The Essential Pantry List To End All Essential Pantry Lists

If you are starting out in the world of cooking then this list may be a great help to you.  I have been putting it together for quite a while now and wanted to share it once I felt like it had really come together.  With this list to end all pantry lists I believe you have the base to prepare more meals than one can count. Now everything on my list may not work for you, but you can tweak and fix as needed.

1. Herbs and spices: The temptation to buy everything they sell can be real but there is not a need for that, especially since you do not want to keep them for longer than a year.  Just make note of what you end up replacing the most often. Sea salt, kosher salt, black pepper, whole black peppercorns, thyme, oregano, basil, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, Goya Sazon are some that I keep on hand and use frequently.
2. Flours: all purpose, whole wheat
3. Sugars: granulated and brown sugar
4. Vanilla Extract
5. Evaporated Milk: you never know when you will not want to run out to the store to pick up the milk that you forgot the other 3473984 previous times you were there.
6. Dry Pastas: buy your favorite sizes and shapes
7. Grains: quinoa, rice
8. Baking soda, baking powder, corn starch
9. Oils: olive oil, some sort of inexpensive vegetable oil, and sesame oil
10. Soy sauce
11. Chicken stock/Veggie Stock/Bouillon
12. Honey
13. Hot Sauce: I love Sriracha but I also keep a bottle of Texas Pete or Franks hot sauce on hand just in case
14. Dijon mustard: never underestimate the power that this condiment has to transform a bland dish into something gourmet, keep it on hand and once opened it lasts for months in the fridge.
15. Vinegars: balsamic, apple cider, white, and red wine are the ones I get the most use out of but if you do not have a strong affinity for vinegar then you can keep it to the basics of just white and apple cider.
16. Tomatoes: diced, crushed, tomato sauce, and tomato paste are all good things to keep on hand for a last minute sauce or soup base.
17. Beans: canned and dry (black, pinto, white, garbanzo)
18. Jars of your favorite pasta sauce
19. Peanut Butter
20. Nuts: whatever your favorites are, they are great for snacking and baking
21.  Oatmeal: great for a cold weather breakfast, as a binder in your meatloaf, or for baking
22. Maple syrup: A little on the expensive side to buy the real deal, but the flavor is worth it