My Pantry

In my pantry, I will ALWAYS have the following items on hand. Don't feel pressured if you don't. But it does help to slowly acquire these items when you find a recipe that "you just gotta try, tonight!"
I started out just getting one bottle/can at a time, and look what's become of it!
Start small, and don't stress!


Grains:
Egg Noodles
Spaghetti/Linguine - I prefer the Whole Wheat varieties. 
Elbow Macaroni - again, Whole Wheat is best.
Brown and White Rice
Corn and Flour Tortillas
Quinoa - it's a protein, low-fat, iron-packed, good-with-everything rice substitute.
Mac-and-Cheese - both the boxed version and the Easy Mac version
Rice-a-Roni - Chicken and Mexican Rice flavors
Lipton's Noodles
Hamburger Helper Dinners - Lasagna, Stroganoff, and Tuna Helper flavors

Baking Goods:
Brown and White Sugars
Flour
Vanilla
Cornstarch
Baking Powder/Soda

Spices:
Sea Salt
Ground Pepper
Tellecherry Peppercorns
Ground Ginger, Coriander, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cinnamon, Cumin
Red Chile Flakes
Rosemary and Bay Leaves
Chile Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Paprika
Celery and Onion Salts
Creole and Italian Seasonings
Season Salt
Dill, Sage, Chives, Fennel Seeds
Garlic Powder
Chicken Bouillon cubes

Soups/Sauces/Broths:
Chicken Broth -at least a case
Beef Broth
Ramen Noodles - beef and chicken varieties
Chicken Noodle Soup
Tomato Soup
Cream of Mushroom and Chicken Soups
Tomato Sauce
Tomato Juice
V8 Juice

Condiments:
Soy Sauce - low sodium
Sesame Oil - don't be fooled, that tiny bottle will last you a YEAR at least!
Grapeseed Oil
Vegetable/Canola Oil
Olive Oil - I keep a couple of huge containers at a time
Barbecue Sauce - Stubbs brand is best
Yellow, Dijon, and regular Ground Mustard
Mayo and Ketchup - watch the expiration date, I've found these expire in about a year!
Oyster Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce
All Varieties of Vinegar - Red Wine, Rice, Apple Cider, Balsamic, White
Red, White and Sherry Cooking Wines
Lemon Juice

Beans/Lentils/Veggies/Fruits - dried/canned/frozen/fresh:
Red Kidney Beans
Chili Beans
Black Beans
Refried Beans
Pinto Beans
Strawberries, Bell Peppers, Green Chiles - frozen 
Corn, Green Beans, Peas, Water Chestnuts, Baby Corn, Sliced Mushrooms, Dice Tomatoes - canned
Garlic, Onions, Potatoes, lemons, limes, jalapenos, carrots, green onions - fresh
Potato Shreds/Chips, Diced Carrots, Diced Celery, Diced Onions, Berries, Apples, Peppers - dried

Meats - double-freezer bagged, stored in my freezer (no longer than 3 months!):
Ground Hamburger - I buy the 5lb packages and separate into .5-1lb baggies
Chicken Breasts - again I buy the Family Size package and put 2 to a bag
Halibut Filets - bag of 4 filets at Walmart could be around $9, or look in the Grocery Circulars, can usually be $6/lb on sale, already vacuumed sealed.
Stew Meat
Flank Steak
Round Steak

Misc Others:
Chocolate Milk Mix
Evaporated Milk
Instant Dry Milk
Chocolate Chips - I keep a BIG bag of Semi-Sweets in my fridge, makes for a perfect late-night snack! *Recipe to come later!
Egg Powder
Shredded Cheese and Cheese Powder
Bacon Bits
Pistachio Nuts
Sliced Almonds
Graham Crackers
Snak-Pak Puddings