Top 25 Pantry Staple Recipes

Sometimes you need a meal using only what's in your pantry. These 25 recipes use only shelf-stable ingredients — no refrigerator required.

Pasta and Rice

1. Spaghetti with canned tomatoes — garlic, olive oil, canned tomatoes, dried basil.
2. Rice and lentils (Mujaddara) — rice, lentils, cumin, and caramelized onion flakes.
3. Pasta e fagioli — pasta, canned beans, canned tomatoes, dried herbs.
4. Tuna pasta — canned tuna, olive oil, capers, dried pasta.
5. Peanut noodles — pasta, peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic powder, chili flakes.

Soups

6. Lentil soup — red lentils, canned tomatoes, cumin, turmeric, vegetable broth.
7. Black bean soup — canned black beans, cumin, garlic powder, vegetable broth.
8. Minestrone — canned tomatoes, canned beans, dried pasta, vegetable broth.
9. Split pea soup — dried split peas, garlic powder, smoked paprika, vegetable broth.
10. Tomato bisque — canned tomatoes, coconut milk, garlic powder, dried basil.

Grain Bowls

11. Chickpea rice bowl — canned chickpeas, white rice, olive oil, cumin, paprika.
12. Lentil and rice pilaf — green lentils, rice, dried onion, cumin.
13. Tuna rice bowl — canned tuna, rice, soy sauce, sesame oil, dried seaweed.
14. Bean and corn bowl — canned beans, canned corn, rice, salsa from a jar.
15. Sardine rice — canned sardines, rice, olive oil, lemon juice from a bottle.

Dips and Spreads

16. Hummus — canned chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice (bottled), garlic powder, olive oil.
17. White bean dip — canned white beans, olive oil, garlic powder, dried rosemary.
18. Black bean dip — canned black beans, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder.
19. Tuna spread — canned tuna, olive oil, capers, dried herbs.
20. Peanut butter dip — peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, garlic powder, chili flakes.

Baked Goods

21. Oat cookies — rolled oats, peanut butter, honey, chocolate chips.
22. Banana bread — canned banana puree or dried banana chips rehydrated, flour, sugar, oil.
23. Cornbread — cornmeal, flour, sugar, oil, canned evaporated milk.
24. Peanut butter cookies — peanut butter, sugar, baking soda (3-ingredient recipe).
25. Coconut rice pudding — rice, coconut milk, sugar, vanilla extract.

Building Your Emergency Pantry

A well-stocked emergency pantry should include at minimum: 10 lbs of rice, 5 lbs of dried pasta, 10 cans of beans, 10 cans of tomatoes, 5 cans of tuna or sardines, 2 liters of olive oil, 2 lbs of lentils, and a full spice rack.

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