Everyone needs fast, easy dinner recipes to make with pantry ingredients. Shelf-stable ingredients stay good at room temperature for months (or years) to come. Keep reading and try one of these simple, shelf-stable dinners on your next busy night.
Black Bean Salsa
Combine canned black beans with canned corn, then add some jarred salsa. This easy meal offers protein, carbs, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Eat it with chips, roll it into a burrito, or chow down with a spoon. Add extra hot sauce or seasonings if you like it spicy.
Canned Soup
Try to keep a few different soup flavors in the pantry if possible. When you want an easy dinner, simply pick your favorite variety, pour the soup into a bowl, and heat it according to the instructions. Then enjoy!
Bean And Pepper Soup
If you’re up for a little more effort, why not make your own soup? Combine canned beans and canned roasted peppers with garlic salt in a pan. Add 1 teaspoon vinegar, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1 cup broth (or water), then heat until warm. Who knew homemade soup could be so easy?
Microwave Rice And Beans
Cooking rice isn’t always complicated. Microwavable rice is now available in pre-cooked, single-serving packages. Tear the package to vent, pop it in the microwave, and you have perfectly steamed rice in just a few minutes. Add a microwave packet of sauced lentils or beans for a well-rounded meal.
Baked Potatoes
Potatoes will stay fresh for months in a cool, dark place like your pantry. Grab one potato per serving when you need an easy dinner. Poke it with a fork and microwave it for 4-5 minutes, then enjoy your baked potato. Top it with canned chili, dip, queso, or another pantry staple for extra flavor and nutrition.
Three-Bean Chili
Vegetarian chili is simple with pantry ingredients! Combine 1 can of these ingredients in a pot: black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, diced tomatoes, and corn. Then add 1 cup of vegetable stock or water, plus a packet of chili seasoning. Let it simmer for about 30 minutes before digging in.
Instant Ramen
Ramen noodles are a go-to easy meal. You can cook these instant noodles in minutes on the stovetop or microwave. Use the included seasoning packet, or make your soup fancier by adding an Asian-inspired sauce.
Pasta And Sauce
Here’s another simple classic. Boil a pot of your favorite noodles while heating up your favorite pasta sauce. You can also add a can of chicken, lentils, or beans for some protein.
Breakfast For Dinner
Pancake mix makes it easy to enjoy this breakfast favorite for dinner. Just follow the package instructions for a tasty treat. Substitute oil for butter, water for milk, and applesauce for eggs to keep the meal fully shelf-stable. Then top with syrup, jelly, or jam.
Tuna Salad
Drain a can of tuna and mix it with a scoop of mayonnaise for almost-instant tuna salad. You can eat it with crackers or by itself.
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter keeps you full because it’s packed with protein. Add peanut butter to rice cakes, instant oatmeal, crackers—or like some people suggest in this Reddit thread, you can always eat it by the spoonful.
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