine
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Bacon
• Rosemary
• Beer

Chicken

• Basil
• Bacon
• Bay Leaf
• Butter
• Leeks
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Black Pepper
• Shallots
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Apples
• Sage
• Carrots
• Cheese- Parmesan, Asiago, Fontina
• Cilantro
• Lemon juice/zest
• Mustard
• Paprika
• Rosemary
• Tarragon
• Tomatoes
• Asparagus
• Cream
• Curry Powder
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Mayonnaise
• Olive Oil
• Parsley
• Thyme
• Dry White Wine

Pork

• Sage
• Bacon
• Bourbon
• Ginger
• Parsley
• Apples
• Bay Leaf
• Maple Syrup
• Honey
• Pepper
• Sour Cream
• Soy Sauce
• Thyme
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Garlic
• Mint
• Rosemary
• Mustard
• Onions
• Oregano
• Paprika
• Shallots
• Dry Red or Dry White Wine

Turkey

• Allspice
• Apples
• Bacon
• Cranberries
• Celery
• Garlic
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Sage
• Pepper
• Thyme
• Spinach
• Carrots

Fish

• Lemon
• Fennel
• Dill
• Basil
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Parsley
• Pepper, black or white
• Tomatoes
• Olives
• Anchovies
• Dry White Wine

Seafood

• Apples
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Lemon Juice
• Mint
• Old Bay Seasoning
• Citrus
• Dry White Wine
• Tomatoes
• Bacon
• Basil
• Bay Leaf
• Curry Powder
• Parsley
• Pepper
• Rosemary
• Shallots
• Soy Sauce
• Thyme
• Vinegar- Balsamic, Rice Wine, Red/White Wine Vinegar

Common Spice Blends...How to Make Your Own

There are a few really common spice blends that may be worth buying pre-mixed, sometimes you don't need an entire jar of a blend, or you may want to tweak it to suit your tastes. Luckily it's really easy to make your own and adjust however you like. I've included recipes for 10 Common Spice Blends, including Italian Seasoning, Poultry Seasoning, Everything Bagel Seasoning, Herbes de Provence, Chinese Five Spice, Canadian Steak Seasoning, Taco Seasoning, Old Bay Seasoning, Fajita Seasoning, and Pumpkin Pie Spice. (All of the recipes are located on the printable download PDF for your reference also.)

Italian Seasoning

• 1 ½ teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ½ teaspoon dried sage

Poultry Seasoning

• 2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 ½teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram 
• ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Everything Bagel Seasoning

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds 
• 1 ½ tablespoons dehydrated minced onion
• 1 ½ tablespoons dehydrated minced garlic
• 1 tablespoons coarse sea salt 
• 1 tablespoons black sesame seeds

Herbes de Provence

• 1 tablespoon rosemary
• 1 ½ teaspoons fennel seed
• 1 tablespoon savory
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon basil
• 1 tablespoon marjoram 
• 1 tablespoon culinary lavender
• 1 tablespoon Italian parsley
• 1 ½ teaspoons oregano
• 1 ½ teaspoons tarragon
• ½ teaspoon ground bay leaves

Canadian Steak Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried dill
• 1 ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

Taco Seasoning

• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Pinch of cayenne pepper

Old Bay Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon celery salt 
• ¼ teaspoon paprika 
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper 
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 1 pinch ground dry mustard 
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon 
• 1 pinch ground cardamom
• 1 pinch ground allspice
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 pinch ground ginger
• Tiny pinch ground nutmeg

Chinese Five Spice

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 teaspoon ground star anise
• 1 teaspoon szechuan peppercorns, toasted and ground

Fajita Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

Pumpkin Pie Spice

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

Where to Buy Spices and How Often?

While most of the time, budget and availability play a large role in deciding to make a purchase, there are other times where I choose to buy the higher quality ingredients based upon my experience using them. Spices is one of those things that I am a little bit picky about. A few examples are: cinnamon, cocoa powder, and vanilla. I am a huge fan of Penzey's Spices (not sponsored!). I have yet to be disappointed with anything I have purchased from them. I'm also fortunate to have one of their retail locations near me. I absolutely never use any other cinnamon than their "Vietnamese Cinnamon". It is incredible and worth the effort to order it if you don't have a Penzey's location near you.

For cocoa powder, if I'm shopping for just regular everyday use, I typically pick up Ghirardelli from my regular grocery store. It works really well and has a good flavor. For special occasions or things that rely heavily on the cocoa powder, I love Valrhona, Rodelle, or Guittard. These brands also make great chocolate bars.

When it comes to vanilla, pure vanilla extract is a must. NO imitations. I typically make my own since I go through vanilla at a rapid pace. You can read about making your own HERE. Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla is my favorite type of vanilla beans. The flavor is pure and clean and delicious. Some other types of vanilla beans I have found to have way too much of a floral taste to them. As far as store-bought pure vanilla extract, my favorite is Nielsen-Massey or Rodelle.

Things to keep in mind when purchasing spices is the shelf-life and the frequency with which you think you'll use it. For example, I wouldn't recommend buying a huge bottle of cloves if you rarely use cloves (and since cloves are used in such a small quantity in recipes). As a general rule, dried herbs and ground spices stay good for 1-3 years. Pure vanilla extract and salt can be kept indefinitely. Please note: Ingredients used for leavening, such as yeast, baking powder, and baking soda have a much shorter shelf life and it is important to replace them regularly so they don't lose their effectiveness.

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Thanks so much for visiting Kitchen Joy! If you would like to save the lists in this post to your Pinterest, just click on the photos in this post. If you would like to print them however, it is best to use the download button to access a print-quality PDF.