Chefs Reveal the One Thing You Should Always Have in Your Pantry

You may already keep red wine and balsamic vinegar on hand, but you should add rice wine vinegar to the lineup. Chef Jose Mendoza of the Great Oak Steakhouse at Pechanga Resort Casino says, "Typically associated with Asian-style dishes, this inexpensive kitchen staple livens up homemade salad dressings, aioli, stir-fry, as a marinade for grilled veggies and meats, making French fries and homemade chips, and more. I like to do my own pickling at home and I’ll use rice wine vinegar, herbs, some salt and a few other ingredients and make a really easy brine for cucumbers, radishes, cabbage, and anything else you’d want to eat in the pickled form."

Canned coconut milk is something you should always keep in your pantry because it's incredibly versatile. "Use for breakfast smoothies with frozen fruit. Make a quick lunchtime soup by simmering with Thai red curry paste or curry powder, fresh or frozen veggies and some cut, leftover chicken," says Executive Chef and Director of Culinary Development for McCormick, Chef Kevan Vetter. "Or use it in place of oil with a box cake mix to make a rich, moist post-dinner treat."

If you're a vegan (or even if you're not!), you should always keep xanthan gum close by. "It’s a naturally gluten-free emulsifier, and does a lot of heavy lifting, like binding in gluten-free bread or stabilizing in ice cream," says Australian-based vegan chef Zac Bird. "For a home cook, it can be a miracle savior when making sauces. If your roux or sauce isn’t as thick as you like, blending through a small pinch of xanthan gum at the end can thicken it right up without having to start again."

Sure, you have ketchup in the fridge, but what about a jar of Dijon mustard? Chef Alyssa Gagarin, founder of Meal Prep Chef, says dijon is her must-have pantry staple. "Dijon is packed with flavor and is extremely versatile. It can be used on its own as a condiment; added to sauces, dressings, and marinades to bring depth of flavor; or even as the star of the dish coating a piece of fish or chicken. It instantly boosts flavor and with it's thick, creamy texture, also acts as an emulsifier. You get a massive bang for your buck!"

A box or two of orzo is great to have on hand because it can be used as either rice or pasta. " It seems like a large grain of rice and combines well with many delicious dishes," says Heloise Blaure, founder of Home Kitchen Land. "You can throw it on hot beverages such as soups or consume it with roasted vegetables. Additionally, it is a nutritious topping and gives salads a unique taste. You should buy the one made from whole-grain flour instead of white flour as it provides more calories."

If you bake a lot, you should make sure you always have extra flour in your pantry. Chef Reina Morris of Buenos Aires Café says, "With flour, one can make pasta, pizza, bread, cakes and so many more things to feed your family, making it a great staple."

If you don't already have a collection of pasta boxes in your kitchen, now is the time to start one. Chris Riley, chef, recipe developer, and co-founder of The Daring Kitchen, says it's a must-have, explaining, "It is not expensive and is easy to stock up and store. You can get all different types of noodles like rigatoni, fettuccini, shells, spaghetti, farfalle. There are a million different recipes for making pasta so you won’t get bored. Pasta is an easy and quick main ingredient to make and combined with some canned vegetables you can get a delicious meal only using pantry products."

Peanut butter is a great pantry staple, but it's certainly not the only versatile nut butter out there. Vetter says, "I love the nutty, savory flavor of almond butter and use it in a ton of different ways. Make a sauce with almond butter, coconut milk, ginger, garlic, crushed red pepper, and soy for a quick stir-fry sauce for veggies or to create a hot or cold noodle bowl. As a snack, stir in some cinnamon and sour cream or cream cheese to make a dipper for celery sticks or pretzels."

While fresh veggies are preferable, canned vegetables are great to have for certain dishes, and they're better than nothing if fresh isn't available. "Canned vegetables are super handy ingredients to have to whip up a quick dinner," says Chris Riley, chef, recipe developer, and co-founder of The Daring Kitchen. "When stocking up on canned vegetables, make sure to get canned broth as well. These pantry must haves are perfect for soups, casseroles, and meat-based dinners. Look for canned veggies like tomatoes, beans, corn, and vegetable, chicken, and beef stock."

Hot sauce is an excellent thing to have on hand, especially if you like some spice with your food. "Heat and flavor is a great way to add excitement to your everyday repertoire of meals," says Vetter. You can add it to breakfast, lunch, or dinner—basically whatever you're eating.

One way to make your fresh veggies last longer is to pickle them, then store them in tightly closed jars. They taste great, last for a while, and work well as a snack. Adriano Venturini, Executive Chef at Eden Roc Cap Cana says, "I recommended pickled root vegetables. These store well for long periods of time. Vegetables like turnips, beets, radishes, and celeriac can add an interesting flavor to dishes." To pickle them yourself, she says, "Combine water, vinegar, sugar, thyme, mustard seeds, and garlic in a saucepot and bring it to a simmer. Pour the hot pickling liquid over vegetables to submerge them and seal the jar."

Boxed mac and cheese is great as is, but it also offers the opportunity to make it taste even better. Jorge Gonzalez, Executive Chef of Bobby Hotel says, "To make boxed mac and cheese tastier, add cream cheese to make it creamier and caramelized onions for a sweet richness to counteract the savory. This works because it’s an easy way to stretch the box, making it easy to share with a family of four."

An incredibly nutritious and easy item to keep in your kitchen is bone broth. "Bone broth makes a great snack when you’re trying to make a smart choice for your 3:00 slump," says Vetter. "While great and nutritious by itself, it can also take on the flavors of other pantry staples to elevate them even more."

You can also extend the life of fresh fruit by making it into homemade jam, which sounds intimidating, but is actually very simple. Osvado Presazzi, Executive Chef of Grand Hotel Tremezzo says, "Homemade jam is a refreshing and simple 'little something sweet' to have for breakfast or dessert. When made with 70 percent fruit from your fridge, this is easy to whip together. Start by using your favorite fruit on hand like apples, cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, plums, or citrus. Then all you need to add is a little bit of sugar and pectin if your fruit doesn't contain enough natural pectin of its own. Typical fruits that do are citrus like oranges and kumquats. Voila!"

Forget sugar—always keep a jar of honey in your pantry. It's versatile and delicious. "A nice natural sweetener, honey can be used as a vinaigrettes alternative or glaze for meats like pork or ham," says Chef Aaron Bedard at the renowned Stephanie Inn in Cannon Beach, Oregon. "Honey is also delicious as a drizzle on top of any fruit."

Add tons of flavor and a little heat to most of the things you're making with chili bean sauce. Maui Chef/Restaurateur Mark Ellman of Honu and Frida’s Beach House, says, "I love Lee Kum Kee products. I always have their Chili Bean Sauce in my pantry. It’s my ‘go-to’ umami ingredient. Its versatility makes it a must-have. You can use it in salad dressings or elevate a simple stir-fry of tofu, baby bok choy, and spring onions."

If you're a fan of canned tuna, then you'll probably also like canned salmon, which is a must-have according to Chef Stephanie Harris-Uyidi, author of The Posh Pescatarian: A Collection of my Favorite Sustainable Seafood Recipes. She explains, "Canned salmon is a nutrient dense food offering lots of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. It is also rich in Vitamin B and niacin. You can use a combination of canned pink salmon, which has a mild flavor, along with canned sockeye salmon, which has a stronger salmon flavor due to its higher oil content. You can also try each type on their own."

Dijon is only one type of mustard you'll want to use often. Spicy brown and yellow mustard are also game changers. "One of the unsung heroes in your pantry and fridge, mustard has the power to transform," says Vetter. "Pull the mustard bottle front and center and use it to make easy sauces, dressings, dipping sauces, and sandwich spreads. Become a mustard mixologist! Elevate your turkey sandwich by adding some crushed red pepper and a sprinkle of oregano to yellow mustard."