These Pantry Staples Are the Secret to Pulling Dinner Together Fast

After a snowy weekend stuck inside NYC, chef Katie Lee Biegel did what any self-respecting Virgo would do: she stared into the pantry and started reorganizing. Lucky for us, that little spiral turned into a genuinely useful blueprint for stocking your kitchen so weeknights don’t become a “what’s for dinner?” meltdown—or worse, a last-minute, storm-style grocery run.

All on the Table’s Pantry Checklist for Easy Dinners

Below is her full, category-by-category list of pantry (plus fridge AND freezer) staples that make fast meals basically inevitable.

Spice rack staples that do the most

Biegel’s big note here: rotate spices about once a year (and buy smaller jars if you don’t cook with them often).

• Chili powder
• Garlic powder (she swears it’s underrated—even with fresh garlic)
• Onion powder (same)
• Garlic salt
• Dried oregano (her main dried herb)
• Bay leaves (stews, sauces, anything simmering)
• Cinnamon 
• Vanilla extract 

Optional shortcut: spice blends (she name-drops Dalkin & Co. from Gaby Dalkin/What’s Gaby Cooking—lemon pepper, taco seasoning, “everyday” blends, etc.).

Pantry staples for real-life dinners

Pastas (variety matters)

• Short pasta: penne, rigatoni, bow ties 
• Long pasta: spaghetti, bucatini
• Lentil pasta (she prefers red lentil; looks for minimal ingredients)
• Jarred tomato sauce (for instant dinners; she’ll add spinach and call it comfort food)

Grains

• Rice (plus: she loves a rice cooker)
• Quinoa
• Oats (breakfast; peanut butter optional but encouraged)

Legumes (canned and dried)

• Canned chickpeas (salads, sheet pans, hummus)
• Lentils (dried and canned)
• Black beans
• Pinto beans (she grew up with dried pintos/bean soup)
• Cannellini beans (snack/side with olive oil, lemon, rosemary)

Tomato products

• Whole canned tomatoes
• Diced tomatoes
• Tomato purée
• Tomato paste

Pantry workhorses and flavor boosters

• Breadcrumbs + panko
• Chicken stock (she buys low-sodium; often prefers it to store-bought beef stock)
• Oils
  • Olive oil (cooking)
  • Extra-virgin olive oil (dressings/drizzle)
  • High-heat oil (avocado oil or algae oil)
  • Ghee (her current obsession for searing—high heat plus a buttery flavor)
• Vinegars
  • Red wine vinegar
  • White vinegar
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Sherry vinegar
• Tinned fish
  • Good-quality canned tuna
  • Good-quality canned salmon
  • (And later she adds: anchovies are clutch for punchy flavor—especially pasta sauces)
• Honey
• Baking basics (think flour, sugar, baking soda, powder, etc.)
• Peanut butter
• “Interesting add-ins” for instant upgrades:
  • Roasted red peppers
  • Artichoke hearts
  • Sun-dried tomatoes

Store on the pantry shelf (not the fridge)

• Onions
• Garlic
• Potatoes
• Shallots (she notes to keep them in a cool, dry place, away from light, and don’t store onions/garlic with potatoes.)

Also: don’t refrigerate fresh tomatoes (she says they turn mealy and lose flavor).

Fridge staples she always keeps stocked

Dairy and eggs

• Whole milk
• Eggs
• Unsalted butter
• Greek yogurt
• Half-and-half
• Sour cream
• Cream cheese
• Parmesan (block and grated)
• Pecorino (block and grated)
• Cheddar (she prefers a block to grate herself; says bagged shreds don’t melt the same)

Taco-night basics

• Flour tortillas (street taco size)
• Iceberg lettuce 
• Sour cream

Produce she reaches for constantly

• Lemons
• Limes
• Salad greens
• Winter staples: kale, broccoli

Condiments and sauces (the ‘door of the fridge’ lineup)

• Mustards:
  • Dijon
  • Whole grain
  • Yellow (sandwich-only energy)
• Jams/jellies (she specifically calls out apricot jam for easy pan sauces)
• Mayonnaise
• Ketchup
• Soy sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• Hot sauces
• Soy Vay (teriyaki marinade)
• Capers
• Rice vinegar
• Sesame oil
• Fish sauce
• Sherry/white wine (great for fast pan sauces)

Freezer staples that save weeknights

Smoothie freezer basics

• Frozen strawberries
• Frozen bananas
• Wild blueberries
• Mango
• Açaí
  
• Add-ins she mentions:
  • Spinach (especially for kids’ smoothies)
  • Cauliflower or cauliflower rice (sneaky veggie boost)
  • Milk (for protein/calcium)
  • Protein (for her smoothie)

Quick sides and snacks

• Cauliflower rice
• Frozen edamame
• Bagels (she freezes them)
• Homemade pancakes (frozen)

Proteins she keeps frozen

• Bacon
• Chicken sausage
• Frozen fish/seafood:
  • Halibut or cod (whitefish)
  • Salmon
  • Shrimp

And a safety reminder: thaw meats in the refrigerator, not on the counter.

Bonus freezer staple: ginger (she freezes it and grates it with a microplane—easier than fresh).

The ‘make life easier’ kitchen tools she swears by

• Slow cooker
• Rice cooker
• Mini food processor

What she’s making with these staples (quick inspo list)

• Pantry pastas: amatriciana, carbonara, cacio e pepe, lemon pasta, puttanesca-style (with anchovies and capers)
• Sheet-pan dinners: salmon plus broccoli and sweet potatoes; fish tacos; Mediterranean shrimp/chicken with chickpeas; beef and broccoli
• Skillet meals: tacos; chicken/pork with a fast pan sauce (mustard plus capers with lemon and sherry/stock)
• Big-batch comfort: blended veggie soups finished with a spoon of Greek yogurt

To hear all of Katie Lee Biegel’s pantry insights and more recipes, listen to All on the Table wherever you get your podcasts.

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