The Well Stocked
Refrigerator and Freezer
We all have so much to do throughout the day. Whether it’s errands outside the house or a stay at home day, one thing that remains a constant is feeding our families. Keeping a Well Stocked Refrigerator and Freezer, just makes that task so much easier to accomplish.
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure for details.
Having A Well Stocked Refrigerator and Freezer helps me answer that question that often sounds like nails on a chalkboard; “What are we having for dinner tonight?” It’s such an innocent question, yet it wreaks such havoc on us when we haven’t thought about it in advance. But if you’re home and haven’t thought about dinner in advance, but you have stocked up by using this printable Refrigerator and Freezer list combined with my printable Stock your Pantry list you’ll definitely be covered.
On a side note have you ever tried the website Supercook.com? It is so great, you just enter any ingredients that you have on hand and it starts suggesting different dishes for you to prepare. It’s amazing!!
Make sure to take a look at my other post The Well Stocked Pantry so you can be fully stocked. When you shop for your items, many of the pantry items start there until they are opened and then move to the fridge.
Okay, so let’s get going, next time you’re at the grocer get all or most of these items and save yourself that last-minute trip to the store with all the kids in hand. You can also print out the Refrigerator/Freezer checklist with this FREE PRINTABLE DOWNLOAD.
Refrigerator
Staples
- Milk
- Orange or Apple Juice
- Eggs
- Unsalted Butter — Get the stick, cut it in half and put the rest in the freezer
- Salted Butter — Get the stick, cut it in half and put the rest in the freezer
- Cream Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Deli Meat — Your Favorite, Turkey, Ham, Bologna (start with 1/4 lb or 1/2 lb and see what amount is best for your family)
- Sliced Cheese — Your favorite, American, Swiss, Pepper Jack (start with 1/4 lb or 1/2 lb and see what amount is best for your family)
- Shredded Cheese for Tacos
- Sour Cream
- Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
- Hummus
- Yogurt
- Hamburger Buns
- Hotdog Buns
- Garlic Paste in the Tube — It’s life-changing
- Ginger Paste in the Tube — It’s life-changing
- Lemon Juice
- Salad Dressing
Fruits
- Bananas — Of course not in the fridge
- Oranges
- Apples
- Grapes
- Lemons
- Limes
Vegetables
- Lettuce
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes — I keep my store-bought ones in the fridge. If they’re from my garden then I keep them on the counter
- Onions — People have some strong opinions on keeping these in the refrigerator or the counter, I’ll leave that to you
- Potatoes — Same as Onions above. But I do know that wherever you store them, don’t store them next to each other. The Onions emit a chemical that makes the potatoes sprout faster
Freezer
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast — I wrap mine either individually or in portions of 2 or more
- Chicken Wings — Wrap them straight in the package with some freezer paper. Make sure to label it with a freezer pen
- Ground Beef, Turkey, Chicken — Great for Tacos
- Frozen Veggies — Broccoli, Corn, Mixed Veggies
- Skirt Steak — If you like steak, this cut is so tender
- Lamb Chops
- Hot Dogs
- Hamburgers
- Frozen Shelled Uncooked Shrimp — Buy them frozen and pop the bag in the freezer, take out a portion at a time. Just run them under cold water in a colander to defrost
- Frozen French Fries or Tator Tots
- Bread — Freezes so well, it’s great if your family doesn’t go through a loaf quickly
- Frozen Berries, Peaches or Mangos — Great for smoothies
- Bananas — If you have any that are going bad, put them in a Ziplock bag and freeze them flat for smoothies
- Ice Cream
- Frozen Cookie Dough
And there you have it. You’ll be able to make so many family dinners by having these staples in your Refrigerator and Freezer.
It doesn’t take much effort if you buy these things, stock your fridge and freezer and keep an ongoing shopping list of what you are running low on. NOT, I repeat NOT, when you run out! Please, please….when you are running low, just add it to your list.
Did you know that Alexa Echo and the Alexa Dot can make a shopping list for you and you can bring it up on your smartphone or other electronic devices when you’re at the supermarket? It’s the greatest thing!! Now my family helps me with the shopping list just by saying “Alexa, add grapes to the shopping list.” It’s as easy as that. Now they don’t have the excuse that they ran low but couldn’t find the shopping list. It’s honestly my new favorite thing.
Another thing to think about is having the correct staples to save leftovers. In addition to storage containers, you might want to keep some of these on hand. Here’s a picture of my kitchen drawer, if you don’t have a drawer to dedicate to these kinds of things, you can use a holder and attach it to the back of a cabinet door. Check out my post on Kitchen Organization for other storage and kitchen ideas.
Food Storage
Tin Foil
Saran Wrap
Parchment paper
Ziplock freezer bags – gallon and quart size
Ziplock sandwich bags
Check out my Pantry list here and my Refrigerator/Freezer list here. Print out and combine both of these lists and you’re good to go.
What do you keep in your Refrigerator or Freezer that I don’t have listed here? I’m always peaking into other peoples carts at the supermarket, please tell me I’m not the only curious one!!
P.S. I’d love to connect with you – Don’t forget to follow me on Social Media.
The question I hate the most …. what’s for dinner? I like this list of foods because I easily see different dishes I can put together quickly without much thought.
Toni-Ann, so glad you like the list. I agree it makes it so much easier to see what you can make when you see what things you should buy or what you already have in your house. Xoxo – Deb
Awesome post. Your fridge seems very well stocked. It’s great to have your list a reference to be able to understand what is good to have on hand.
Thanks Maria, Glad you find it useful. I left some open spaces for you to add other things you want to buy that you like to keep in your house as well. Xoxo – Deb
Great ideas around keeping a well stocked fridge! Always a struggle for me since we eat mostly plant based it can be a balancing act of having enough food and keeping things fresh!
Lindsey, you are right. That definitely makes it a little harder. I guess you just need to keep a little more on top of your list and shop a little more often. But the health benefits are so great! Good for you!! Xoxo – Deb
This is a great list of freezer and refrigerator staples! I meal plan, so having the essentials on hand makes the rest of grocery shopping easier.
Jessica, I totally agree and I love meal planning! It is so helpful, especially for the busy mom!
Xoxo – Deb
This is a great list for newlyweds as well. My sister just got married and when your just starting out, little things like stocking a kitchen fridge and pantry can be so overwelming. I will definitely be sharing this with her. 🙂
Sarah, Thanks for sharing this with her. I agree starting out with an empty pantry or Refrigerator/Freezer can be overwhelming. It’s also great for singles moving into a new apartment with a roommate. This way they can do the first food shop and split just the essentials. Congratulations to your sister on her new marriage! Xoxo – Deb
Good to have a list of staples that can be the base of many meals. It’s healthier and saves time and money.
Thanks! I couldn’t agree with you more. Also going to the store with a list takes a lot of the impulse buying out of the equation. Xoxo – Deb
Thank you for the tips!
My absolute pleasure! Hope it’s helpful! Xoxo – Deb
Great ideas to keep a refrigerator well stocked! Always a battle for me since we mainly eat plants, it can be a balancing act to have enough food and keep things fresh!
Thanks a lot.
Hanna, That can definitely make it harder. I’m sure you have to be at the store a little more often and you have to be a little more on top of your list. Make sure to shop your fridge every few days to update your list. But the health benefits to you and your family are great!
Xoxo – Deb
Your steps are clear to keep the fridge well arranged. Will try it on my fridge. Thanks for sharing useful post
Mike, I’m so glad you found the post helpful. Keeping on top of things like this helps to make life just a little more simple. I have a very similar post on Stocking Your Pantry. Check it out and then you’ll be covered on all ends. Let me know what you think. https://www.letssortitoutbydeb.com/the-well-stocked-pantry/
Xoxo – Deb