thread: What are your MUST HAVE pantry/freezer fillers?

  1. #1

    Jul 2009
    Australia
    5,102

    Question What are your MUST HAVE pantry/freezer fillers?

    Basically i am looking for foods that you buy for those times where money is low and its the last few days before pay day and you wouldn't normally eat these but they aren't disgusting..

    So my pantry, fridge and freezer are basically empty i have a few cans of baked beans, one packet of 2 min noodles and i think some curly fries and frozen vegies in the freezer thankfully the IL's are cooking tonight otherwise im fighting for those curly fries!

    I am writing up a HUGE shopping list. So hit me with your MUST HAVE items!!

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Jun 2005
    Perth
    1,454

    Tins of tomato's - great to throw in stews, slow cooker, pasta etc
    Chicken noodle soup in the packet - salt reduced, my kids love it and is great for a filling meal with bread and butter when I havent had a chance to cook
    Tins of tuna - for toasted sandwiches or in pasta
    Mixed Beans- easy for a salad, add some chopped coriander and red onion
    Pasta
    Burrito Pack - easy dinner
    Frozen pizza bases - super easy meal and kids love em! Can hide lots of vegies too under tomato paste and cheese!
    Rice - Good for bulking up stirfries etc

    Umm cant think of anything else atm but hope that helps.

  3. #3
    Registered User

    May 2005
    Canberra
    3,617

    Canned tomatoes
    Dry pasta
    Rice


    These are the three stables in my house. You can make thousands of different meals with these three basics. Or if you have NOTHING else to add, you can always just do a quick and easy pasta and homemade sauce. So I should probably add my spice rack to that list - most importantly: morrocan spices and mixed herbs.

    Otherwise, we always try to have:
    eggs
    bread (in the freezer)
    chicken breast (freezer)
    meat (freezer)
    mince (freezer)
    frozen vege
    Tomato sauce

    With these things and the three other basics we keep in the pantry, we basically make nearly all of our meals.
    Ie, stir fry, spag bol, eggy bread (aka french toast), meat and vege, pasta bake, jaffles, etc...

    Failing that, there is always weetbix and milk.

  4. #4
    Registered User
    Add ~Lashes~ on Facebook

    Aug 2010
    south eastern melbourne
    2,533

    puff pastry, i great cheese over for a cheep lunch/snack also sausage mince is only $2-$3 and if you already have pastry, then easy and cheep sausage rolls!
    noodles
    spam (i love spam!)
    flour sugar and butter, if i have the cake basics then i can whip up some cup cakes or cookies to tide the kids over between meals as day snacks
    soup cans (chunky hinez ones)
    tins of spaghetti (spaghetti on toast, yum)
    pasta and the spaghetti sauce cans (near dolmioes but already has meat in the can, saved us a tight-ass/lazy week a few times!!)

    basicaly anything on the shelf that you would normaly eat but can sit in the pantry for a while.
    (there is NOTHING wrong with the odd night of cerial or 2 min noodles for dinner, least ur eating!)

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Oct 2010
    Brisbane
    711

    Of course I like to make my own soup and freeze it but when it's on special, especially those chunky soups in a can, I stock up on those.

    Rice I buy in bulk
    Pasta
    Eggs
    The odd tin of pineapple or other fruit
    The odd tin of veges - tomatoes or peas or mushrooms, basically to add to other leftovers or eggs

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Dec 2006
    Melbourne
    3,737

    Rice
    Bacon, ham cheese great for pizza and freeze fine
    Pumpkin soup either as a meal or add to rice
    Frozen peas, carrots, corn and onion
    Mince meat for pasta, tacos
    Tinned tomatoes
    Pasta sauce

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Oct 2009
    VIC
    881

    Pasta
    Rice
    Frozen vegies
    Pastry (enless oppurtunities there like Ham & cheese scroll vegemite & cheese scrolls, jam scrolls etc etc)
    Pasta stir through sauces
    Rice sauces!!