For bread crumbs, I keep the heels of loaves of bread in a container in the freezer. When I need bread crumbs I chuck some heels in the blender and whiz them up to whatever coarseness I need. Or if I want to make stuffing, I cube the heels of bread for that. Cheaper than buying store bought bread crumbs or stuffing mix.
And it's fantastic. The name is spot on, it's better than bullion. Even if I use stock I add a dab to flavor things up. It's the secret to my sausage gravy...add an appropriate amount (to taste) of chicken paste. Gets used as a flavor booster to lots of stuff.
I would include oatmeal also. it is a good replacement for breadcrumbs and for breakfast. Adding jellies and jams as well as cranberries and raisins can really boost the blandness.
Nicole, we really enjoy the endings you tag on to your videos. It's pretty cool when the guy who steals the show wasn't even seen in the video. Ha! Thanks a bunch!
Been cooking for decades but there were some nice reminders here. And don’t forget a bag of dried cranberries. Ice cream, cereal, salads, or tossed into wild rice.
My pantry is fully stocked, probably way more than I need. I consider my refrigerator an extension of my pantry - it's my cold pantry. My freezer too. Most of the food in my house is ingredients, because I cook almost everything I eat, and rarely eat processed foods with the exception of cheeses and pepperoni. AND, to your gagging friend on the Spam, I keep several cans on hand. Hey, when times get tough, and you never know what's going to happen these days, even he would eat the Spam if properly prepared. I love it sliced about 1/2" thick, breaded and fried.
'Kitchen tip: If you store onions with the potatoes, the potatoes go bad more quickly. Try to put them in a separate place. I store onions in the refrigerator which means there are no tears- But potatoes should be stored at cool temperature, but not cold.
Wine is getting more expensive and as it's not cost effective to open an entire bottle for just a splash or two in a meal, I bought a six pack of the little wine bottles which are about 8 oz. each bottle. I bought white, red and rose for a variety and it works out great when I need just something less than an entire bottle for a sauce or whatever. Having one of the little wine bottles of white wine on hand for the risotto would have been perfect.
One of my pantry staples is shelf stable milk. I know it sounds weird but we don’t drink a lot of milk in our house and it goes bad in the fridge before we finish it. I buy the shelf stable milk at Dollar Tree for $1.25 a quart and when I need milk I just open one of them. It’s cheaper than going to the grocery store for milk.
Free stock: (and technically bone broth at that)...save all your veg scraps and bones in a gallon bag in the freezer and make stock in your crock pot on low for 24 hours. Sometimes low is even too hot and I have to turn it down to "keep warm" because you don't want it to boil. Strain through fine mesh, then through cheesecloth, and freeze till you need it in the portions you like. SO good for you, too! If you can get a batch that gets like jello when it's cold, it's loaded with collagen and super healthy for you. Also add a tbsp of apple cider vinegar, from what I've read to pull the vitamins from the veg. I like to store soup sized portions and 2c portions for making rice pilaf.
To the guy who made the gagging sound during the blooper section, my mom used to fry up slices of spam and put them on white bread with mayonnaise and we girls loved it! So yummy! If you are a single mom, that can stretch and make a yummy meal for four!
Thank You I have a full stocked pantry and the pandemic made me a cook (my mom couldn't get me to come watch her cook!) So glad I found you because sometimes I am a loss at technique SO A BIGTHANK YOU!
Great ideas as always; I found that my rotation of recipes expanded beyond belief when I learned to keep my pantry stocked, so I can take meat &/or veggies out of the freezer & pantry and throw together a delicious new meal any time. One thing I have added to my bank of food ingredients, is Better than Boullion chicken & beef. With this I done have to worry if I have all the flavorful fresh herbs and spices, if I've run out.
I found that Spam makes a fairly tasty fried rice. Use yesterday's white rice, egg, diced onion, and cubed Spam. Don't add any salt and be very careful with the soy sauce. I personally always have sesame oil, adding just enough to taste.
Hi Nicole - that was a great video. Even an old timer like myself can always learn a few new things. I love beans. I use them in chili, then cold salads, refried beans for tacos, the list goes on and on. Your videos are very friendly, but instructional. Thanks for sharing and continued success. Love PegEgg
I love this and my pantry is well-stocked with many of said-items. My only concern is the salt/ chemical content in some products. I make my own stocks (very cost-effective: one $5 chicken will yield 7 quarts of stock). I keep dried chilies (last forever), lentils, nuts, oats, yeast and flours, chocolate, vinegars. I use an air dryer to preserve mushrooms, fruit, veg and herbs. I make croutons or crumbs with aging bread. I love Spam. Hard to find these days actually.
Oh my gosh I’m in love any one that can cook I’m in love not many can cook anymore thank you you are beautiful and can cook your husband is very lucky and blessed thank you for your videos
Oh, that black bean burger looks just like (or better than) the ones I used to buy. Forgot why I stopped buying them. I keep black beans in my pantry. So I’m really glad to find your recipe. Looking forward to more of your videos. New subbie. Hi.
I like to keep a relatively large bottle of Vermouth on hand. It is self stable and can serve as that splash of wine to a pan sauce, or to deglaze. Also some items that have worked there way into the pantry/fridge are - Tubes of tomato paste, anchovies, garlic, and more. I don't know how many half cans of tomato paste I have thrown away. Haven't tried pesto in a tube yet. I'm fussy about fresh pesto.
I also keep cans of tuna, salmon, chicken, ham and beef. I grow my own small pots of herbs in my kitchen window. Fresh herbs can add so much flavor to any meal. I grow parsley, cilantro, thyme, oregano, basil, chives and rosemary. I grow Dill outdoors because it gets big. You can even take green onions from the store and plant them in a pot and grow them in a sunny window. Growing herbs is very easy and they smell wonderful in your kitchen.
I live in Indiana now and I was wondering where you live because I noticed in your pantry you’ve got Publix brands… I love Publix and I miss shopping there so much and I love all of your videos you’re great!
I rarely buy canned beans, I get dried ones instead. If you have an instant pot/ pressure cooker, the beans cook really quickly without overnight soaking. And dried beans save a lot of room in your pantry, generate less trash, and use less fossil fuel for shipping.
Instant coffee for desserts to make frosting rice which can go with any kind of meat beans which I make daily in a pressure cooker tomato sauce can of tomatoes whole or chopped cans of Campbell's Soup celery mushroom or any kind to make any kinds of chicken cornbread all kinds of spices different types of jellies to make toppings for ice cream cream of wheat oatmeal its endless many of the items you have in your pantry I have in mind as expensive as food is you have to make ends meet and make the food stretch thanks a lot God bless
Since meat is so expensive if you freeze it I recommend butcher paper. No freezer burn. Anyone having a hard time buying onions?They go bad in a couple days.
sometimes when r in a pinch, its good to have some of these items on hand 🙄 not just by itself, but like she said, to proteins, soups, stew..did u not listen?
I would love for someone to help me cook for one. I have no family and never learned to cook. Now I’m locked in and need to cook, but don’t want lots of leftovers.
Cook for two, most of my cooking tastes better the second day. I cook on a more meal prep style. Batch of veggies, batch of rice starch, batch of chicken breast in containers in the fridge, then out comes a pot of soup, a pan of fried rice, a plate of diced chicken and a different starch. Chicken salad on a roll. leftovers pizza. Rice pudding, I know if you make too much it gets old in the fridge and must be thrown out. This doesn't happen to me if I cook up plain items, and then reheat in different combos. Then microwave or a one pan plan help me quickly heat up a yummy meal.
Ben you can find quite a few videos on cooking for one. Most recipes can be cut in half so you'll only have leftovers for 1 meal. Also look for Jiffy mixes at the store, they're made for smaller portions.
A bit pricey at the start: cook for four every other day, freezing two immediately and eating two that week. After a couple of months your meals will be in rotation and you're only cooking twice a week with no repetition with the right planning.
Try out a few meal kits. You can buy them portioned for two, then you have lunch the next day. They'll give you some good ideas and teach you some technique and you'll start branching out on your own before you know it.
Thanks for watching! Click the link for more pantry staples: www.allrecipes.com/article/pantry-staples-for-easy-budget-friendly-meals/
And it’s way better!
For bread crumbs, I keep the heels of loaves of bread in a container in the freezer. When I need bread crumbs I chuck some heels in the blender and whiz them up to whatever coarseness I need. Or if I want to make stuffing, I cube the heels of bread for that. Cheaper than buying store bought bread crumbs or stuffing mix.
Peanut butter. I use it in cookies, fudge, Thai peanut sauce with pasta, on a sandwich, on crackers, on apple slices, in a smoothie and more.
lol, great I dont have lil ones we are retired but its hubby's only thing he can make when i can't cook' lol!
I absolutely love watching Nicole! You are knowledgeable, funny and make learning a breeze! Thanks so much for sharing your talent!
BetterThan Bouillon paste is way cheaper than boxed/canned broths. An 8oz jar lasts longer...FYI
And it's fantastic. The name is spot on, it's better than bullion. Even if I use stock I add a dab to flavor things up. It's the secret to my sausage gravy...add an appropriate amount (to taste) of chicken paste. Gets used as a flavor booster to lots of stuff.
great video, I make wonderful Quesidillas from her recipe,spot on!
It is absolutely delicious! But in a pinch Knorr will work. Those cartons get pricey if you use it a lot and I do lol.
I would include oatmeal also. it is a good replacement for breadcrumbs and for breakfast. Adding jellies and jams as well as cranberries and raisins can really boost the blandness.
The three items that are must-haves in my pantry at all times are Jars of Salsa, Tortilla Chips and jarred pasta sauce.
Nicole, we really enjoy the endings you tag on to your videos. It's pretty cool when the guy who steals the show wasn't even seen in the video. Ha! Thanks a bunch!
Been cooking for decades but there were some nice reminders here. And don’t forget a bag of dried cranberries. Ice cream, cereal, salads, or tossed into wild rice.
I like to keep a little bit of everything in my pantry. Beans salad dressings pasta tuna soups. Etc. I love watching you Nicole.
can't agree more,I have so many of her items and I have an extra freezer I love.lol so cool
My pantry is fully stocked, probably way more than I need. I consider my refrigerator an extension of my pantry - it's my cold pantry. My freezer too. Most of the food in my house is ingredients, because I cook almost everything I eat, and rarely eat processed foods with the exception of cheeses and pepperoni. AND, to your gagging friend on the Spam, I keep several cans on hand. Hey, when times get tough, and you never know what's going to happen these days, even he would eat the Spam if properly prepared. I love it sliced about 1/2" thick, breaded and fried.
'Kitchen tip: If you store onions with the potatoes, the potatoes go bad more quickly. Try to put them in a separate place. I store onions in the refrigerator which means there are no tears- But potatoes should be stored at cool temperature, but not cold.
@Angel Bulldog Yes, Some people put an onion in the refrigerator for 15 mins. or so and then cut it for the same 'non-tear' effect.
Wine is getting more expensive and as it's not cost effective to open an entire bottle for just a splash or two in a meal, I bought a six pack of the little wine bottles which are about 8 oz. each bottle. I bought white, red and rose for a variety and it works out great when I need just something less than an entire bottle for a sauce or whatever. Having one of the little wine bottles of white wine on hand for the risotto would have been perfect.
What a great idea - thanks for sharing !
That doesnt leave much left-over to taste tho.....
@@davemacgyver573 Well then, Dave, you are a candidate for opening a bottle of wine to both include IN your meal and drink WITH your meal.
@@davemacgyver573 My kinda guy
Love, Love, Love watching your straightforward approach to making things easily and cost effective! Keep it up! Can't wait for your next video.
One of my pantry staples is shelf stable milk. I know it sounds weird but we don’t drink a lot of milk in our house and it goes bad in the fridge before we finish it. I buy the shelf stable milk at Dollar Tree for $1.25 a quart and when I need milk I just open one of them. It’s cheaper than going to the grocery store for milk.
I buy the same Milk. Usually 2% and Whole. It's just Me, so this works out Great. Keeps for almost a year on the shelf. I Love this stuff!!
Free stock: (and technically bone broth at that)...save all your veg scraps and bones in a gallon bag in the freezer and make stock in your crock pot on low for 24 hours. Sometimes low is even too hot and I have to turn it down to "keep warm" because you don't want it to boil. Strain through fine mesh, then through cheesecloth, and freeze till you need it in the portions you like. SO good for you, too! If you can get a batch that gets like jello when it's cold, it's loaded with collagen and super healthy for you. Also add a tbsp of apple cider vinegar, from what I've read to pull the vitamins from the veg. I like to store soup sized portions and 2c portions for making rice pilaf.
To the guy who made the gagging sound during the blooper section, my mom used to fry up slices of spam and put them on white bread with mayonnaise and we girls loved it! So yummy! If you are a single mom, that can stretch and make a yummy meal for four!
I've tried black bean burgers before and they just fell apart, but these look so good
update! These were the best black bean burgers we've made/had!
Ghee is shelf stable. It's essentially clarified butter. One I keep on hand. I believe I had everything including a bunch of additional "somes...."
I wish I knew how to use ghee
Bullion is a must for me.
Great educational video! Bonus recipe ideas at the end is inspirational! TNX
Thank You I have a full stocked pantry and the pandemic made me a cook (my mom couldn't get me to come watch her cook!) So glad I found you because sometimes I am a loss at technique
SO A BIGTHANK YOU!
Great ideas as always; I found that my rotation of recipes expanded beyond belief when I learned to keep my pantry stocked, so I can take meat &/or veggies out of the freezer & pantry and throw together a delicious new meal any time. One thing I have added to my bank of food ingredients, is Better than Boullion chicken & beef. With this I done have to worry if I have all the flavorful fresh herbs and spices, if I've run out.
Nicole, you are my favorite UA-cam cook. You have my cooking habits, easy and budget friendly. Happy holidays to you and your family. 😊
Love, love ,love your site. Simple, easy to understand and make recipes and only a few US ingredients to find Ausie substitutes for .
Great video, right to the point, clear, and you don’t waste my time.
Stay happy and blessed
Sending lots of love to everyone who reads🥰
Absolutely love her tips- she uses
some I have used for some years but her ideas enhance what we all do I love it
Love your simple meals and they look delish 😋 I like to keep pasta n jars of sauce also rice and canned soups Thanks for sharing 👍
Great video. Always a pleasure to watch. Loved "I'll teach you."
I found that Spam makes a fairly tasty fried rice. Use yesterday's white rice, egg, diced onion, and cubed Spam. Don't add any salt and be very careful with the soy sauce. I personally always have sesame oil, adding just enough to taste.
Sounds good, Phillip. And, you're right about the sesame oil: a little goes a long way.
Ate that combo all the time in Hawaii. Love it
i gotta try the spam rice it does look good
This is so family and economy friendly
Hi Nicole - that was a great video. Even an old timer like myself can always learn a few new things. I love beans. I use them in chili, then cold salads, refried beans for tacos, the list goes on and on. Your videos are very friendly, but instructional. Thanks for sharing and continued success. Love PegEgg
I love this and my pantry is well-stocked with many of said-items. My only concern is the salt/ chemical content in some products. I make my own stocks (very cost-effective: one $5 chicken will yield 7 quarts of stock). I keep dried chilies (last forever), lentils, nuts, oats, yeast and flours, chocolate, vinegars. I use an air dryer to preserve mushrooms, fruit, veg and herbs. I make croutons or crumbs with aging bread. I love Spam. Hard to find these days actually.
Costco
Costco and Probably Sam's has Spam. I buy the 4 (6pack) to donate to the food banks. I like Spam too. ☺️
Oh my gosh I’m in love any one that can cook I’m in love not many can cook anymore thank you you are beautiful and can cook your husband is very lucky and blessed thank you for your videos
My new favourite cooking channel. So practical.
she is wonderful, I cook better and got so many ideas and skills from her,I started my cooking channel cause she inspired me.
I love watching your videos you deserve a book deal like yesterday
As you mention canned tomatoes, I also like tomato paste as a staple ingredient.
can't live without my tomatoe paste,i'm gonna post a video of my fast penne alla vodka using tomatoe paste.
Oh, that black bean burger looks just like (or better than) the ones I used to buy. Forgot why I stopped buying them. I keep black beans in my pantry. So I’m really glad to find your recipe. Looking forward to more of your videos. New subbie. Hi.
I like to keep a relatively large bottle of Vermouth on hand. It is self stable and can serve as that splash of wine to a pan sauce, or to deglaze. Also some items that have worked there way into the pantry/fridge are - Tubes of tomato paste, anchovies, garlic, and more. I don't know how many half cans of tomato paste I have thrown away. Haven't tried pesto in a tube yet. I'm fussy about fresh pesto.
Thanks for the tips🙋🏾♂️& the mental escape...🙃p.s. Spam's a lifesaver!
Love your presentations and am learning so much. Thanks!
I love to keep chicken broth, lemon pepper seasoning and flavored olive oil
I also keep cans of tuna, salmon, chicken, ham and beef. I grow my own small pots of herbs in my kitchen window. Fresh herbs can add so much flavor to any meal. I grow parsley, cilantro, thyme, oregano, basil, chives and rosemary. I grow Dill outdoors because it gets big. You can even take green onions from the store and plant them in a pot and grow them in a sunny window. Growing herbs is very easy and they smell wonderful in your kitchen.
Cool tip! Do you grow from seedlings or already grown?
Wow that's looks delicious and tasty recipe so good preparation and presentation👌 fully watch😍 thanks for sharing❤👍
I love veggie burgers, but never could make them taste great. You showed me the error of my ways! On to the kitchen I go! Thanks!!!!
Nicole, you are the best!
Sweetened condensed milk AND dulce de leche!!! 😊 Also, I like to chop up a can of stewed tomatoes and add it to a prepared box of mac and cheese…
absolutely,and coconut milk for curry
You are very inspiring and sooo helpful. Thanks for all your videos
Freeze dried or dehydrated veggies are a good staple to have in the pantry.
do you mean veggie chips?
I live in Indiana now and I was wondering where you live because I noticed in your pantry you’ve got Publix brands… I love Publix and I miss shopping there so much and I love all of your videos you’re great!
I think recipes are really useful.
Great ideas! I love your videos! Thanks
One of my pantry staples is the pizza crust mix from Walmart. It's $0.52 a bag plus you can make stuff like bread sticks and garlic knots with it ^.^
Thanks for the great idea!!
nice idea
Great list... budget friendly and tasty start in kitchen... subscribed to your channel 😀
Can you do how to use fresh herbs? I planted some this year and not sure how to add them to dishes. Thanks
Your channel is very informative THANK YOU TEACHER 😊
This is very useful information.
I like all your videos very useful thanks for sharing 😛👍
soo many ideas here.
Broth, beans, tomato products, pasta, grains
I rarely buy canned beans, I get dried ones instead. If you have an instant pot/ pressure cooker, the beans cook really quickly without overnight soaking. And dried beans save a lot of room in your pantry, generate less trash, and use less fossil fuel for shipping.
I consider Parmesan cheese a pantry item and you could have tossed that into the risotto dish
Thanks for sharing 👍
I have all the things you mentioned except the artichokes 😊
I embodied the emotion in the last frame reaction to the can of spam bahahahaha
Great video!
Good info
Awesome, luved the ending, lol.😉.........can that spam.
Instant coffee for desserts to make frosting rice which can go with any kind of meat beans which I make daily in a pressure cooker tomato sauce can of tomatoes whole or chopped cans of Campbell's Soup celery mushroom or any kind to make any kinds of chicken cornbread all kinds of spices different types of jellies to make toppings for ice cream cream of wheat oatmeal its endless many of the items you have in your pantry I have in mind as expensive as food is you have to make ends meet and make the food stretch thanks a lot God bless
Very helpful.
Great video! You just described my pantry except the beans!🤢
great video, I have all of your suggestions.
Ty
My staple is a can or jar of spaghetti sauce and pasta. I keep several different kinds of each, and cheeses.
I'm a big meat eater, but man those bean patties look amazing.
I wonder if you could mix black beans in along with the ground beef the way Nicole mixed mushrooms into beef recently.
love her!
I also keep ground pork in my freezer
I love your videos!
I have most of the above in my pantry.
TIP ONIONS LAST LONGER IN REFRIGERATOR
what do you mean by "tip onions"? can you plz explain? Thank you
@@JessicaSantos-gb8ht CORRECTION (ANY BULB ONION KEEPS LONGER IN THE REFRIGERATOR =WEEKS
Don’t store your potatoes next to your onion , onions produce ethylene gas .
Love your show 🇨🇦
Since meat is so expensive if you freeze it I recommend butcher paper. No freezer burn. Anyone having a hard time buying onions?They go bad in a couple days.
Chop onions and freeze in portion size
I think you forgot honey & molasses when you talked about jelly's & jams.
All cheese or just hard cheeses?
Curry powder!
I keep take out menus haha. I. feel same about spam
Tortilla chips, corn tortillas and rice for a gluten free family member
Show me how you use spam! Please
👍😊👋👋
I avoid Goya anymore..but everything else is aces!
Bullure cubes
I learned and was told that you shouldn't store potatoes and onions touching.
tahini is for ONE THING- hummus- accept no substitute
This is a guide to cooking for people who cant cook.
sometimes when r in a pinch, its good to have some of these items on hand 🙄 not just by itself, but like she said, to proteins, soups, stew..did u not listen?
All kinds of vinegars
Can anybody tell me exxxactly what is spam?
Delicious!!
@@timgaretson238 Haha yep!
SPAM -- stands for Special Processed American Meat. It's actually not half bad and works well in a pinch.
Meat in a can. Very convenient & tasty...can be eaten cold or heated in no time.
Pork shoulder and ham, few spices, cooked together, voila!
I said the same about the spam. 😳🤢
Don't tell anybody, but, I like Spam.
Your secret's safe with us! 🤫
Spam musubi at L and L Hawaiian Barbecue is so delicious
I would love for someone to help me cook for one. I have no family and never learned to cook. Now I’m locked in and need to cook, but don’t want lots of leftovers.
Cook for two, most of my cooking tastes better the second day. I cook on a more meal prep style. Batch of veggies, batch of rice starch, batch of chicken breast in containers in the fridge, then out comes a pot of soup, a pan of fried rice, a plate of diced chicken and a different starch. Chicken salad on a roll. leftovers pizza. Rice pudding, I know if you make too much it gets old in the fridge and must be thrown out. This doesn't happen to me if I cook up plain items, and then reheat in different combos. Then microwave or a one pan plan help me quickly heat up a yummy meal.
Ben you can find quite a few videos on cooking for one. Most recipes can be cut in half so you'll only have leftovers for 1 meal. Also look for Jiffy mixes at the store, they're made for smaller portions.
A bit pricey at the start: cook for four every other day, freezing two immediately and eating two that week. After a couple of months your meals will be in rotation and you're only cooking twice a week with no repetition with the right planning.
Try out a few meal kits. You can buy them portioned for two, then you have lunch the next day. They'll give you some good ideas and teach you some technique and you'll start branching out on your own before you know it.