Fifty Two Shades of Shay: Fall Pantry Staples

August 22, 2014
Today’s Shade of Shay is about food :).  Ahhhh…I love to be in the kitchen.  If you don’t normally read my foodie blog, you should!  This time of year (fall going into Christmas) is the very best time to get in the kitchen.  Fall food is just the best…it’s warm, comforting and absolutely cozy.
 Every fall, I really try and make sure I have some staples in my pantry for the season.  You know…nothing fancy, just some simple items on hand for quick suppers everyone will love.  To see inside my pantry, click here.
Here are some of my favorite pantry items along with a recipe or two to use with them…
We go through cans and cans of pumpkin during the fall.  Cans.  I like canned pumpkin in savory dishes (like my Pumpkin-Sausage Pasta), bars and muffins too!  In fact, I really love it in just about everything.  The second picture is my Pumpkin Caramel Neiman Marcus Bars and the third is my 3 Ingredient Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins.
For more pumpkin recipes, click here.
Canned soups added into recipes make for really quick cooking!  A lot of nights, I know you don’t have a lot of time to prepare dinner, so this little ingredient right here can really speed up supper time.
I use it in a variety of ways…
Spinach Chicken Enchiladas
Slightly Sweet Sloppy Joes
Chicken Pot Pie
Skillet Tacos, Enchilada Chili, Mini Italian Meatloaves  
I keep a variety of canned tomatoes on hand.  I like big San Marzano tomatoes, tomato sauce, different taco sauces and of course Rotel tomatoes.  Love these!
I always keep things like stock around because they’re great in slow cooker and pasta dishes.  We love oatmeal for desserts and breakfast and of course, black beans are great especially in Tex-Mex style food!

Speaking of Tex-Mex, we keep lots of taco shells in our pantry too!  I especially love them for all of my baked tacos.  Yum!

Crunchy BBQ Brisket Tacos, Spinach Pesto Baked Tacos, Spicy Chicken Baked Tacos 

These are one of Andrew’s favorite things for me to make in the fall…my Bisquick Chicken Parm and my Maple Crusted Chicken.  Both use Biquick as a simple breading…so quick and easy and so yummy too!

Of course, pasta is fabulous pantry item!  I have over 75 pasta recipes on my blog.  To see them all, click here. šŸ™‚

For some of my favorite seasonal desserts this fall and Christmas, you just need a few cake mixes and a variety of chips (chocolate, butterscotch, white chocolate, peanut butter…whatever you love!) on hand!  In no time flat, you’ll have something sweet :).  To see a list of my 100 Bundt Cakes (all 100 use a cake mix and they’re all super simple and delicious!), click here.

And for most of my recipes, the only spices you might need are one of these…Pumpkin Pie Spice, Chili Powder, Italian Seasoning and Cinnamon.  I’m not into long ingredient lists.  I like to keep things simple, quick and cost efficient…so when you’re stocking up on spices, you’ll only need these four.

These are my Fall Pantry Staples!  This season, when you’re ready to make dinner or a fun dessert, don’t forget to come see what I’m cookin’ up!

And on Mondays…

…it’s always Meal Planning Monday!  This is where I show you five simple entrees, two desserts and a bonus recipe to make your week easier!

And pssssst…today on my foodie blog…

…my Beef Enchiladas that are fast and simple for even the busiest weeknight!

And today is the last day our code will work for Barrington!  The promo code for free shipping is BACKTOSCHOOL.  Click here to enter to win our Barrington Bag giveaway!  If you tagged friends to win, make sure you tell them to enter as well to increase your chances!!

***We updated the Rafflecopter with one more entry!  You can earn an extra 10 points if you and all 4 people you would gift bags to follow both myself and Pinterest Told Me To on both Instagram and Face Book!***

Happy Friday Friends!
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August 22, 2014 in Food
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  • Stephanie August 22, 2014 at 11:22 am

    What a fabulous giveaway!!! Thank you so much for taking time to honor teachers with something fresh for back to school šŸ™‚ Have a fabulous weekend!!

  • Tab & Erika August 22, 2014 at 11:36 am

    So funny that you're talking about your pantry!!! Last night after the kids were in bed I tried to be super quiet and sneaky and quietly grab a couple cookies out of the pantry. They're up high bc B eats anything he can grab. Anyway…I knocked over the flour and it landed upside down on me!!! Flour was everywhere!!! The cookies were worth it. šŸ™‚

  • Narci August 22, 2014 at 11:45 am

    I love this! It really is time to restock the pantry! Can't wait for all your fall recipes!!

  • Tracy August 22, 2014 at 12:16 pm

    Did you ever watch Sandra Lee? I'm not sure if she still has a show or not. I used to lover her semi-homemade style. You remind me so much of her! Super easy and yummy meals for busy moms. Thanks for sharing. Now I want some pumpkin bars (your friend Paula Deen has the BEST recipe for pumpkin bars – if you haven't tried it you need to make some ASAP!).

  • The Andersons August 22, 2014 at 12:22 pm

    I love fall too! I just got a vita mix blender and can't wait to try a bunch of soups!!! In Wisconsin they are all about beer cheese soup!

  • Sheaffer {Pinterest Told Me To} August 22, 2014 at 12:31 pm

    I cleaned out my spice cabinet before we listed the house, and I threw out balsamic vinegar from 2004. TWO THOUSAND AND FOUR. Before we move I'm going to weed out the spices too and just get new ones. I'm sure many of them have lost their pungency. Is that a word? Did I spell it right? Anyway, great post! It has me inspired!!!!

  • Amy J August 22, 2014 at 12:47 pm

    Love this post! I have many of these recipes sitting on my counter just waiting for me to be home to make them. Crockpot is definitely one of our main go-to methods during the fall and winter. Gives us time to hit the gym after work and have dinner ready. That's a win, win in my book! Happy Fall Shay!!

  • Jen August 22, 2014 at 12:59 pm

    Ohhhh this makes me SO excited for Fall!! If only the temps would drop….. PLEASE LORD let it be soon!

  • The Yarbrough's August 22, 2014 at 1:45 pm

    aaahhhh…I LOVE FALL!!!!

  • Marty August 22, 2014 at 1:47 pm

    Love this post. We recently moved into a house that has a pantry about 1/3 the size of the one in our last home. I'm having to be super creative and organized with this space. I keep many of the same staples in my pantry that you listed. I LOVE Fall and Fall decorations and "fall" cooking…with one exception: pumpkin. I love the way pumpkins look on my mantle…or on my porch. But, pumpkin flavoring, pumpkin spices, pumpkin lattes…blech. Not a fan. Please don't hate me.

  • marielazs August 22, 2014 at 2:13 pm

    I will be making your Nutella cinnamon rolls for breakfast tomorrow and the BBQ brisket tacos for dinner. Can't wait!

  • Sarah E @ theteacherswife.com August 22, 2014 at 2:59 pm

    Great post! Thanks for reminding me of things I need to make sure I'm stocked up on so I'm ready for fall meals!! šŸ™‚

  • Anonymous August 22, 2014 at 3:46 pm

    After religiously reading your foodie blog for over a year, my pantry looks pretty similar to yours now. I cook something from your blog at least 3-4 times a week. Thank you!
    -Bradley L

  • Alison @ Get Your Pretty On August 22, 2014 at 5:27 pm

    Oh wow! I haven't had lunch yet, this post should come with a warning. šŸ™‚ Thinking of you as you get ready to send your first one off to kindergarten. Enjoy your last weekend of summer, sweet friend!

  • Katherine Madsen August 22, 2014 at 7:13 pm

    Have you ever tried penzys spices? There's one in Dallas off of 635 near 75. Soo delicious!!!

  • audra wray August 23, 2014 at 3:16 am

    I love this….so informative! Thank you for putting this together! I need to do a better job of stocking up on staples! Would love to see a post every season to tell me what to buy šŸ™‚

  • Kelly @ Familiar Joy August 23, 2014 at 4:53 am

    I SO appreciate this post! I am such a simple recipe gal. If it gets too complicated, I give up! Thanks for the great ideas. =)

  • Anonymous August 23, 2014 at 12:03 pm

    Thanks for the pantry list! Those are pretty much my staples too! Love reading you every day!

    Jan Fusher

  • Anonymous September 22, 2014 at 6:31 pm

    Hi, where can I find the jars you keep all of your chocolate chips in, etc? Thanks!

  • Mix and Match Mama September 22, 2014 at 6:50 pm

    I bought mine at the Container Store :).