15 Amazing Meals using items from your fridge and pantry.
During these uncertain times we all have to be creative and use the pantry and fridge items that we have stocked up. Who would have thought a month ago that we would be stocking our shelves because we were going to be housebound with the Coronavirus pandemic. Today it is a wise thing to do and choosing food items that have a long shelf life just makes sense.
Shelf stable items like pasta, rice and beans, go a long way in helping you put together some easy meals. This post contains a 15 easy pantry meals that are based around recipes with common ingredients that have a long shelf life, and delivers big flavors!
Tip: Go to the grocery store as soon as it opens. Or ask them when they do their restocking of shelves!
Here's some amazing ideas for getting dinner on the table.
Pasta
1. 3 Ingredient Tomato Gnocchi Soup
An easy, soul warming soup made with 3 ingredients. Take any canned or boxed tomato soup and add gnocchi, tortellini, or ravioli to it. Don't have spinach? use, kale or Swiss chard or even parsley...or just leave it out. This is a comforting dinnertime meal.
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2. Bacon Ranch Chicken Alfredo
A wonderful baked dish that uses jarred Alfredo sauce, chicken, and a packet of ranch dressing. Don't have any bacon, leave it out or substitute for a vegetable. Frozen broccoli would be great in here.
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3. Spicy Beef and Macaroni Tomato Soup
A satisfying soup that features macaroni, marinara sauce, and diced tomatoes. Don't have macaroni, any pasta shape will do. Perfect for that ground beef you have stashed in the freezer, but ground turkey will work as well.
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4. Orzo Black Bean Salad
A great side dish or main meal. This recipe can put to use orzo, or any small shaped pasta, along with canned items such as black beans and corn. Don't have black beans, use any type of beans.
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5. Wild Mushroom Ravioli Lasagna
A one pot meal made in your skillet on the stove-top. Can't get much more comforting than a lasagna made super easy with ravioli. Any type of ravioli will due here. Just as some marinara or any type sauce and some ricotta cheese and dinner is done!
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Rice
6. Lighter Burrito Bowl
Perfect with any type of rice, long grain, brown, instant...they all work here. Plus this is a great use of the stashed ground turkey, chicken, or beef you have in the freezer. Add a can of black or pinto beans, and some fresh tomatoes and seasonings and you have one heck of a meal!
7. Chicken, Broccoli, and Cheddar Rice Bowls
Full of flavor and perfect with the use of shredded chicken that is leftover or from the freezer. Frozen broccoli is perfect in the dish as well, but you can substitute with any frozen or fresh veggies you like.
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8. Cilantro Chicken Rice and Beans
Rice takes on a great base to this skillet meal that includes canned beans, chicken and some great zesty flavors. A skillet meal with pizzazz!
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9. Bruschetta Chicken Rice Bowl
Bring in a mix of pasta and rice in a pilaf topped with shredded or diced chicken. Fresh tomatoes along with some garlic go a long way to making this dish stand out.
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10. Mediterranean Chicken and Rice
In the style of a stir fry this dish comes together quickly with chicken or pork, or even beef along with some canned tomatoes and fresh zucchini, all over rice. A favorite dish of ours.
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Beans
11. Easy Homemade Turkey Chili Recipe
The BEST tasting basic recipe for chili ever! This puts to use your ground turkey, but you can used whatever ground meat you have. Perfect with canned items such as beans and tomatoes. Add a bunch of pantry spices and you have a meal good enough for a crowd!
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12. Homemade Minestrone Soup
A great Italian soup that uses those canned items we love...beans and tomatoes. Use frozen a frozen vegetable mix if you don't have fresh ones, and any pasta shape will work here. It's a heartwarming soup that will keep you satisfied.
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13. Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Stew
Let your slow cooker do the work and give you that all day long flavor builder without all the hassle. This utilizes chicken breasts or thighs, canned tomatoes, and beans with a host of Italian spices. You'll have one easy meal without much fuss.
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14. Easy Beef Wet Burritos
These can easily be made with any ground meat you have in your freezer. Using refried beans from a can is a nice twist but if you don't have those, use a pinto or black bean and mash them up. For the sauce, any type of enchilada sauce or El Patio red sauce will do...or leave the sauce off! They are delicious anyway you fix them.
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15. Borracho Chicken
The slow cooker to the rescue once again with this easy but tasty Latin dish. With the use of canned pinto, or any type of beans, and some chicken and tequila you will have a hearty meal to serve with rice, quinoa, or faro if you have it.
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Remember, the key here is to be flexible when cooking. Substitute items freely. Skip any minor ingredients that you may not have and keep focus on the main ingredients!
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