Simple Meals from Pantry Staples

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As we roll into the cooler months, winter is just around the corner. Gardens are just about finished yielding their crops, and farmers markets will soon be closing for the season (here, at least!). This is the time of year I turn to my pantry for meal ideas and provisions. Whether the food it’s stocked with was preserved at home or procured from the store, I can rely on pantry staples to make a variety of simple, hearty, homemade meals that my family enjoys!

Meal planning is great, but there are times when I haven’t planned ahead (and still need to feed my family!). Those days, it’s such a relief to pull out one of these tried-and-true recipes, and shop my pantry for most of the ingredients. Most of them include meats, eggs, milk, or other fresh ingredients I do not keep in my pantry; but for the most part, the ingredients for these meals can be purchased in bulk and stored for months. These are common ingredients that I keep in my kitchen at all times, and the meals are simple to prepare.

Baked Beans and Cornbread

One meal that I can make without wondering whether or not I have the right ingredients is baked beans. Except for the bacon (or salt pork), everything else comes straight from my pantry! Now, if you do happen to have some eggs, milk, and butter, corn bread makes a perfect accompaniment to this hearty meal. You can find my full recipe for Dutch Oven Baked Beans right here!

Taco Salad

People may joke about beans and rice being poor man’s food, but it sure comes in handy when you haven’t been to the grocery store for a while.

I make a meatless version, but you’re welcome to add ground beef, turkey, or moose if you like.

Camille’s recipe is excellent, but you’ll notice it calls for some fresh ingredients like cilantro, limes, and avocados. This meal is just fine without those toppings. (You can add bottled lime juice and dried cilantro if you like.) Substituting canned diced tomatoes for the fresh tomatoes is also just fine; I do it all the time.

I do like to serve taco salad with lots of fresh lettuce, but you can omit that too in a pinch. The one fresh ingredient you absolutely need for taco salad is cheese! Other than that, shop your pantry and enjoy a hearty meal!

Baked Spaghetti

Call it spaghetti pie, baked ziti, pizza pasta, or whatever you like; this meal is a favorite with all of my boys!

Dried pasta, canned pasta sauce (or make your own with canned tomatoes & tomato sauce), dried herbs, meat, mozzarella cheese, and you’re all set! Bell peppers and mushrooms are nice, but not absolutely necessary.

You can use different meats: ground beef, ground pork, and Italian sausage are all great; but nothing beats the convenience of pepperoni! If you have a package in your pantry, you’ll be ready in a jiffy!

I usually use whatever ingredients I have on hand, but if you want a “fancy” version, try this baked ziti recipe from Happily Unprocessed. It will surely satisfy the cheese lovers among you!

Bean & Bacon Soup

If you keep dried beans or canned beans in your pantry, you know that they are wonderful for soups! This one is so warm and comforting on chilly evenings.

The only non-pantry ingredients you’ll need are bacon, carrots, and celery. (And onions, if you don’t keep those in your pantry…) You can use either canned or dried beans in this recipe.

It comes together pretty quickly once the beans are cooked, so it’s great for busy weeknights when you suddenly realize suppertime is only an hour away! You can find the recipe here.

Shepherd’s Pie

This old-fashioned meal of meat and vegetables with mashed potatoes on top is a comforting dish all winter long. Here’s the quickie version:

• Brown a pound of ground meat with a chopped onion.
• Add canned or frozen peas and carrots.
• Moisten with vegetable or beef stock. It doesn’t need to be soupy, but you don’t want it to dry out.
• Season with salt, pepper, and herbs to taste.
• Place the mixture in a casserole dish and top with mashed potatoes (seasoned with a little salt and pepper).
• Sprinkle a pinch of paprika on top.
• Pop in a 350-degree oven for 20-30 minutes to heat through and brown the topping a bit.

I like to divide the meat mixture between two pie plates. Once the dish is prepared, I cook one and freeze the other for later.

How many potatoes do you need? Well, how many do you have? I like a nice thick potato layer, but if you only have two or three potatoes on hand, you can use a pastry bag and pipe potato puffs around the edges of the pan or in a decorative design.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Here’s a classic, home style meal that everyone will love. You can find good chicken soup recipes in many cookbooks, and there’s a recipe for every skill level.

• I like to start with the leftovers from a roasted chicken. I simmer the bones with odds and ends of carrots, onions, and celery (which I keep in a bag in my freezer) for a few hours to make stock.
• When it’s time to make supper, chop up an onion, two carrots, and two stalks of celery.
• Saute the vegetables in bacon fat or butter until tender.
• Chop up the cooked chicken (or shred, if you prefer) and add it to the pot along with 6-8 cups of chicken stock.
• Season with salt, pepper, and herbs if you didn’t season the stock. Simmer for 30-60 minutes.
• Add dry noodles during the last ten minutes of cooking.

Beef Stew

This is another ubiquitous meal, and everyone seems to have his own favorite version. I make a few different recipes throughout the fall and winter seasons, to vary the vegetables and broth base. It keeps things interesting!

Here’s a classic recipe I based on my mother’s moose stew:

• Brown 3/4 pound of cubed stew meat slowly in bacon fat, turning to brown each side.
• Add 2 cups of water or cider, a bay leaf, a pinch of thyme, a couple dashes of lemon juice and worcestershire sauce, and simmer for two hours.
• Stir in chopped peeled potatoes and carrots, and a quart of beef or vegetable stock. Simmer for 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
• Add a cup of frozen peas and cook 5 minutes longer.
• Mix 2 tablespoons flour with 2 tablespoons water, and stir into stew to thicken.

Mincemeat Pie

Okay, this isn’t exactly a supper recipe, but I just couldn’t leave it out! I absolutely love homemade mincemeat, and it’s so handy to have around! I particularly like mincemeat pies for breakfast, as they are full of protein and not overly sweet.

All you have to do is roll out some pastry and line a pie plate, then fill with canned mincemeat, top with another layer of pastry, and bake. It’s that simple!

Mincemeat is rich and highly spiced, so I particularly like to make mini mincemeat pies in a muffin tin. That way, portion sizes are small, and there’s less opportunity for the filling to fall out of your pie!

You can top the filling with a regular pastry crust before baking, or just decorate the tops of the pies with shapes cut from pastry. I have not had problems with the filling overflowing out of the muffin tin, as long as I don’t fill them to the brim!

By the way, my favorite mincemeat recipe is from the cookbook, A Continual Feast, by Evelyn Birge Vitz! (This is an affiliate link. You may read my full disclosure here.)

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That’s my rundown of go-to meals during winter months when we don’t have a lot of fresh produce. (Anybody else have trouble getting lettuce home from the grocery store before it freezes?)

I hope you find some new recipes to try among our favorites! If you’re interested in reading more about stocking a pantry, I have an article on just that!

Happy Homemaking!

~Kimberly