News-Record.com

My husband and I returned home Monday night after an extended, unexpected absence to find that our fridge needed to be cleaned out. Luckily, a good friend of mine had left us some yummy potato soup and bagels for us, so we didn't have to try to figure out dinner after an eight-hour trip.

My husband is making a trip to the grocery store tonight to restock things like milk and eggs. And somehow this sparked a memory of a list I ran across, of things you should always have in your pantry.

According to the Food Network, the following items are must-haves for every pantry:

Canned tomatoes
Chicken, beef or vegetable broth
Dried pasta
Canned beans (black, navy, pinto, kidney or garbanzo)
Canned tuna fish
Dried fruits
Olives
Good quality breadcrumbs
Tomato sauce/tomato paste
Rice

Their list also suggests recipes for each ingredient.

Now I would beg to differ on the olives -- you'll never find those nasty things in our pantry :) As for the rest of the list, I'd say it's pretty accurate. But there are a few things I would add to the list, as well.

You'll never find me without pesto, diced garlic, salsa, cheese, and potatoes. I realize it's all relatively perishable, but we go through the cheese and potatoes so quickly, it doesn't really matter. For a while, I was pretty good about keeping tortillas around, too -- a cheese and salsa quesadilla takes next to no time to whip up when you're in a hurry.

So what are the things you wouldn't be caught dead without in your pantry -- and what do you use them for?