Immoderate Makings

Coronavirus pantry essentials: How to stock up for quarantine

Anna
Coronavirus pantry essentials

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by coronavirus updates, you’re not alone. In Portland, COVID-19 responses are at full-throttle: The other night, our governor announced that all schools in Oregon would close for the remainder of the month. Restaurants and shops are closing, and grocery stores are zoos. My boss told us to work from home starting next week, so I’m gearing up for at least a week basically house-bound. And to top it all off, Portlanders woke up to snow this morning.

But that means more time for cooking, am I right? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with stocking up on frozen meals or pre-made soups, but it’s nice – and often cheaper – to have the raw materials to cook some delicious meals as well. This list of coronavirus pantry essentials (and a few extras) will focus on budget-friendly ingredients that, for the most part, will last close to a month in your fridge or pantry and will allow you to keep on cooking through the coronavirus craziness.

I’ve separated this list of coronavirus pantry essentials into five sections: canned goods; pickled/fermented foods; meat, cheese and dairy; fruits and vegetables; and flavor enhancers. I hope this is helpful. I’m gluten-free and I eat meat, so it reflects that. It’s a long list (you likely already have a number of these things), so feel free to ignore what doesn’t appeal to you.

What are your coronavirus pantry essentials? Tell me in the comments!

Jump to the full coronavirus pantry essentials list

Canned goods

These can serve as the base for so many good recipes, and they’re typically very cheap.

Recipe ideas: Smoky Tuna Mac and Cheese, Sweet Potato Chipotle Chili, Bacon Artichoke Spinach Salad

Pickled/fermented foods

Pickled and fermented foods are a great vehicle for nutritious veggies.

Recipe ideas: Spicy Kimchi Noodle Soup, ABC salad (Artichokes, Beets and Chevre), Dad’s Potato Salad, Antipasto Salad

Meat, cheese and dairy

Not all meat is created equal. While just about everything freezes just fine, some types are more versatile and are better suited to freezing than others:

Recipe ideas: Spicy Sausage Tuscan Soup, Chorizo Breakfast Casserole, Bacon Brussels Salad, Grilled Chicken Sun-Dried Tomato and Avocado Spinach Salad

The same goes for cheeses, which also freeze well. I prefer to stick to a couple in my fridge. With an exception of the super-processed (but very versatile) cream cheese, opt for hard, aged cheeses, which have a longer shelf life.

Recipe ideas: Bacon Apple Kale Salad, Creamy Macaroni and Cheese, Chicken Enchiladas

Now for the rest:

Recipe ideas: Chorizo Breakfast Tacos, White Cheddar Omelette, Breakfast Bagel Sandwiches with Herbed Cream Cheese

Fruits and vegetables

Stocking up does not mean getting scurvy! Many fruits and veggies have a looong shelf life in your fridge or stored in a cool, dry place. And frozen veggies are always better than none at all. For certain recipes, they’re better than fresh.

For a cool, dry pantry:

Recipe ideas: Butternut Squash Salad, Roasted Garlic Potato Soup, Sweet Potato Avocado Salad, Potato Poblano Leek Soup

For your fridge or a cold, damp cellar:

Recipe ideas: Chicken Piccata, Ginger Hot Toddy, Classic Memphis-Style Coleslaw

Frozen:

Recipe ideas: Bacon Pea Parm Pasta, Ultimate Salmon Chowder, Palak Paneer, Raspberry Peach Smoothie

Dry goods

This is where I tend to over-do it. It can be easy to want to buy everything you see, but I try to stick to a few staples I can use in a lot of different ways.

Recipe ideas: Crockpot Beef Ragú with Polenta, Pumpkin Risotto with Mushrooms and Sausage, Lentil Soup, Bangkok Pad Thai

Flavor enhancers

This is where things can get fun, but also a little pricey. That’s why I’ve split this category into two parts: essentials and extras.

Essentials

Extras

Recipe ideas: Veggie Sandwich with Miso Cream Cheese, Slow Cooker French Wine and Mustard Chicken, Chicken Adobo, Baked Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks

Coronavirus pantry essentials (plus a few extras)

Fresh produce

Dry goods

Canned and jarred goods

Frozen foods

Refrigerated foods

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