Simple recipes you can make during self-quarantine with ingredients you already have! We've stocked our pantries and fridge, now we need some meals to cook. These easy meals are made with pantry staples and are great for freezing.
What is a pantry recipe?
Any recipe that is made with simple ingredients you can store in your pantry or freezer. This includes meals with ingredients that have a long shelf life!
My favorite pantry ingredients:
We like to eat clean to help us feel our best and often follow an anti-inflammatory diet, so a lot of these recipes will fall into the gluten free and dairy free category:
- Canned tomatoes: diced, tomato sauce, crushed and tomato paste
- Beans: black beans, chickpeas, chili beans, kidney beans
- Pastas: any type will work for these recipe. I love Banza chickpea pasta or a gluten free brown rice pasta
- Coconut cream: great for making creamy, dairy free recipes
- Flours: tapioca, oat, almond, coconut and traditional flour
- Oils and vinegars
- Spices
- Quinoa and rice
- Beef and chicken stock
- Corn and salsas
- Potatoes, sweet potatoes and onions
- Flour or corn tortillas
Proteins and Fruits/Veggies:
All of these recipes include proteins or vegetables. These last as long as you freeze them. You can use pre-frozen fruits and veggies or you can freeze fresh ones.
How to freeze fruits and veggies: wash and chop them then store them in a large freezer bag and place in the freezer. Use them in the recipe from frozen.
I've organized the recipes below based on the type of protein you have or are in the mood for.
35 Pantry Recipes:
Chicken and Poultry Pantry Recipes:
- Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Serve with: frozen broccoli, cauliflower or roasted sweet potato
- Turkey Penne Arrabbiata
- Swap: ground chicken or ground beef
- Swap: any type of pasta
- Swap: 1/2 cup coconut cream for cashews
- The best healthy chicken soup recipe
- Swap: fresh herbs for half the amount of dried herbs
- Taco stuffed sweet potatoes
- Swap: ground beef or chicken
- 20 Minute chicken parmesan soup | Chelsea's Messy Apron
- Swap: traditional diced tomatoes
- Swap: any type of pasta
- Crock pot healthy white chicken chili
- Slow cooker Mexican quinoa casserole
- Swap: tomato sauce + 1 packet of taco seasoning for enchilada sauce
- Instant pot chicken and rice | Natasha's Kitchen
- Instant pot salsa chicken
- Serve with: rice or taco shells
- Healthy turkey chili | Ambitious Kitchen
- Crock pot chicken quinoa soup | Chelsea's Messy Apron
- Healthy chicken enchiladas
- Swap: tomato sauce + 1 packet of taco seasoning for enchilada sauce
- The best Instant Pot chicken noodles soup
- Swap: any type of noodle you have on hand
- Sheet pan burrito bowl
- Swap: chicken breast cut into thin strips
- Southwestern chicken casserole | Fit Foodie Finds
- One pot chicken burrito bowls | Chelsea's Messy Apron
Sausage and Pork Pantry Recipes:
- One pan sausage and veggies
- Swap: any frozen veggies you have
- Sweet potato hash with sausage and peppers
- Swap: frozen kale or spinach
- Swap: regular potatoes
- One pan sausage, parmesan and broccoli pasta | Chelsea's Messy Apron
- Swap: frozen broccoli
- Crock pot cowboy casserole | Chelsea's Messy Apron
- Swap: ground beef or chicken
Beef Pantry Recipes:
- One pot taco pasta
- Swap: ground turkey or chicken
- Swap: any type of pasta
- Omit: tomatoes and avocado if you don't have them
- Slow cooker paleo chili
- Swap: sweet potatoes for peppers
- Korean Shredded beef tacos
- Swap: ground ginger
- Serve with: rice or taco shells
- Healthy Instant pot beef stroganoff
- Swap: any type of pasta
- Sweet potato stew | Chelsea's Messy Apron
- Swap: regular potatoes
- Slow cooker healthy sloppy joes
- Serve with: buns or roasted sweet potatoes
- Omit: pepper if you don't have it
- Garlic steak bites with potatoes | The Recipe Critic
- Swap: ghee/coconut oil for butter
- Swap: sweet potatoes
- Instant pot pot roast and potatoes
- Swap: sweet potatoes
- Instant pot spaghetti
- Swap: ground turkey or chicken
- Swap: any type of pasta
Vegetarian Pantry Recipes:
- Mexican sweet potato quinoa casserole | Fit Foodie Finds
- Swap: regular potatoes
- Sweet potato lentil stew | Fit Foodie Finds
- Swap: regular potatoes
- Vegan tomato chickpea and sweet potato stew | Ambitious Kitchen
- Swap: regular potatoes
- Quick and easy black bean soup | Ambitious Kitchen
- Lentil and quinoa chili | Ambitious Kitchen
- Cauliflower and chickpea masala | Budget Bytes
- Swap: Frozen cauliflower
How to freeze meals:
All of these meals are great to make in advance and freezer for up to 6 months.
To freeze: follow each recipe then allow to cool completely. Transfer to a air-tight container or freezer bag and place in the freezer. Thaw overnight and warm up in the oven, stove or microwave.
I hope this post helps you plan meals while you're staying at home due to COVID-19. If you need additional resources and updates about this pandemic please check out:
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