Staples for a Quick and Easy Dinner

I'm sure you have all heard the saying about life happening while you are making plans. This is one of the truest quotes I have ever heard in my life. I am a planner by nature, so my weekly menu is typically planned before I get on my phone to order my groceries. (If you haven't tried grocery pickup from stores like Walmart and United Supermarket, you absolutely should!!)

Despite my knack for planning out a menu, sometimes things come up. For example, sometimes you have dinner plans with friends or family and those plans get canceled. So, here it is at 5 p.m. and you now have no dinner plans. What do you do?

As a planner, I also have a tendency to have built-in backup plans, so there are certain items I keep in my kitchen for situations just like this. Here are my quick and easy dinner staples.

• Frozen Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

• Frozen Vegetables - Broccoli, Corn, or Carrots

• Canned Vegetables - Green Beans

• Idahoan Instant Mashed Potatoes - There are several varieties.

• Idahoan Casseroles - I keep the scalloped potatoes in my pantry most of the time.

• Uncooked Pasta

• 5 Minute Rice

All of these things have something in common....a shelf life that will last for a while. By keeping these inexpensive items in my kitchen, I am sure to be able to throw some sort of dinner together in no time to feed my family and save myself from a hungry and angry toddler.

What are your kitchen staples? Share them in the comments!