This site contains affiliate links, please read our disclosure for more information. The content on this website was created with the help of AI.
The pantry is a magic place. It’s where you’ll find all the ingredients you need to make quick, delicious meals for your family. We’ve collected our favorite recipes that use pantry staples like pasta, canned tomatoes, and chicken broth in unexpected ways.
Recipes using pantry staples
These recipes will help you put together a meal when you’re not sure what to make or when you’re feeling a little lazy. Which is basically every night of the week!
What do you do when you get home from the grocery store and realize that you forgot to buy milk, eggs, or butter? Or maybe you don’t want to run out and buy something to cook for dinner. Here are 10 recipes that use pantry staples.
- Pasta with Tomato Sauce
- Baked Potato Soup
- Homemade Lasagna
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Fried Rice
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Macaroni and Cheese with Ham
- Chili Con Carne
- Hamburger Helper™ Homestyle Buttermilk Chicken Tenders with Rice (or any other variety of Hamburger Helper™)
- Cheese Ravioli
This is a list of recipes using pantry staples that I rotate through.
These recipes are easy and fast, but they still taste amazing. I use these recipes as a starting point and add my own twists to them, like adding different spices or vegetables, or changing up the protein source or serving size.
I love the simplicity of using pantry staples because it means fewer meals to plan and cook, less shopping trips and less food waste.
Some of my favorites are:
Tuna Salad – This is a great way to use up leftover veggies from other meals (like broccoli). I also like to add diced apples or grapes for sweetness. Tuna salad can be eaten as-is or stuffed into an avocado half for a healthy lunch or snack. The possibilities are endless!
Bean Soup – This is one of my favorite go-to meals when I don’t feel like cooking but want something filling and nutritious. I usually make this with whatever beans I have on hand (black beans are my favorite), but you can substitute any type of bean you prefer: chickpeas, pinto beans…any kind will work!
Casseroles
These recipes are perfect for feeding a crowd because they can be made in advance, frozen and reheated. The dish is cooked once and then baked again when needed. Here are some of our favorite casserole recipes:
Baked Ziti Casserole
Baked Macaroni and Cheese Casserole
Casseroles
Hamburger Soup with Rice
This recipe is easy to make and can be customized according to your tastes. If you like more heat, add more chili powder. If you like a more spicy taste, add more hot sauce or jalapeños. You can also use ground turkey instead of ground beef if desired. This soup freezes well so it’s great for having on hand during the week!
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (1 cup)
There are a lot of ingredients out there that are essential to the home cook. These are the pantry staples that you should always have on hand, whether you’re cooking for one or ten.
Here are some recipes using pantry staples:
Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs can be used in so many ways — they make great toppings for meatballs and casseroles; they’re perfect for coating fish before frying; and they can even be added to ground beef to make a quick meatloaf! Add them as an ingredient or use them as a topping for your favorite dishes.
Flour: Flour is an important ingredient in many recipes, from breads to sauces and gravies. It’s also useful for thickening soups and stews when added in small amounts at the end of cooking time.
Canned tomatoes: Canned tomatoes are an excellent source of Vitamin C and lycopene (a powerful antioxidant). Use them anytime you need diced tomatoes or canned tomato sauce — it’s easy to keep cans on hand so that you always have them when you need them!
Oats: Oats are another great source of fiber, which helps keep us fuller longer after meals — perfect for weight loss! You can find oatmeal packets easily.
There’s no better way to get started in the kitchen than by using what you have on hand. Whether you’re cooking for one or feeding a crowd, these recipes are all about using pantry staples like beans, eggs and cheese to make delicious meals that everyone will love.
Serve up this hearty dish for dinner tonight! It’s packed with protein-rich beans and veggies, so it will keep you full for hours. If you want even more protein, feel free to add some grilled chicken or tofu.
This recipe uses canned tomatoes and canned beans, two ingredients that are always stocked in my pantry. You’ll also find Italian seasoning in my spice drawer; I use it in a lot of recipes because it has such great flavor!
You only need six ingredients to make this creamy soup — not bad considering how delicious it is! Plus, it’s an easy way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken or turkey if you have some on hand.
The 5 Pantry Staples You Need to Keep in Your Kitchen
Pantry staples are the items that you always have on hand. They’re useful in everyday cooking, but more importantly, you can use them to improvise meals when you’re short on time or cash. These five pantry staples are particularly versatile and can be used in a variety of different recipes.Rice: Rice is very versatile too like pasta
Olive oil: There’s no need to splurge on fancy olive oils for everyday cooking — your basic EVOO will do just fine. It adds flavor to everything from salad dressings to dips and marinades.
Garlic powder: Garlic is such a versatile ingredient that it’s almost impossible not to have it in your pantry. You can add it to almost any dish — from soups and sauces to pasta dishes — for a burst of flavor without having to chop up a whole clove of garlic every time!
Salt: Salt helps bring out the flavors of other ingredients without adding any extra calories or fat. Try using kosher salt or sea salt instead of table salt — they’re less processed than table salt and won’t overwhelm the other flavors in your dishes like iodized salts do.
Pepper: Pepper has verious main uses in the kitchen.
These pantry staples are perfect for making quick recipes that taste like they took much longer to make.
Canned beans: Beans are a great source of protein and fiber, and they’re very inexpensive. They’re also easy to cook with, as canned beans don’t require any pre-soaking or cooking before use. Open the can, drain the liquid, rinse them well and add them to your recipe. You can even use them as a substitute for meat in vegetarian dishes!
Canned tomatoes: Canned tomatoes are another essential ingredient in my kitchen. I use them in everything from pasta sauces to soups and stews. You can even use them in place of fresh tomatoes when making salsa! Just remember that canned tomatoes tend to be more acidic than fresh ones; if you’re substituting canned tomatoes for fresh ones, add them at the end of cooking so they don’t become too bitter.
Jarred pasteurized garlic: This jarred garlic paste is great if you have no time to chop up fresh garlic cloves yourself! It comes pre-chopped so all you have to do is spread it on bread or crackers before serving — no more wasted prep time! The jarred stuff also lasts longer than fresh garlic cloves.
For this week’s recipe, we’re taking it back to basics — with a twist. You don’t need a ton of fancy ingredients or equipment to make food that tastes great. All you need is some creativity, a little planning and the right tools for the job.
Here are recipes that don’t require much more than what you already have in your pantry:
10-Minute Chicken Noodle Soup
Homemade Chicken Broth
Quick Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Skinny Chocolate Chip Cookies
