Here I am! Back again! With high, high hopes that you’re all just as enthused as I am about a well stocked kitchen. You’re probably not, but you know.. I guess that’s okay.
I hope that my pantry post was helpful & that this post will also help to take it a little bit further so that you feel ready for any time you’re hangry.
I thought about doing the fridge & freezer essentials separately, but then I realized that’s probably needless. Although I have a lot to say about a pantry, probably a good amount when it comes to the freezer.. I’m not so sure about the fridge beyond common sense stuff.
LET’S GO.
Freezer Essentials:
- Frozen veggies! This might seem very obvious. I always keep a bag or two of frozen green beans in the freezer. They are just the perfect side for any quick dinner.. or fancy dinner.. or lunch.. I mean, they’re delicious. Wow, tangent alert. Apparently I really love green beans. I also always have a bag of frozen peas & corn. I almost always add frozen peas to pasta & frozen corn to tacos. It’s just good. I promise.
- Frozen fruit! These are perfect for a quick smoothie or dessert.
- Frozen meat! I will always buy a bigger pack of meat so that I can save part of it for later. It’s the best feeling to have a couple of frozen chicken thighs, a pound of ground turkey or ( my personal favorite ) chicken sausage that can be thawed quickly to create something delicious.
- Frozen pizza! I am completely obsessed with Caulipowdered pizza crust. It’s the absolute best cauliflower pizza crust I’ve ever had. I love Udis gluten free pizza too.
- Pie crust & Puff Pastry! These are perfect to create your own pizza or use your frozen veggies & meat to make a pot pie. Or the frozen fruit to make a treat!
- Frozen burritos or pupusas! These are the essential on the go meal. I love, love, love Amy’s burritos. They have the typical flavors, but I’m also obsessed with their Indian version. I also keep a box or two of Tres Latin Foods pupusas. They are delicious!
Fridge Essentials:
* almost every fridge essential is for taking the meal over the top a little, something to add a little extra umph, if you catch my drift.
- Cilantro! Every single week I buy a bunch of cilantro. It’s just one of those things that adds so much to a lot of different dishes. It’s obviously amazing in mexican food, but it’s also incredible in curries, stir frys, sheet pan dinners.. hm, really everything. Aaron & I both love cilantro so we use it almost every night.
- Green Onion! Basically the same as cilantro, we top almost every meal with green onions. The thing is, we used to buy cilantro & green onions only if a recipe needed it. But these two things can really take a dish over the top & it’s so nice to have them always available. They help the meal taste so fresh & delicious. We always, always buy these two things every week & we always end up using it!
- Hot sauces! I like to keep a few different varieties ( Louisiana, Valentino & Sriracha mainly. )
- Parmesan! I buy a wedge every week. Why not, right?
- Spreads & Dips! Like sour cream, ranch, salsa, dijon mustard & mayo. I know a lot of people like to hate on mayo but it’s a great cooking ingredient. Replace the butter with mayo in your grilled cheese to see what I mean.
- Tortillas! Sometimes I keep these in the freezer too. They will stay fresher longer if they are in the fridge.
The only other tip I have for the fridge is to buy 1 or 2 extra veggies a week. You will eat them or need them at some point. This helps give a cushion if you need something extra, your other meals don’t sound good at all anymore or just need to up your veggie game.
I hope this helps give you some ideas on what to keep in your fridge to either be prepared for a last minute meal or essentials to take any meal over the top.
xx,
ellyn
