What are your staples?

I talk a lot about meal planning here. Probably because it's one area I feel really in control of. I hope I have also mentioned that even the best laid plans sometimes fall through. Like when one of us forgets to get meat out of the freezer on time! To plan is great, to improvise divine.

We all have the basics that exist in just about every refrigerator, eggs, milk, bread, butter, etc. But aren't there some staples that vary a bit more depending on your family's tastes. Staples that you keep in supply because you just never know when an appointment will run late causing you not to get your more elaborate already planned meal in action in time or you find that the crucial ingredient didn't make it into the cart when two children were arguing over a special dessert causing you to mark it off the list and not pick it up?

Here are a couple of ours:

1) Noodles--of all kinds, because they are fast and easy and go well with...
2) Jars of premade sauce--which we stock up on when we have coupons or they go on sale. We prefer to make our own, but it helps to have some around.
3) Pre-pattied hamburgers--again, when they go on sale we stock up. The frozen straight to the grill kind.
4) Old fashioned oats and grits-- they take about five minutes and my kids love them!
5) Soft tortillas--which go well with
6) Shredded cheese--and
7) Salsa--cheese quesadilla's are an easy throw together when all else fails.

What about you? Anything you panic over when you run out of even if it's not on the menu?