It was finally payday! Maria’s cabinets were almost empty and she planned to go grocery shopping after work. With her organized list in hand, she was ready! She was excited to finally cook something new since her family was getting tired of leftovers.
But when Maria picked up her daughter Katie from preschool, she had a fever; Maria took her straight to the doctor. After waiting several hours at the clinic and with a sick little one, there was no way she could get to the store.
She would have to make do with what she had at home.
It happens to all moms at some point — those perfectly timed plans you’ve made can be ruined in minutes. That’s why all moms need to have a “Plan B” up their sleeve!
The Pantry Plan
Whether it’s time, money or transportation that keeps you from getting food in the house, keeping some essential items in your pantry (and a few standbys in your fridge) can help you make some quick, yummy meals. To make canned foods taste better, add spices! Don’t be afraid to add garlic powder, dehydrated onion, cumin, curry, etc. To reduce the sodium, drain canned foods and rinse. Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment and look on the Internet for recipes using pantry items.
Here are some must-have pantry staples to always keep on hand:
Pantry Items
Pasta or rice
Canned tuna, salmon, clams or chicken
Dried beans or lentils
Canned chickpeas, white beans or refried beans
Jarred or canned tomato sauce/pasta sauce
Tomatoes, seasoned tomatoes
Canned cream of mushroom or chicken soup
Evaporated milk
Chiles
Canned green beans, carrots, mixed vegetables
Flour, cornmeal, cooking oil, spices, honey
Soy sauce
Powdered chicken broth
Tostada shells
Pantry Dishes
Check out these quick and easy dishes
you can make using items you may
already have on hand!
Pasta Dishes
- Pasta with pasta sauce and chicken
- Pasta with tomatoes and chickpeas or white beans
- Pasta salad with tuna, corn and green beans
- Creamy pasta with peas and tuna or Creamy pasta with chicken and green beans
- Creamy soup + milk + other ingredients OR cream sauce from scratch using canned milk, flour and oil or butter
- Pasta with red clam sauce: Pasta sauce with drained and rinsed clams + dehydrated onion and garlic
If you have…
a few eggs, mayonnaise, pancake mix and some cheese in the fridge you can also make these:
- Crustless cheese or veggie quiche
- Salmon or tuna quiche
- Tuna salad tostadas
- Egg fried rice: Eggs with leftover rice, soy sauce and vegetables
- Egg salad with chopped green beans
- Cheese omelet
- Chicken Pot Pie Pancakes: Mix pancake mix per directions. Add rinsed and drained mixed veggies and chopped chicken. Serve with gravy or ketchup.
- Chicken or vegetarian pot pie: Use chicken, mixed vegetables, canned chicken soup and milk. Top with crust made with pancake mix.
Other
- Salmon patties made with cornmeal and flour; topped with pasta sauce
Veggie Dishes
- Lentils with rice
- Mexican rice with veggies: Rice + tomato paste + canned veggies like mixed vegetables or corn and green beans. Add pinto beans or other beans for extra protein.
- Vegetarian chili: tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, corn or hominy, other veggies + chili powder, garlic, onions
- Lentil tomato soup: Canned drained lentils + tomato soup
- Lentil soup: Dried lentils + dehydrated onion and garlic, chicken broth
- Black bean soup: Black beans + chicken broth in the blender. Garnish with chopped seasoned tomatoes
- Asian style noodles: Make a peanut sauce with peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, garlic and water. Stir into warm noodles and add mixed veggies.
- Rice and bean salad: Use oil and vinegar or Italian dressing and leftover rice and beans for a tasty salad. Add drained tomatoes and other veggies if available.
- Minestrone soup: Tomatoes + corn + green beans + white beans + tomato paste + chicken broth + small pasta
- White bean chili: White beans + chicken + chicken broth + chiles + onion and spices
- Polenta topped with drained seasoned tomatoes + beans. Polenta is made with course cornmeal, chicken broth, or salt and water.
- Bean tostadas with corn tomato salsa
Desserts
- Flan: Evaporated milk + condensed milk and eggs
-
Rice pudding: rice + milk
