by Erin Kathleen

Created on: February 07, 2009

As a parent of three on a tight budget, I know what it means to need to have a frugally stocked pantry. It's a time-saver, a money-saver, and a sanity-saver. Having the right items in your pantry at all times can enable you to easily prepare budget-friendly meals without the worry of making a new grocery list and spending more money. I've put together a simple list of the best basic items for your pantry, as well as essentials in produce.

DRY PANTRY

-Rice (instant and converted)

-Canned diced tomatoes (assorted varieties)

-Canned chicken broth

-Canned corn

-Canned black olives

-Canned chicken (as well as tuna, ham, or even salmon)

-Condensed tomato soup

-Condensed cheese soup

-Assorted seasoned bread crumbs

-Dried pasta (plenty of variety)

-Jarred alfredo sauce (as well as tomtato, vodka sauce, ect)

-Jarred roasted red peppers

-Extra virgin olive oil

-Stir-fry sauce

-Soy sauce

-Ramen noodles

-Boxed mac and cheese

-Bread

-Sugar

-Flour tortillas

-Canned black beans

FROZEN

-Frozen meatballs

-Frozen veggies (carrots, green peppers, green beans, mixed veggies, stir-fry mix)

-Frozen french fries

-Meats (ground beef, chicken breasts, pork)

REFRIGERATED

-Lemon juice

-Eggs

-Grated Parmesan cheese

-Mayonnaise

-Dijon mustard

-Green onions

-Sour Cream

-Butter

-Shredded cheese (use a variety)

-Crumbled cheese (feta, bleu cheese, ect)

SPICES

-Salt

-Black pepper

-Garlic salt

-Garlic powder

-Red pepper flakes

-Dried oregano

-Dried basil

-Dried parsley

-"steak seasoning"

-Cayenne pepper

-Chili Powder

-Pre-made packets (taco season, enchilada sauce, ranch dressing mix, brown gravy mix, etc)

PRODUCE

-Tomatoes

-Peppers

-Carrots

-Onions

-Lettuce

N ot only will having items of this list keep your dinners quick and easy, but they allow for preperation of budget-friendly meals. You don't have to spend a fortune to feel like you did. Here are a few suggestions of things you can make simply by using the items you would already have on hand...

*Enchilada Lasagna*

Simply layer your foods in the same manner as you would lasagna, using these delicious enchilada ingredients. From your pantry, you'll need four tortillas, taco season, canned corn, enchilada mix, canned tomato soup, shredded cheeses, peppers, sour cream, green onions. ground beef or chicken.

Cook your meat, adding the taco season for flavor. Mix your tomato soup with enchilada mix to create sauce. Pour about a third of the sauce in with the meat. In a deep baking dish, layer all ingredients except for sour cream. End with cheese for the top. Bake at 350 for around 20 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes. Top with sour cream. Easy, quick, cheap- and it all came from your pantry!

*Alfredo Bake*

This is a simple baked chicken alfredo. You need some penne pasta, jarred alfredo sauce, shredded cheese (preferably Italian cheeses), canned chicken, jarred roasted red peppers, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and some olive oil.

Cook your pasta. Mix together shredded cheeses, canned chicken, and roasted red peppers. Add the pasta and alfredo sauce. Pour into a baking dish. Combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and olive oil. Sprinkle this over the pasta. Bake at 375 for 30 to 45 minutes. Delicious, super easy, and cheap- straight from the pantry!

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