Store Cupboard Staples

gunsandbanjos

Have done my first GC and came in under budget(just)!

I did my shopping weekly, however this month i would like to do it perhaps every 2 weeks(working up to monthly).

I was trying to write a list of store cupboard staples for the month and was wondering what do you guys keep in the larder etc. As a basis for meals, baking etc

Any help would be appreciated, just trying to make sure i dont run forget stuff and have to run to the shops, inevitably spending £20:eek:

Stephen_Leak

Here's my absolute basic one. If I don't have any of these, I get twitchy.

CUPBOARD

142g tin of tomato puree
400g tin of plum tomatoes
400g tin of red kidney beans
400g tin of tuna in brine
420g tin of baked beans
500g bag of plain flour
500g packet of basmati rice
500g packet of spaghetti
Beef stock cubes
Olive oil
Sunflower oil
Ground black pepper
Salt
Dried mixed herbs

FREEZER

375g pack of casserole or stewing beef
375g pack of chicken breasts
500g of white fish (Cod, coley, haddock, hake, plaice or pollack) fillets
500g pack of minced beef

FRIDGE

Bottle of lemon juice
Butter
Cheese
Eggs
Milk
Tomatoes

VEGETABLES

Baking potatoes
Garlic
Onions

luxor4t

Great list, but would add
tea / coffee
sugar (for baking)
margerine (for baking)

gunsandbanjos

Thanks guys, i have half a list so far, i had forgotten rice and pasta! Doh!

Lauraebrad

It depends on the sort of food you like - but these are things we always have in (Sainsbury's does 3 x 400g tins of pulses for £1 so we always have loads)

2 or 3 of each

tinned green lentils,
tinned adzuki beans
tinned chickpeas
tinned butter beans
tinned flagolet beans
tinned borlotti beans
tinned pinto beans
tinned red kidney beans
tinned flagolet beans

plus
thai red curry paste
other curry paste

frozen green beans
packet of halloumi

cous cous

Mainly eat vegetarian and this gives loads of options;)

BigMummaF

Frozen mixed veg! It goes with anything if you run out of baked beans:p

Porridge oats.....to make yer mince go further.
Pickle.....goes in the curry sauce.
Ketchup/ Brown/Soy sauce.
Golden syrup....for Twink's Hobnobs & flapjack:D
Mixed spice......^^^^^^
Dried mixed fruit.....very good price at Asda.
Garlic/garlic salt.
Curry powder....recipe I use has lemon juice, ginger & cinnamon so perhaps those too.
Plain & Self Raising flours.
Bicarbonate of Soda.
Baking powder.
Gravy powder....We prefer the taste & texture of Bisto but's it's all down to preference.
Marmite.....I'd get lynched if we ran out!!!!!!!!!!!
Malt & white vinegars.
Mint sauce.
Cocoa powder....comes in handy for making chocolate cakes too;)
Paper cake cases.
Caster sugar.
Jam....to make sarnies; tarts; sponge puddings; rolypoly.
Honey...makes a good hot drink for when you've a cold.

Foil.
Greaseproof paper.
Cling film.
Bin liners.
Soda crystals....laundry, wm, drains & plugholes!

I use empty bread bags for the freezer, sandwich bags & finally as doggy doo bags.

A quick:money: tip re: the herbs & spices is to start off buying the refill packs to get a good selection, then buy a jar at a time if you need them for storage. I keep mine in an ice cream tub so they're all together.

Mellika

BigMummaF wrote: »

Porridge oats.....to make yer mince go further.

Ooooh can you explain this please???

noonesperfect

Haven't tried porridge oats to bulk mince out, but probably just add a handful to 500g of mince once it's browned (assuming further cooking required (i.e. bolognese/shepherds pie type thing). Grated carrot works well too and adds fibre, cuts fat total down in finished dish.

Mellika

Thank you hun - I do wonder, since I get to hide all sorts of veggies and healthy stuff in mince - only way hubby will eat them So any other ideas for this are welcome

mhe

Mellika wrote: »

Thank you hun - I do wonder, since I get to hide all sorts of veggies and healthy stuff in mince - only way hubby will eat them So any other ideas for this are welcome

Hi Mellika - sounds like you need to hop over to the Grocery challenge thread were you will get plenty more tips like that. Bigmumma and the OP are on that thread too.

Id add

bread flour for my BM
yeast
dried lentils

go with ..
dried fruits (Def asda a the mo - 500g mixed fruit is 20p at the min)
SR and plain flour
tins of beans
tins of tomato
passata
black pepper
mixed spice
baking powder
caster sugar
eggs
marg
and lots of cheap tupperware for storing spare portions in the freezer!!

Stephen_Leak

noonesperfect wrote: »

Haven't tried porridge oats to bulk mince out, but probably just add a handful to 500g of mince once it's browned (assuming further cooking required (i.e. bolognese/shepherds pie type thing). Grated carrot works well too and adds fibre, cuts fat total down in finished dish.

Grated carrot was the traditional farmer's wife's method of making the meat go further in cottage/shepherd's pies without anyone knowing and so avoid any gossip or worse. I deliberately included a little bit grated carrot in my cottage/shepherd's pie recipe to keep it traditional.