How to Stock a Pantry for Uninvited Guests

Uninvited guests can be an unwelcome site, especially if dinner is about to hit the table. How are you going to feed so many people when you have only cooked enough for four? If your pantry is well stocked, it will be easy to stretch any meal so that it feeds a larger party.

Things You'll Need

• Rice
• Pasta
• Condensed soups
• Bread crumbs
• Crackers

Instructions

1. Have easy to prepare appetizers handy. An extremely easy way to stretch your meal for uninvited guests is to keep appetizer ingredients on hand. For example, keep your pantry stocked with ingredients to make a quick dip. White beans and minced garlic, blended with a bit of olive oil, make an excellent dip. Serve with wedges of pita bread and your uninvited guests will be pleased.

2. Purchase quick to fix side dishes. A great way to stretch meals is to add more side dishes. That is why it pays to keep easy side dishes stocked in your pantry. Macaroni and cheese or even dressing can be prepared in a matter of minutes. Even when you have little notice, you’ll be able to feed uninvited guests.

3. Stock up on rice and pasta. Rice and pasta can be added to meals to help feed more people. For example, you can pour chili over pasta and add a bit of cheese and sour cream. Another great example is to pour a creamy chicken dish over a bed of rice. Rice and pasta are so filling that no one will notice the smaller portions.

4. Keep condensed soups on hand. Condensed soups can turn small meals, and even leftovers, into a fantastic meal for uninvited guests. You can use cream soups to prepare casseroles and vegetable or meat based soups to make a hearty soup. For example, if you’ve prepared beef tips with vegetables, you can go to your pantry and get a couple cans of tomato soup. Add water to the soup and add your beef tips and vegetables to create a quick beef and vegetable soup.

5. Buy fillers, such as bread crumbs and crackers. Bread crumbs and crackers are an easy way to stretch your ingredients. If you’re preparing a quick tuna salad, stir in bread crumbs. The bread crumbs increase the volume, but also add great texture. Cracker crumbs can be added to ground beef to make more hamburgers or meatballs.

Tips & Warnings

• Check the date of pantry items on a regular basis.