Stock Up: Things to Stock in Your Pantry for Unexpected Guests
It’s Wednesday. You’re having a long day at work and think that your night will go something like this: put on Juicys, sit on couch, crush Real Housewives for three hours, fall asleep on couch. Maybe eat some ice cream, somewhere in there. But then, your besty from college texts you. “Guess who’s in town?” Then a thousand emojis: dancing lady, two ladies, party hat, confetti, martini, cheeseburger. Before you can text back, she sends another. “I’m coming over, duh! Want to see your place!”
This is good, right? This is fun! You love her! You love emojis! And you’ve just done a little apt update, and you’re sort of psyched to show it off! But… what will you feed her? You simply can’t with Whole Foods at 6:30. And we’re with ya, sister.
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Here’s a list of things to stock in your pantry/fridge/freezer for those moments when you want to whip something snackish up, but do not want to shop. These ingredients stay good for long periods of time and won’t break the bank and, when tweaked and spiced, can make for an impressive snack situation.
Canned Chic Peas: If you’ve got 45 minutes and ANYTHING in your spice cabinet, you can make roasted chic peas. Go cayenne and paprika for spicy, cinnamon and sugar for sweet, or good old salt and pepper. Click here for recipe.
Goat Cheese and Cream Cheese: Both of these stay good in your fridge for a while (like 3 weeks, at least). And guess what? You can mush ‘em together and add in some spices for a FANTASTIC dip. Seriously: Just stir a roll of goat cheese with cream cheese and add cream cheese ’til it gets smooth, then add herbs. We add sundried tomatoes and oregano to ours, but any herbs you like will do. Serve it with crackers, carrots, or whatever you please!
Cornichon & Olives: Cute little pickles and olives are the easiest ways to dress up a plate (or a cocktail). They stay good for bagillions of years, too. Just have ‘em.
Fancy Parm: If you’ve got good parm, hunks of it it really are a decadent treat. Keep a slab in your fridge for unexpected visitors. Just a bowl of parm, a bowl of nuts or popcorn, and a bowl of olives will be a great little spread.
Raw Almonds: Fancy roasted nuts made at home? Yes please. All you need is some olive oil, salt, pepper, and a baking sheet to make some seriously impressive roasted almonds. Your guests will give you major points that you did them yourself. Click here for recipe.
Truffle Popcorn: You guys, this is the EASIEST way to impress people. We love Pipcorn, which are tiny little kernels. They have great flavors, but truffle is by far the best. People freak every time, and it’s just as easy as opening a bag of chips.
Bacon Jams: Have you guys noticed that we’re obsessed with Bacon Jams? Well, we are. They’re great to have on hand for myriad uses: spread on crackers and add some cheese or fruit for a great little app., or slather it on some brie and bake it. You’ll be happy you did. Buy some here.
Got something special YOU like to stock in your pantry for unexpected guests? Let us know in the comments section!