My hubby was scheduled off of work, so I told him I wanted a Ribeye for supper. And he quickly agreed.
Jesse has this habit of pickup up an extra load on his days off (he hauls milk) and this day was no exception. This short load ended up taking far longer than planned because of some problem at the creamery.
Jesse called me around 4 to let me know that he was not going to be home until after 10. The ribeyes that were thawed out in the fridge were not getting grilled.
Luckily I was able to reach into my pantry grab a jar of sauce and a box of pasta and whip up something to eat.
I keep the kitchen stocked with staples for quick, basic meals. These aren’t for gourmet meals, just something fast when plans change quickly, or I cannot be bothered to make anything better.

Pasta/Pasta Sauce
My childhood was full of Ragu pasta sauce and Creamette pasta. It makes sense why. It is easy, it tastes good, and it was cheap. Pasta with meat sauce is the ultimate comfort food for me, so I keep a stash in my pantry. Just in case.
Frozen Pizza
I could eat pizza every night if I could. That is part of the reason why I keep a small stack of frozen pizza in my freezer. The other reason is that on those nights that I can’t deal, I can grab one of these, throw it in the oven and eat 20 minutes later.
Crackers and Cheese
If there is one thing I like more than pizza, it is cheese. My husband bought me cheese of the month club for my birthday this year. Being close to the Wisconsin border, we have access to some great cheese, so we keep a stash of cheese and crackers in the house. And yes, sometimes we eat crackers and cheese for dinner.
Bacon
Like any good farm kid, I keep the freezer stocked with bacon — the good, from the butcher, thick, meaty kind. I make this, along with a few pantry ingredients to make Grandma’s pancakes, or I will take that bacon, a few eggs, and some spaghetti and make carbonara. Bacon also has the beautiful gift of making any sandwich better.
Eggs
Eggs are perfect for . . . making eggs. The also the primary ingredient in spaghetti carbonara, pancakes and many other meals that come together quickly.
With just these few simple items on hand, I can whip up a quick meal (or eat a quick snack). They might not be fancy, but they work for us.
Now I want to hear from you? What staples do you keep in your kitchen for quick meals?
Photo by Ehud Neuhaus on Unsplash
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