Since I’m a college student myself, I’m gonna write this keeping the needs AND BUDGET of a college student in mind! But truthfully, the basics of this entire article can apply to anyone!
To begin, I’m gonna outline what 25 Ingredients you NEED to keep in your pantry or cupboards at all times!! These are all budget-friendly, easily manageable, and multi-functional ingredients!
As always, this is an Associate Article!! 🙂 Meaning, the Amazon links placed in this article are from me for you! Anything you purchase from these links will aid me with a percentage of the purchase. Please remember, I tell you this upfront so we gain trust together because I wanna be super open about how this blog works and how I created this business to help myself through college! Now, let’s dive in!
Part 1
the ingrediants
1. Salt and Pepper
I’m going to start with a two for one I guess! 🙂 Salt and pepper are such crucial staple seasonings to keep for nearly all meals! And hey, I think that salt and pepper shakers are literally such an easy yet cute way to decorate a kitchen table!!
Here are some salt and pepper shakers as well…
2. Olive Oil
Olive Oil is something that I use on nearly every meal I make! It is something that will be a staple in your cupboard and one that you won’t need to purchase weekly because it will last you a while! Since I recommend what I personally would buy, I’ll say that Olive OIl is one thing that I think makes such a difference when bought organic! And the price difference between Organic and non-organic is minimal when you realize that this is a product that you only need to purchase every month or so.
I have linked the one I use!
3. Everything Bagel Seasoning
This one may be a personal preference, and truthfully, I thought people were weird when they said that this was the greatest seasoning of all time, but take it from me, this seasoning has ENHANCED my breakfast game x10,000! I use it not only on bagels (like the seasoning says) but on eggs, potatoes, salads, meat seasonings and SO MUCH MORE! It’s a perfect all-purpose staple for your college kitchen!
4. All-Purpose Flour
This one is super simple and self-explanatory as we all know how multi-functional and NEEDED flour is in the kitchen! Also, dry products such as flour won’t go bad so this one is a ONE TIME PURCHASE as well!
5. Granulated, Pure Cane Sugar
hehe, this one is my fav. That might be because I LOVE sugar, but also because sugar is such a fun ingredient to keep around! From putting it in coffee to baking cookies to caramelizing onions, sugar is an incredible ingredient to use!
6. Powdered Sugar
If I’m being honest, I would only keep this ingredient around if you are an avid baker as that is where your main recipes will fall into. 🙂
7. Pasta
YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH PASTA! Seriously, I SWEAR by keeping pasta around as it is such an easy supper solution that you can also make fancy!
8. Rice
This one may be an unpopular opinion because, for some reason, no one EVER talks about storing rice, but if it were my kitchen I was stocking for college, I would definatly keep some whole grain wild rice for cooking throughout the semester and maybe simple white rice as well.
9. Potatoes
okay, you cannot argue that potatoes are the best thing God created in terms of food. I mean seriously, they are so so versatile and SOOOO delicious! Small red potatoes or large Idaho potatoes are both great options!
10. Garlic
I’m gonna be honest with you and say that I DON’T recommend keeping fresh garlic in the cupboard, but rather, I would highly recommend that you keep minced garlic in the fridge!
11. Vinegar
Vinegar is a GREAT natural disinfectant, and what I use to clean all of my store bought produce with!
12. Garlic Salt
Here’s to another seasoning! Garlic salt is great on grilled cheeses and grilled ham and cheese especially! 🙂
13. Honey
I use honey in my hot water almost EVERY NIGHT! It is a great natural sweetener and something that your kitchen will love!
14. Cooking Spray (PAM)
If you are going to go to the extent of making entire meals and doing all the prepping, DO NOT forget this NECESSITY! Greasing your pans BEFORE baking is the biggest TIP I can offer you!
15. Coffee/ Teas
You can NEVER go wrong by keeping a collection of teas and coffees in your kitchen!
For tea specifically, I love Chamomile, Green Tea, and Ginger. Each of these serves great individual purposes for health and taste and will allow you to have a “wide” variety without spending tons on multiple kinds! With the Ginger tea, I recommend stirring in a spoon of honey 🙂
16. Vanilla Extract
Vanilla is one of my favorite flavors. It is both subtle yet extremely noticeable in its uniqueness. Keeping a small vanilla extract near your baking ingredients (such as your flour and powdered sugar) will allow you to add that touch of flavor to any cake, cupcake, or cookies that you crave!
17. Chocolate Chips in the Freezer
Keeping a small bag of chocolate chips in your freezer is not only a great way to know that you’ll always have chocolate on hand, but also perfect for cookies and chocolate-covered strawberries!
18. Oats
Rolled oats are perfect for making protein balls and other healthy substitutes and snacks to keep your body feeling healthy amidst the college stress!
19. Baking Soda
Baking soda is not only what will keep your fridge smelling clean, but this also is used in cakes, cookies, and muffins!! Also, hint, it is a great natural teeth whitener!
20. Onions
Buying a couple of onions and keeping them in your fridge is perfect for suppers and spicing up dishes anywhere from salsa to eggs and potatoes!
21. Butter
ALWAYS keep butter in your fridge! I repeat, ALWAYS! Seriously, I think I saved the most useful ingredients for last as this is something that will be so handy and repeatedly reached for! I use salted butter. 🙂
22. Eggs.
I grew up on farm fresh eggs, and on the nights where I didn’t know what to make nor did I want to cook an extravagant meal, I would always reach for the eggs and make an egg bagel or an egg and cheddar toasted tortilla! Keeping a dozen in your fridge will be a key move!
23. Flour Tortillas
Flour tortillas are a staple as they will last you a while and can be used in numerous adaptable ways! I even use them as pizza crust sometimes!
24. Salsa
Salsa is soooo fun to keep around in college! It’s a great snack, and sometimes, I would eat chips and salsa as an entire me haha!! But seriously, salsa is a great topping, party snack, and movie treat! It also comes in sooo many flavor combinations!!
25. Cheese!!!
I saved the best for last!! Cheese, though it traditionally will not last very long without becoming moldy, is still SO WORTH buying! I recommend buying a shredded mozzarella, shredded cheddar, and for me personally, my favorite is a block of aged gouda!
**Remember, place the blocked cheese in the fridge crisper drawer, and your bagged cheese in the freezer. The freezer will preserve your shredded cheese longer!
Now: Part 2
how to organize
This part is going to be wayyy simpler as there are only a couple of things I am going to specifically recommend.
I think my FAVORITE way to organize and display dry ingredients such as flour, sugar, powdered sugar, rice, pasta, etc.. would be by showing them off!! Seriously we have all seen the perfect kitchens that we all strive for, but the fact of the matter is that having an organized and eye-pleasing kitchen is relatively easy!!
I’ll show a couple visual examples of the best way to combine beauty AND storage!…
sleek yet simple…
rustic yet realistic…
Here are some storage containers that I researched and have found for you!! I’ll be ordering one of these myself for my own kitchen!!
This set is more practical than pretty but it will get the job done!…
Here is one to mimic the first example of the simple sleek appeal of the glass container. I LOVE this set as the bamboo lids are super modern!…
Here are a couple similar to the previous one. The set that is a little more pricey on the left has EXTREMELY good reviews!!…
Similar to example #2, here is a mason jar rustic style…
Now, last but not least, here is are some tea boxes that I think are so cute! Just place it on your coffee cart or on your counter by the kettle and it will work great! I’ve also placed in a coffee bean glass cork canister! I think it is so unique and would be BEAUTIFUL in a kitchen!
Well, we have reached the end!! Thanks for reading, and I hope I helped with enlightening you on what ingredients you NEED to keep around along with a few hacks on how to organize! Have a blessed day, and know that you are loved!
In love, HalieKay
