Easy recipes from shelf-stable ingredients?

[Anonymous]

I'd like to keep the ingredients on hand for a couple of easy meals for when I haven't been to the store in a while. Bonus points if its not pasta as we don't eat a whole lot of it. Any suggestions? Soups? Bean dishes? There's got to be more options...

[Anonymous]

Hmm...vegetarian chili? Linguine with clam sauce? White bean soup, butternut squash soup. Pasta all'Arrabbiata. (Sorry, mostly pasta dishes are coming to mind.)

[Anonymous]

OP, I asked this question not long ago because I wanted to get rid of things in my pantry. It is out of control.

someone suggested an awesome tamale pie that used up canned chiles, canned beans, cornbread mix, etc. That would be a good shelf stable option. Serve with salsa.

[Anonymous]

With rice, lentils, frozen veg and some spices/sauces you can make a lot of Indian recipes.

[Anonymous]

Do long-lasting pantry staples like onions and potatoes count? How about freezer items? With those caveats, here are a couple of my favorites:

Salmon chowder:
If you have bacon, dice and fry up a couple of slices. If not, warm up some olive oil. Add 1/2 diced onion, cook until soft. Add 1-2 cubed potatoes, just cover with water, cook about 5-10 minutes until the potatoes are not quite cooked through. Add 2 cans of salmon (preferably sockeye or king, bones removed, but include the canning liquid) and one can of evaporated milk. Simmer until the potatoes finish cooking. If you want to thicken it a bit, melt 2 Tb butter in a separate pan, whisk in 2 Tb flour, cook for a minute, then stir it into the chowder. Add a dash of Tobasco, and salt & pepper to taste. Note, this can also be made with canned clams instead of salmon. You can also add canned or frozen corn.

Curried chickpeas:
Saute a sliced onion and minced garlic in oil. Add a can of chickpeas (drained & rinsed). Add some ground ginger and curry powder. Add a can of crushed tomatoes, simmer for a few minutes for the flavors to combine. Serve over rice.

Tuna/salmon melts:
Mix canned tuna or salmon with some mayo (add seasonings like curry powder if you like). Briefly toast some slices of bread or halved English Muffins under a broiler. Spread the fish mixture on top, pop back under the broiler to warm the fish through. Top with a slice of cheese (cheddar, swiss or provolone are my favorites) and run back under the broiler to melt.

Couple of staples that I always keep in the freezer for quick dinners:
- Skinless / boneless chicken breast. Defrost partially in the microwave until slicable, cut into chunks or strips, and stir-fry. Can use canned stir-fry veggies if you don't have fresh ones available; serve over rice.

- Ground beef, raw and cooked. Cooked beef can be thawed and mixed into pasta sauces, chili (mix with canned beans and spices), tacos, etc.

- Italian sausages. Grill / pan-fry, or chop and cook for pasta, sausage-potato scramble, or sausage-and-white-bean soup (with kale or broccoli if available, frozen is fine)

- Frozen veggies. I keep broccoli, some type of stir-fry mix, sliced bell peppers, green beans. I like frozen veggies better than canned ... fresh is best, of course, but this works for those "I haven't been to the store in a week!" kind of nights.

- Individual fish fillets. They can defrost in a bowl of cool water in minutes, and cook very quickly. Tilapia, salmon or cod are good.

- Cooked rice, both white and brown. Can thaw in the microwave. Farro is also good, and a little heartier than rice.

Eggs are another good option, not really a pantry item but last for quite a while in the fridge. I always have a carton on hand. Lots of things you can make with eggs.

I shop once per week, so the end of my week is usually starting to dig into the pantry once all of the good fresh veggies are used up or starting to deteriorate

[Anonymous]

tortilla soup- can of salsa (or can diced tomatoes, can chiles), corn (frozen or can), beans, cubed chicken, carton chicken broth. add chili powder, cumin, garlic. If you have fresh on hand, throw in some onions and peppers. serve w/ shredded cheese and/or guac.

there's a polenta tamale pie on epicurious that is a go to dish for us, but you need to have ground beef in the freezer, and cheese on hand.