21 Staples You Should Always Have In Your Pantry | HuffPost Life

"What's for dinner?" feels a lot less daunting when you know your pantry is stocked to the gills with all the fixings for a proper last-minute meal. Here, 21 things to always (always) have on hand.

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"What's for dinner?" feels a lot less daunting when you know your pantry is stocked to the gills with all the fixings for a proper last-minute meal.

Here, 21 things to always (always) have on hand.

Related: How To Clean A Cast Iron Skillet Pan

Related: 5 Ingredient Substitutions For Everyday Recipes

1.Balsamic Vinegar
For salad dressings.

2. Baking Soda
You know, for baking...and bug bites.

3. Dijon Mustard
A flavor fixer-upper.

4. Onions
Caramelize these bad boys--or add them to a savory soup.

5. Herbes de Provence
A blend of thyme, rosemary, basil, parsley, oregano and tarragon that compensates for any spices you forgot.

6. Garlic
For easy flavor...and garlic bread.

7. Potatoes
Delicious whether you nuke 'em or roast 'em, plus it takes months for them to go bad.

8. Sriracha
For heat...and anything that tastes a teeny, tiny bit bland.

9. Quinoa
Hello, protein.

10. Spaghetti
The fallback plan of foodies everywhere.

11. Canned Tomatoes
The fallback sauce of foodies everywhere.

12. Rice
An assortment is key (think: brown, basmati and arborio for risotto).

13. Canned Beans
Toss with rice for instant dinner.

14. Chicken Stock
All about that base.

15. Olive Oil
Add to...everything.

16. Kosher Salt
We repeat: Add to...everything.

17. Wine Vinegar
White wine, red wine--any wine: You wouldn't believe how many recipes call for it.

18. Soy Sauce
The power ingredient of stir-fry.

19. Cereal
Sometimes you're lazy and that's OK.

20. Peanut Butter
Protein.

21. Ritz Crackers
Two words: bread crumbs.

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Also on HuffPost:

7 Kitchen Hacks To Maximize Space

Give Every Cabinet Door A Dual Purpose(01 of07)

Stick a few adhesive hooks to the inside of each one to hang measuring cups, oven mitts or stand-mixer attachments, like Coordinately Yours blogger Julie Blanner did. You could also add a few adhesive plastic folders—the same kind you'd find at an office-supply store—to hold Tupperware lids, or attach a file organizer to keep cutting boards upright and orderly. (credit:Julie Blanner)

Turn the Side of Your Fridge into a Command Center(02 of07)

Charlotte Smith, who runs the lifestyle blog Ciburbanity, created an organizational hub to make getting ready each morning easier. Four sturdy wood pockets organize bills, magazines and other mail, while a dry-erase board lets everyone see upcoming meetings at a glance. A plastic brochure caddy is just the right size for storing grocery-list notepads, and a mason jar attached to the wall means you're never rummaging through a junk drawer for a pen. (credit:Ciburbanity)

Take Out the Trash (Bags)(03 of07)

A cardboard box of garbage bags can easily take up half of the under-sink cabinet space. Free up some room by mounting a paper-towel holder to the inside of one cabinet, then use it to hang a roll of trash bags. (credit:Samantha Pregenzer of Simply Organized)

Rethink Even Your Most Awkward Spaces(04 of07)

It seems like a magician's trick: Take a six-inch gap between the fridge and the wall, and with a little DIY know-how, double your pantry space. Mallory Nikolaus and Savannah Kokaliares show you how to do exactly that with their step-by-step guide to creating a pull-out shelving unit. It's just the right size for storing canned vegetables, soups, jars of peanut butter and spices. (credit:Classyclutter.net)

Make Cleanup a Little Easier(05 of07)

Blanner recommends taking half an hour to sort your supplies into labeled bins: everyday cleaners, dishwashing goods, specialty cleaners and miscellaneous. You can easily pull out the bin you need for the task at hand -- saving time -- and keep tabs on what you actually have, avoiding that whole three-half-empty-bottles-of-Windex thing (and thus saving you money). (credit:Julie Blanner)

Claim New Counter Space(06 of07)

No matter the size of your kitchen, you can always use an extra prep area. This cutting board fits right on top of the sink and includes a collapsible colander, so you can chop and rinse vegetables all in one place. (credit:Dexas International, Ltd.)

...And Clear Off Even More(07 of07)

Skip the traditional large-knife block and hang a magnetic strip on the wall to store your knives. (If you have tiled walls, consider a compact butcher's block that attaches to the bottom of your upper cabinets.) (credit:Kate Sable of Etch Design Lab)

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