I was raised on a small farm growing up. Going to town was a rare treat. Typically, we would go once or twice a month. This helped me learn to stretch what you have and save where you can. I never realized how valuable that was until I became a broke college kid. I was living on barista wages in a 600 sq basement apartment with a 15-year-old car being held together with duck tape and fishing line.
When my boyfriend, now husband, moved in with me we mastered the art of feasting on a budget.
Fast forward 10 year here we are again but with two kids. The recent inflationary pressures on our economy has lead me back to my farm skills. Reaffirming how more important they are.
Today I want to share with you what you need to ensure you always have something to make.
Grocery List
Here are top things to always have in your pantry:
Dairy
- Butter*
- Eggs *
- Milk*
- Heavy cream*
- Cheese*
- Cream Cheese
**Note: I know dairy can be pricey but the flexibility it provides to cooking is well worth it.**
Dry Goods & Baking
- Salt*
- Sugar*
- Flour*
- Baking Powder*
- Baking Soda*
- Yeast*
- Rice
- Favorite Noodles*
Meat
- Ground Beef*
- Chicken*
- Bacon
- Sausage
- Muscle Meat of Choice (Steak, Roast, Loin)
Vegetables
- Potatoes*
- Carrots
- Corn (frozen)*
- Peas (frozen)*
- Broccoli (fresh or frozen)
- Cauliflower (fresh or frozen)
- Bell Pepper
- Onion*
- Cabbage
Fruit
- Raspberry (frozen)
- Blueberries (frozen)
- Bananas
- Apples
- Grapes (splurge)
Canned
- Tomato Sauce*
- Tomato Paste*
- Chickpeas
- Kidney Beans
- Black Beans
- Red Beans
- Chicken Stock
- Beef Stock
Extras
- Lemon Juice
- Mayo
- Brown Sugar
- Honey
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Soy Sauce
- Hot Sauce
- Ketchup
We deviate from this list and get something special from time to time like avocado, lettuce, or something different. In addition, when I have a garden, tomatoes will come off this list and we eat more of a variety. The above list is our baseline. Sometimes we do not have some items but the items with stars next to them are items you should always have.
I would be remised to not mention seasonings here. I strongly encourage you to invest in seasonings or grow some herbs in your yard. Good spice staples are oregano, basil, thyme, garlic powder, lemon pepper, cumin, onion powder, white pepper, pepper, Johnny’s and chili powder. Spices are the top ingredient to cooking. They are what makes food worth it and has the power to transport you to different places through flavors.
Why Those Ingredients?
Why do I need the above ingredients? They are the cornerstone to foods you love and give you flexibility to have different dishes all the time. I will say it is rare we need to get anything from the store unless we are doing something for the holidays or trying something new.
You should cycle seasonal fruit and vegetables as your budget allows either from a home garden or the store. This will round out your diet. However, there is a reason people say you can live off rice and beans. People have done it! Variety is nice but if you have minimal options I have you covered.
Here are just a few things you can make with the above items:
Breakfast
- Pancakes with Homemade Fruit Sauce
- Biscuits and Gravy with Hashbrowns & Eggs
- Egg Scramble with Biscuit or Bread
- Quiche
- Omelet
- Scones
- French Toastbake with Berries
- Smoothie
Lunch
- Focaccia Bread Sandwiches
- Meatball Sandwiches
- Creamy Tomato Soup
- Potato Soup
- Chili
- Fried Rice
- Pasta
- Sauté Vegetables and Rice
- Power Bowl
Dinner
- Chili
- Fried Chicken with Mash Potatoes, Gravy & Corn
- Tacos
- Fajitas
- Shepherd’s Pie
- Spaghetti
- Baked Chicken and Creamy Garlic Sauce with Pasta
- Chicken and Dumplings
- Mac and Cheese with Meat
- Chili Mac and Cheese
- Gnocchi with Bacon and Creamy Garlic Sauce
- Goulash and Bread
- Homemade Pizza
- SOS (meat gravy served over bread)
The meals I listed are those we cling to during financial hardships while still feeling sane. I list many things above, but I will always say less can be more. A meat with veggie and fruit makes for a well-rounded meal. We have many times given our kids bells peppers and strawberries as sides. They love it and we paid minimal for it.
Favorite Staple Foods
- Focaccia Bread
- Pancakes
- Biscuits
- Jelly Preserve
- Crepes
- Scone
- Mash Potatoes
- Taco
- Creamy Garlic Sauce
- French Bread Recipe
- Mac and Cheese
- Bread
- Best Rice Ever
- Gnocchi
How to Get Started/Meal Idea Process
When deciding what to make think about something you are craving and make a meal around it. For example, I am craving Italian noodles. Make a garlic butter or cream sauce with bacon and chicken. Couple that with steamed or sauteed broccoli and focaccia bread. This would make fantastic leftovers and the extra focaccia bread can be used for sandwiches, croutons, breadcrumbs, snacks, sides or freeze for later.
Once you begin to think about what you can do with the meal’s leftovers you will get into a groove of what to buy and when. Weekly meal planning will become second nature.
Let’s chat real quick about the saving extras.
***Hack***
Instead of making something and a lot of it consider making extra the main ingredient for the dish. For example, baked chicken. You could make extras for a soup or sandwich later. Possibly use it as an addition to pasta or freeze it. The same goes for spaghetti sauce and gravy.
Actually Use Leftovers
Make leftovers you actually like and find ways to use them.
Make enough to freeze for later. I do this with pancakes. I use extra smoothie for popsicles. Freeze extra loaves of bread or soup. Freeze leftover taco meat or ground sausage. Extra rice can be used for burritos or bowls with beans, meat, and cheese.
Make meals knowing that you will eat the leftovers or use them in the next few days with something else. Wasted food is wasted money.
Buy in Bulk
After primarily cooking from scratch, you will discover what you and your family enjoys. Buy bulk for those items you know you will use ALL the time.
I love buying 10-15lbs of flour. I know this sounds crazy but if you bake like we do it goes fast. Cinnamon rolls alone take 4 cups of flour, and most breads take any where from 4-6 cups.
It goes fast!
Our family also loves cream sauces for meats, noodles, and potatoes. I will buy large quantities of heavy cream and cheese. Primarily we use cheddar and parmesan.
My husband is known to find sales at our bulk stores, buy a beef short loin and cut it into steaks. Season them and shrink-wrap them until we are ready to eat.
You can really get a big bang for your buck this way.
***Word of Caution***
You need to know what you use consistently. If you are new to cooking from scratch I would only buy non-perishables in bulk.
Do Not Over-Complicate it
Our kids have never turned down breakfast for dinner. Honestly, it is our go to if we have no energy to cook. Eggs, pancakes, bacon, hash browns and smiles. I love to make things easy. This is why I say use what you have already made.
I hope you found this article helpful. As we experience food prices skyrocketing, getting back to the basics is necessary. When everything is expensive we become creative. Cooking from scratch helps you save money while taking control of you food bill.
Happy cooking!