Can you guess the secret to creating cheap, quick meals? If you guessed that it’s keeping a well stocked pantry, then you win!
There are just certain ingredients that make dinner time more efficient and less expensive.
You can even stock your home with pantry staples on a budget!
This well-stocked pantry list will help you create frugal, healthy, and quick meals.
You can keep these cheap food staples on hand to make dinner time much easier.
And feel good about both your grocery budget, and what you’re feeding your family.
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30 Pantry Staples on a Budget
Dry and Canned Goods:
1. Pasta
So many varieties to choose from and an endless amount of meal possibilities!
2. Couscous or instant brown rice
These make nutritious, quick-cooking side dishes.
3. Spices
No meal or pantry is complete without spices. Here are some of the best spice staples:
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Paprika
- Seasoned salt
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Onion powder
- Italian blend
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4. Canned beans
Dry beans are inexpensive as well, but for quick meals, nothing beats canned. Here are some to keep on hand:
- Garbanzo
- Chickpeas
- Black
- Kidney
- Pinto
- Cannellini
- Refried
5. Canned tomatoes
Tomatoes are so useful and versatile in everything from spaghetti to chili and beyond. Be sure your pantry includes:
- Tomato sauce
- Crushed tomatoes
- Tomato paste
- Stewed tomatoes
- Diced tomatoes
- Whole tomatoes
RELATED: How to do a Pantry Challenge to Save Money on Groceries This Week
6. Stock or broth
Premade stock makes so many dinners faster and easier. Some varieties include:
- Chicken
- Veggie
- Beef
- Bouillon cubes
- Stock paste
7. Canned Tuna
Canned tuna or salmon are excellent no-cook sources of protein.
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8. Baking ingredients
Some of the best frugal pantry staples are for making baked goods. Here are some ideas:
- Flour
- Sugar (white, brown, powdered)
- Oats
- Cornmeal
- Dried fruit
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Vanilla extract,
- Cocoa powder
- Quick yeast
- Cake or brownie mix
9. Baking mix
If you really want to make it easy, buy some baking mix (such as Bisquick).
You can make everything from pancakes to biscuits, muffins, blondies, and even as a coating for chicken.
10. Condiments
Nothing jazzes up dinner like some flavorful sauces and condiments. You can make sauces out of:
- Soy sauce
- Vinegar (white, balsamic, red wine, or rice)
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Barbecue sauce
- Worcestershire
- Honey
- Maple syrup
- Peanut butter
- Hot sauce
- Mayo
- Salad dressing
11. Condensed soups
You can use condensed soups to make a huge array of cheap pantry meals.
The ‘cream of’ varieties and condensed tomato soup are quite versatile.
12. Tortillas
Another one of the best budget pantry staples is tortillas.
They have a much longer shelf life than a loaf of bread, but can be used for anything from tacos to individual pizzas.
13. Pasta sauce
A spaghetti dinner can come together super quickly with the use of a jar of pasta sauce.
You can always doctor it up with more spices or fresh ingredients if you want.
14.Instant potatoes
Believe it or not, you can make more than just mashed potatoes with these.
Try using them to make gnocchi, as a binder for meatloaf or a thickener for sauces and gravy, or even as a crispy coating for onion rings.
15. Jarred salsa
Salsa is good on everything from eggs to baked potatoes, plus it’s a super easy side dish or appetizer with tortilla chips.
16. Roasted red peppers or sun dried tomatoes
These two pantry staples really pack a flavorful bang for your buck.
Great in everything from pasta dishes to pizza toppings.
17. Breadcrumbs
Having a canister of breadcrumbs in the pantry can be used to:
- Bread chicken
- Top fish or baked dishes like macaroni and cheese
- Act as a binder for meatballs or crabcakes.
18. Potatoes
Russet, red, and sweet potatoes all have an incredibly long shelf-life when kept in a dark, cool place like your pantry.
They are so versatile for side dishes!
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19. Onions
Onions also stay good for a long time, and add an incredible amount of flavor to any savory dish.
20. Canned vegetables
Canned veggies make quick side dishes, and easy additions to soups and stews.
Some great vegetables to keep on hand are:
- Corn
- Green beans
- Carrots
- Peas
- Potatoes
- Asparagus
- Diced green chiles
- Olives
- Artichoke hearts
- Chinese vegetables
- Water chestnuts
- Sauerkraut
21. Olive and canola oil
No kitchen is complete without olive oil for flavor and sauteing, and canola oil for higher temperature cooking and baking.
Fridge and freezer staples
22. Eggs
If you really want a quick and cheap meal, make something with eggs.
From omelettes to breakfast burritos to scrambled in a hash, there is no less expensive source of good protein.
23. Butter
Both as a topping for breads and baked potatoes, to an ingredient in sauces and baked goods, butter is an ideal ingredient to keep in your kitchen.
24. Greek yogurt or sour cream
Much like butter, plain yogurt and sour cream can be used as a topping or ingredient.
Pro-tip: Greek yogurt has a lot of protein, which makes the the perfect healthy alternative to sour cream.
25. Cheese
Both parmesan and cheddar cheese pack a flavorful punch to many quick meals.
Mozzarella can turn almost any type of bread into pizza with some sauce and toppings.
Read next: 95 Pizza Toppings to Jazz up Homemade Pizza Night
26. Lean proteins
Keeping a few different kinds of meat in your fridge or freezer means you’ll never have to run to the store before making dinner.
I like to stock up when there’s a great sale, and use my Foodsaver to lock in the freshness.
Some protein ideas to keep in your kitchen are:
- Ground beef (here are 30+ ideas of what to make with ground beef!)
- Ground turkey
- Chicken breasts
- Chicken thighs
- Turkey kielbasa
- Turkey bacon (or regular bacon of course)
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27. Long-lasting vegetables
Some root vegetables will stay good for weeks!
Here are a few ideas of veggies with a long shelf life:
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Squash
28. Lemons and limes
These citrus fruits are excellent when squeezed on a variety of dishes, plus they make drinking water and co*cktails more flavorful.
29. Frozen vegetables
Since the freezer-section veggies are frozen at the peak of freshness, they contain most of the health benefits as fresh vegetables.
They’re also crunchier than the canned varieties.
30. Frozen berries
Berries from the freezer are usually far less expensive than not-in-season fresh berries. They can be thawed and eaten with yogurt or on oatmeal, or used to make tasty baked goods.
Ready to stock up on these pantry staples?
I hope this list of pantry staples on a budget has given you lots of inspiration for how to stock your pantry.
You can use this well-stocked pantry list to create TONS of quick and cheap meals.
By keeping these ingredients on hand, you’ll never have to run out to the store just to make dinner.
It also makes meal planning a breeze!
New to meal planning? Check out these super handy resources:
- How to Get Started Meal Planning Today: 10Super Easy Tricks
- 5 Easy Meal Planning Strategies for Beginners
- How to Create Your Own Meal Planning Kit
