Holiday Pantry Essentials

Seasonal flavors are everywhere this time of year, and the kitchen should be no different. As the weather FINALLY shifts and that first (or second) cool morning breeze hits, you want to be ready with all the holiday pantry essentials you need to meet the challenge of warm, comforting, cozy meals for the cooler months. With the right essentials in your pantry, cooking during this season will be much more easy and certainly more delicious! Come along with me as we make over the pantry with essential items we’ll definitely use to create soul-warming, well-seasoned meals.

Baking and desserts aside, this guide is for you to build your perfect holiday pantry. These ingredients will be your ticket to effortlessly whipping up delicious items inspired by the season, including many of the recipes you’ll find here at The Seasoned Life. Whether a comforting soup or delicious side dish, these holiday pantry essentials will help you create meals that will nourish you and your family all season long.

Holiday Pantry Essential 1: Rice, Grains and Pasta

It’s time to swap your lighter summer grains for heartier grains that can stand up to the robust flavors of the season! Rice is one of the best side dishes ever because it goes with everything. Plus, there are many varieties of rice that pair perfectly depending on your chosen cuisine. There’s fragrant jasmine rice, nutty brown rice, and earthy purple rice; you simply can’t go wrong with this pantry essential. If you’ve been enjoying a variety of white rice for summer (think jasmine or a standard long grain rice), take a moment to give heavier rice varieties a try. Use broth or bouillon cubes in the cooking water to add bold flavor to this common side. My favorite bouillon cubes are by Edward & Son’s. Keep reading to find out why.

Here are other items that are holiday pantry essentials:

• Farro is a nutty grain with a fantastic texture. Think of it as similar to rice, but much, much heartier (btw-you’ll find it on the rice aisle at the grocery store). You can use farro in any application that calls for rice, but it is substantial enough to stand on its own. I like to cook farro according to package directions, using broth instead of water to enhance the flavor profile. Add it to a hearty fall salad, use it as the base of a grain bowl, or serve it alongside chicken and roasted vegetables. Added bonus: more fiber and protein than regular rice! My favorite is Bob’s Red Mill Farro.
• Quinoa is full of protein and fiber and much more versatile than you realize (also sold on the rice aisle). It looks like little round seeds, and cooks faster than rice – making it perfect for a quick side dish. That said, while I enjoy quinoa as a side dish, it also works well as a grain bowl base or as a standalone side dish. You can even roast cooked quinoa for a crunchy salad topping. Plus – my favorite unexpected way to enjoy quinoa is for breakfast, prepared similar to oatmeal. Better Body Foods makes my favorite tri-color quinoa, which I find more visually exciting than plain white quinoa.
• Pasta: Nothing comforts the tummy and the soul like pasta. Whenever possible, opt for a whole wheat variety for maximum satiety. I typically keep 2-3 types of pastas at home; we always have spaghetti, corkscrew, and elbow, which allow us more authenticity when cooking with marinara versus making a macaroni and cheese. Rao’s is the best brand of pasta sauce and noodles on the grocery shelf, hands down (in my opinion.)

Holiday Pantry Essential 2. Canned and Dried Beans

Beans provide a wonderful plant-based source of protein and fiber, and they tend to serve as the basis of many fall dishes. Make sure you’re ready for cozy soups, stews and chilis by stocking these as part of your holiday pantry essentials:

• Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans): These are by far my favorite because of their versatility. Roast them for a crunchy snack, blend with tahini and spices into a smooth hummus, or chop with veggies for a vegetarian alternative to chicken salad…the possibilities are endless! I tend to purchase at least 4 cans of garbanzo beans at a time.
• Black-eyed Peas: If you’re from the South, you know the tradition of eating black-eyed peas on New Years’ Day. While the holidays are still several weeks away, there’s nothing like tender, fiber rich, flavorful black eyed peas to warm the soul. Enjoy as a side dish or form into a fritter or veggie burger.
• Black Beans: Black beans form an excellent side dish on their own, but also work well in chilis or bean salads. They also pair beautifully with sweet potato and coriander for a flavorful burrito wrap filling.
• Lentils: Lentils are the easiest to use as they cook quickly and do not require soaking; they are perfect for a quick and hearty weeknight meal. Use lentils in chilis, or as a savory stew served over hot rice. Lentils also work well as the base for veggie burger patties.

Holiday Pantry Essential 3. Canned Tomatoes and Tomato Paste

Technically, tomato season is in the summer. If you’re advanced, you’ve probably grown tomatoes and canned them for the fall (go you!). For the rest of us, canned tomatoes work just as well and are easy to store as a fall pantry essential. Keep different varieties of canned tomato products on hand for a variety of uses:

• Canned Diced Tomatoes: These work well for any Italian-inspired meals like spaghetti or lasagna. However, canned diced tomatoes also work well in soups and stews, adding needed acidity and depth to those comforting meals. Try as standard diced tomatoes or the petite diced version.
• Tomato Paste: This is a concentrate of tomatoes which adds thickness to soups and sauces. It adds a richness and depth to dishes, making it perfect for your pantry. I’ve fallen in love with tomato paste that comes in a resealable tube, like this one from Tuscanini, which allows me to use a little bit of tomato paste without wasting the whole can.
• Tomato Sauce: Canned tomato sauce is quite versatile. Whether stretching out spaghetti sauce or using with seasoning for a quick pizza sauce, this pantry essential is a must-have.

Holiday Pantry Essential 4. Broths and Stocks/Bouillon

Many fall dishes are enhanced by the robust flavor of broths, stocks, and bouillon cubes – particularly soups and hearty stews. You can make these from scratch, but it’s just as easy to pick them up at the grocery store. Just make sure you keep these on hand all season long.

• Vegetable Broth: This is a versatile broth which can easily be used in soups and stews, or as the liquid when cooking any grain (risotto, rice, farro, quinoa, etc.). Also, you can mix vegetable broth with your chicken stock if you find you’re running low on stock.
• Chicken Stock: Chicken noodle soup anyone? Chicken stock makes light work of making such a classic fall dish, adding a deep and rich flavor.
• Beef Stock: Any hearty stew, braise, or roast involving beef will need beef stock. Out of beef stock? Use chicken instead.

I find it easier to keep bouillon cubes on hand versus cartons of broth. Cubes can be stored in the pantry and don’t expire as quickly as a broth requiring refrigeration after opening. I discovered the Edward & Son’s brand of bouillon cubes that year I went vegan (it’s a long story…comment if you’re curious). The flavor profile on these are unmatched – highly savory and not too overpowering.

Holiday Pantry Essential 5. Baking Essentials

The holidays is the time for baking – sweet potato pie, oatmeal raisin cookies, pound cakes, and all things warm and comforting. Be sure to fill your kitchen with the unmistakable aroma that are hallmarks of the season: cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves – in addition to these other holiday pantry essentials:

• All-Purpose Flour: A must-have base for baking bread, cookies, and cakes, in addition to thickening soups, stews, and gravies.
• Brown Sugar: Incorporate molasses into white sugar to yield brown sugar. Its deeper flavor makes it a perfect addition to muffins, breads, and cinnamon rolls, not to mention leveling up a delicious recipe for maple brown sugar hot cocoa.
• Rolled Oats: Not only great for breakfast oatmeal, rolled oats are essential for making crumble toppings, cookies, and granola.
• Vanilla Extract: A pantry staple for adding flavor to baked goods, frostings, and breakfast items such as oatmeal and pancake batter. Neillsen-Massey provides an exquisite brand of extracts. However, I’ve found that Watkins produces a high-quality vanilla at a much more accessible price point.
• Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Cloves: These form the classic scents of fall, and are a must for sweet potato and pumpkin pie. Additionally, these spices work beautifully in cooked apples and for spicing up your morning oatmeal. McCormick has been a classic and family favorite for decades.

And there you have it, items to stock your pantry for the season. With these items in place, you and your family are sure to have a delicious season to remember!

Live Seasoned,

Shauna

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