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Stock Up! 15 Pantry Ingredients That Make Weeknight Meals Easy

Katie Workman, author of The Mom 100 Cookbook, creator of themom100.com blog shares her top 15 pantry ingredients (16 Photos)

Katie Workman on Apr 24, 2013 at 12:45AM

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Stock Up! 15 Pantry Ingredients That Make Weeknight Meals Easy

Eggs

A dozen eggs equals dinner any day of the week. Cheap, protein-packed, versatile, vegetarian, eggs are a miracle food and not just in the a.m.

Poached, fried, in an omelet, frittatas, scrambled up all plain and simple, or try them with some of these add-ins. The amounts are for six eggs, which usually feed two to three people. Because you’re making scrambled eggs and not an omelet, feel free to stir ingredients right into the beaten eggs before adding them to the pan.

Cheese scramble: Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of shredded or crumbled cheese, such as mozzarella, cheddar, Monterey Jack, goat cheese, feta, even American—just about all cheese works beautifully with eggs.

Meat scramble: Add 1⁄4 cup of crumbled cooked bacon or sausage (watch any added salt if you use one of these salty meats).

Vegetable scramble: Mix in 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup chopped or shredded vegetables, such as chopped tomato, zucchini, summer squash, or shredded carrot. Vegetables like broccoli or asparagus should be lightly cooked first.

Mexican scramble: Try a medley of cheeses, a pinch of chili powder, slivered scallions, maybe a couple of tablespoons of kidney or black beans, and a bit of cooked corn. Top the cooked eggs with a spoonful of salsa and sour cream. You might even wrap the whole thing up in a flour tortilla and create a dinner/breakfast burrito.

Italian scramble: Beat in a couple of slivered fresh basil leaves (or 1⁄4 teaspoon of dried basil), 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella and/or Parmesan cheese, and maybe a teaspoon or two of some chopped fresh or sun-dried tomatoes. You can serve a dollop of pasta sauce on the side if you like.