Do you find yourself struggling to come up with lunch and dinner ideas? One of the problems you could have is that your kitchen is not properly stocked. There are certain products you should keep on hand to keep your meal options open. Here are 7 products you need in your kitchen.
7. Tortilla
The first thing I always keep on hand is some type of tortilla product, whether it be corn or flour tortillas or taco boats. Normal tortillas are such a versatile product. You can cut them up and fry them into nachos, add a little cheese and make quesadillas, or of course, make tacos.
The great thing about tacos is that you can fill them with anything. You can go the traditional Tex Mex route with some ground beef. There’s also grilled chicken, fish, and slow-cooked pork. You can even make delicious vegetarian tacos with black beans, corn, and salsa. But it all starts with a good tortilla.
6. Diced Pickled Jalapenos
The next item on the list is something that often goes with the first, and that is diced pickled jalapenos. I can’t tell you how many of my dishes utilize this ingredient. If you want to add a bit of heat along with a vinegary bite, this is your jam.
I use pickled jalapenos on everything from sandwiches, and chilis, to the aforementioned tacos. They are also an amazing topping on hot dogs. One of my go-to quick lunches is a pair of dogs with sweet relish, pickled jalapeno, onions, and celery salt. Give that one a try if you get a chance, you won’t be disappointed.
5. Chicken Bouillon Cubes
Switching gears now, let’s talk about chicken bouillon cubes. I started working with these things at my first restaurant job. I’ve been hooked on them ever since. They add a little extra chicken flavor kick to your broths and soups. Be careful though, because they have a salty kick too.
I cook a lot of chicken dishes that require you to make chicken stock, and these are my go-to ingredient to make sure that broth rocks. Both my southern chicken and rice and chicken and dumpling recipes utilize this ingredient. Just make sure you get a brand with a flavor you like. I’ve used this McCormick brand for years, all the way back to when it used to be called Tonnes. You can find it at Sam’s Club or Amazon.
4. Cream of Mushroom Soup
Next up is cream of mushroom soup. Ironically, I never use this for actual soup. We use it in many different casseroles to add some nice umami flavor, such as cheesy chicken and broccoli casserole. I’ve got a video on that coming up soon.
This cream-based soup goes great with pork chops. Throw the soup, some onions, pork chops, and some seasoning into an electric pressure cooker, and you’ve got a quick delicious meal. Serve that up with some mashed potatoes or rice, and I promise you will go to sleep happy that night.
3. Worcestershire Sauce
Moving on, our next item is Worcestershire sauce. This stuff may be hard to pronounce, but it is so versatile. I use it primarily for marinating things like steak, hamburgers, and meatloaf.
Worcestershire is great for adding an extra tang to a dish. It is one of the key ingredients in my Shrimp Creole that really makes it stand out.
2. Pepperoni
The last two items are somewhat related and I often use them together. The first one is pepperoni. I love adding pepperonis to almost all of my pasta dishes. Tomato sauce and pepperoni go together like peanut butter and jelly. They are, of course, great on homemade pizzas.
I also love using pepperonis as a sandwich meat too. I usually pair them with ham and salami. Add some of the diced pickled jalapenos we listed earlier on, and you can make an amazing spicy Italian sandwich. My kids also love them as snacks. Just a super-versatile ingredient.
1. Frozen Meatballs
The other half of this pair is frozen meatballs. I always keep these on hand for things like pasta dishes, meatball subs, or even bbq meatballs. You can cover lunch, dinner, and even appetizers with this one ingredient.
I tend to go with Italian-style meatballs. The mix of beef and pork is both juicy and delicious. Meatball recipes are not hard to find across the internet, as this ingredient is quite popular across multiple types of cultural cuisine.
Those are 7 products you need to keep in your kitchen. This list did not include staples, but rather things I think will help you make multiple meals. In the future, we’ll look into what staples you actually need to keep on hand, and how to go about making a grocery list.
