20+ Easy Meals with Pantry Staples
When you need a quick meal but without a trip to the store, these easy meals with pantry staples can help you cook up the best dinner! These dinners are made with simple, affordable ingredients that are likely to be stocked right in your pantry.
Having a good stock in the pantry is essential for times when the unexpected happens, and you need to really cook from the pantry. This list of pantry staples is a great start to knowing what you should store in your pantry.
I’ll admit I do not keep large quantities of food products in the pantry; I just do not have space or need for it. I typically will have enough on hand for about 2 weeks’ time, then I’ll need to go to the store again.
There are, though, some things like oils, canned goods, and such that hold for a while and are perfect to store in the pantry. These will be helpful with this list of easy meals with pantry staples.
If you’re looking for a printable list, check out this Pantry List Printable that I made in my Etsy Shop.
Why pantry meals are a lifesaver:
- Quick and easy to make!
- Budget-Friendly
- Great for last-minute meals.
- Use shelf-stable ingredients.
- Easy to customize, and mix and match with what you have on hand!
What types of pantry staples should you keep?
Let’s talk about easy meals with pantry staples and what you should have in your pantry.
- Oils and Vinegar
- Herbs and Spices
- Canned Goods
- Canned Meats
- Peanut Butter
- Flour
- Oats
- Sugar
- Rice
- Baking Powder
- Cornstarch
- Baking Soda
- Beans
- Pasta
- …and must-haves for your family
Easy meals with pantry staples also include some refrigerator staples and freezer staples, too, such as dairy and meat products. We keep those on hand as well, just enough to last at least 2 months.
Can you freeze flour?
A few tips, first, if you keep products like beans, pasta, and flour in your pantry, be sure they are in high-quality storage containers to avoid any unwanted visitors making a home there, this could be moths or weevils. Be sure to protect your pantry staples so they last a while.
I tend to actually keep large quantities of flour and baking mixes on hand, so I freeze them. They are great in the freezer, but you just want to bring them to room temperature before using them for a recipe.
Flour is perfect to freeze in the freezer, and most likely, you won’t have to worry about any unwanted visitors.
What do you consider easy meals with pantry staples?
These pantry meals are going to use staples from the pantry, fridge, and freezer. This means pasta, soups, and bread, which are perfect to make with pantry staples.
These pantry meals may look a bit different for you if you keep different items than I do on hand; however, you can adapt them, or hopefully, they will give you some ideas to help you with your meal prep.
Remember, I have plenty of gluten-free recipes too for you that are good pantry meals as well.
These easy meals with pantry staples are going to be a great go-to list for you as you have nights where you just don’t know what’s for dinner! Get creative and add your own spin, too!