Make great use of what you've got.
These days, you're probably trying to avoid extra trips to the market. That's where these recipes come in handy. They're tasty, satisfying, and they make use of common ingredients you probably have in your fridge, pantry, or freezer.
Recipe Tin Eats / Via recipetineats.com
To make these Chinese-inspired, chilled noodles, start with any long pasta and toss it in a sauce made with peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. Even if you don't have every single ingredient the recipe calls for, these noodles will still turn out delicious. Get the recipe for sesame noodles here.
Five Heart Home / Via fivehearthome.com
Hard-boiled eggs, mayo, avocado, plus salt and pepper are really the only ingredients you need to make this light and fluffy egg salad. Eat it on a salad or on whatever type of bread you have at home. Get the recipe for avocado egg salad here.
3. Easy Stromboli
The Recipe Rebel / Via thereciperebel.com
The best thing about stromboli is you can use homemade or store bought pizza dough and fill it with whatever ingredients you have on hand. Add your favorite meats, cheese, and veggies and call it a balanced meal. Get the recipe for easy stromboli here.
Soup Addict / Via soupaddict.com
If you don't have sausage on hand, use any ground meat that's in your fridge or freezer. You can also jazz things up with whatever vegetables you have like celery, carrots, spinach, and potatoes. Get the recipe for Italian sausage orzo soup here.
Healthy Girl Kitchen / Via healthygirlkitchen.com
Take whatever pasta is in your pantry, add some store-bought hummus and a handful of veggies like spinach, tomatoes, and olives, and whip it all up into a decadent yet totally dairy-free meal. Get the recipe for creamy hummus pasta here.
6. Dirty Rice
The Salty Marshmallow / Via thesaltymarshmallow.com
Cook some rice, toss in ground beef, turkey, chicken, or sausage, add some garlic, onion, and pepper, then season it with salt, pepper, and whatever spices are in your pantry like Cajun seasoning, paprika, or cayenne. Get the recipe for dirty rice here.
Cooking For Keeps / Via cookingforkeeps.com
These fritters made with canned garbanzo beans, pine nuts, egg, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and breadcrumbs, and they're baking from start to finish. Top them with a dollop of plain yogurt, sour cream, or even hummus, Get the recipe for crispy sheet pan chickpea fritters here.
Little Spice Jar / Via littlespicejar.com
Defrost some boneless chicken breasts from the freezer, top them with tomatoes (fresh or canned), balsamic vinegar, melted butter, mozzarella cheese, and some Italian herbs, if you have them. Bake until the cheese is melty and the tomatoes are bright and bubbly. Get the recipe for balsamic tomato baked chicken here.
9. Ground Beef Tacos
How Sweet Eats / Via howsweeteats.com
Next time you go grocery shopping, grab some ground meat and keep it in the freezer. Then, whenever you're looking for an easy recipe, turn it into tacos worthy of a fiesta. Get the recipe for ground beef tacos here.
10. Easy Homemade Meatballs
Dinner Then Dessert / Via dinnerthendessert.com
You can use whatever ground meat you have on hand combined with bread or breadcrumbs, milk, butter, and onion to make these skillet meatballs. They freeze wonderfully, so you can make a big batch one day and enjoy them for weeks to come. Get the recipe for easy homemade meatballs here.
11. One-Pan Turkey and Egg Skillet
Six Sister's Stuff / Via sixsistersstuff.com
Eggs, salsa, and ground turkey (or chicken or beef) is all you need to make this no-fuss yet filling skillet meal. Enjoy it with tortillas if you have them in your kitchen. Get the recipe for one-pan turkey and egg skillet here.
12. Lentil Bolognese
The Almond Eater / Via thealmondeater.com
So you recently discovered the lentils in the back of your pantry? Transform them into a vegetarian dinner even meat-lovers will enjoy. Combined with your favorite pasta, canned tomatoes, veggies, and some Italian spices, they make for a hearty meal. Get the recipe for lentil Bolognese here.
13. Orange Chicken
The Clean Eating Couple / Via thecleaneatingcouple.com
This dish begins with boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs diced into small pieces, and the sauce is made from common household ingredients like orange juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, and honey. Get the recipe for orange chicken here.
Midwest Foodie Blog / Via midwestfoodieblog.com
As if this recipe couldn't get any more tempting, you don't even have to boil the noodles separately. Just toss them into a big pot covered with marinara sauce and cream and bake it all in the oven for 35-minutes until the pasta is cooked through. Get the recipe for no-boil pasta bake here.
15. Lemony Kale and White Bean Soup
Fork Knife Swoon / Via forkknifeswoon.com
White beans, broth, and some leafy greens are the only prerequisites for this comforting soup. Then, dress it up with fresh or dried herbs, garlic, onion, or whatever other vegetables are at your disposal. Get the recipe for lemony kale and white bean soup here.
Damn Delicious / Via damndelicious.net
All you need to make this versatile meal is marinara sauce, eggs, cheese, and milk. Eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any time in between. Get the recipe for Italian baked eggs here.
Killing Thyme / Via killingthyme.net
The majority of these ingredients like garbanzo beans, coconut milk, and diced tomatoes are non-perishables that you can keep for months in your pantry. Get the recipe for chickpea curry with coconut milk here.
Chelsea's Messy Apron / Via chelseasmessyapron.com
This lightened-up chili recipe comes together in a single skillet and it's loaded with nonperishable ingredients like canned tomato, corn, black beans, quinoa, and chicken broth. Top it with anything from sliced avocado and chopped onion to jalapeño and tortilla chips. Get the recipe for sweet potato, black bean, and quinoa chili here.
Neighborfood Blog / Via neighborfoodblog.com, Neighbor Food Blog / Via neighborfoodblog.com
Imagine your favorite indulgent mac 'n' cheese but with a spicy kick. This otherwise ordinary recipe gets a face lift thanks to rotisserie chicken or leftover shredded chicken, blue cheese dressing, and buffalo sauce. Get the recipe for buffalo chicken mac 'n' cheese here.
Chelsea's Messy Apron / Via chelseasmessyapron.com
This perfect summer pasta salad features canned corn and black beans, plus whatever fresh veggies you have on hand. Toss in scallion or red onion, jalapeño for some spice, creamy avocado, and add either Cotija cheese or grated Parmesan. If you don't have the ingredients for the dressing, just use some combination of vinegar, mayo, and lime juice. Get the recipe for Mexican street corn pasta salad here.
Two Peas and Their Pod / Via twopeasandtheirpod.com
Canned diced tomatoes, chicken or vegetable broth, pasta, and either fresh or frozen vegetables form the bulk of this filling soup. If you have Parmesan, don't skip it. A little bit of grated cheese imparts a ton of flavor. Get the recipe for one-pot pasta fa*gioli soup here.
The College House Wife / Via thecollegehousewife.com
Transform your instant ramen noodles into a sophisticated meal with the help of a few basic ingredients like kale, eggs, scallions, garlic, and butter. Get the recipe for garlic butter ramen stir fry here.
The Bellephant / Via thebellephant.com
If you don't have ripe tomatoes at the moment, canned tomatoes will be just as good. Stew the tomatoes with garlic and some spices, mix in the beans, and finally make little pockets to bake the eggs. Get the recipe for one-pot smoky eggs and beans here.
