100 Simple Ways to Turn Pantry Staples into Complete Meals

We’ve picked 10 of the most common pantry staples as your starting point and provided recipes and suggestions for how to transform each into a quick and comforting meal. But you should also feel free to riff on any of these suggestions; every recipe is flexible and highly adaptable for whatever you have on hand, so definitely don’t fret if you don’t have all the ingredients on hand. Use this guide as a jumping off point.

Without further introduction, here are 100 simple ways to turn pantry staples into complete meals.

Canned chickpeas are one of the most versatile pantry ingredients. They are packed with protein, mild in flavor, and can be eaten straight out of the can. You can purée them into a savory spread (like hummus) or add them to soups, stews, and pastas for a pop of protein. For a simple snack, you can toss them onto a sheet pan with a splash of olive oil and roast them until crispy. The possibilities are endless.

• Single-Serve Microwave Shakshuka
• One-Pot Tomato Chickpeas and Orzo
• Smashed Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
• Vegan Slow Cooker Chickpea Tikka Masala
• Chickpea and Cilantro Soup
• Slow Cooker Golden Chickpea Soup
• Israeli Couscous Salad with Feta, Chickpeas, and Herbs
• Sweet Potato Curry
• Chole (Chickpea Stew)
• Roasted Carrot and Chickpea Salad

Read more: 26 Easy Recipes to Make with a Can of Chickpeas

A can of black beans can go a long way. Add a can to stews (liquid and all) to thicken them up, rinse them off and toss them into a salad, purée them into a thick soup or dip, or add them to enchiladas to bulk them up. You can even throw them on top of a bag of chips along with whatever toppings you have on hand to create hearty nachos that are filling enough to be considered dinner.

• Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Cheesy Southwestern Chicken Casserole
• 6-Ingredient Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
• Slow Cooker Vegetarian Black Bean Soup
• Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos
• Black Bean Salad with Corn & Avocado
• Vegetarian Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Instant Pot Weeknight Chicken and Rice Burrito Bowls
• Easy Skillet Tamale Pie
• Smoky Sweet Potato & Black Bean Casserole

Read more: 5 Recipes with A Can of Black Beans

Dried lentils can be a bit intimidating if you’ve never cooked with them before, but they’re actually insanely easy to make. You can add them to stews, soups, veggie burgers, and all sorts of dishes. Red and yellow lentils are best suited for recipes that cook for a long time so they break down (like dal and puréed soups), while brown and green varieties are best for dishes where you want them to retain their shape. (You can read all about the differences here.)

• Slow Cooker Easy Lentil Soup
• Slow Cooker Sausage and Lentil Stew
• Lentil Dal
• Warm French Lentil Salad with Bacon & Herbs
• Cheesy Lentil, Mushroom & Rice Bake
• Slow-Cooker Dal
• Everyday Lentil Soup from Sprouted Kitchen
• Slow Cooker Coconut Lentil Curry
• Tomato Lentil Soup from Flourist
• Slow-Cooker Golden Lentil Soup from Dishing Out Health

Read more: How To Cook Perfectly Tender Lentils on the Stove

If you have a pound of pasta in your pantry right now, you have endless dinner options you can whip up with just a few simple ingredients. All of these recipes can be made with any shape of pasta. And keep in mind that a pound of pasta can feed about four to six people, so you’ll have plenty of leftovers if you’re only cooking for yourself.

• Easy Chicken Carbonara
• Creamy Greek Yogurt Pasta
• Cacio e Pepe
• Garlic, Anchovy, and Olive Spaghetti
• Easy, Creamy Beef and Shells
• One-Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta
• Creamy Mac and Cheese
• Cold Noodles with Salsa Verde and White Beans
• Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli
• Easy Green Olive Pasta

Read more: How To Cook Dried Pasta

Canned tomatoes come in many different forms, shapes, and sizes. Diced tomatoes are great for recipes where you want their shape to remain intact, like enchilada filling. Tomato sauce and jarred marinaras are good for making quick homemade pastas, lasagnas, or thick soups. Canned plum tomatoes are whole, uncut tomatoes that have been peeled. For most recipes, you’ll have to crush them by hand or with a spoon. (You can see a complete guide to the differences here.)

• Roasted Tomato Soup
• Shakshuka
• Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce from Salt and Lavender
• 5-Ingredient Creamy Tomato Baked Orzo
• Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Southwest Skillet Ragu
• Slow Cooker Chili Mac and Cheese
• One-Pan Pasta with Tomatoes and Herbs from Joy of Cooking
• One-Pot Beef Goulash
• Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce

Read more: 25 Smart Ways to Cook with Canned Tomatoes

For all of these recipes, feel free to use whatever variety of rice you have on hand. Note that the cooking time and amount of liquid needed to properly cook the rice might change — which you can read all about here if you need a refresher.

• Breakfast Fried Rice
• Healing Chicken and Rice Soup from Pinch of Yum
• Stuffed Pepper Soup
• Creamy, Cheesy Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
• Chicken, Broccoli and Brown Rice Casserole
• Gratitude Chicken and Celery Rice
• One-Pot BBQ Chicken Burrito Bowls
• One-Pot Weeknight Dirty Rice
• Chicken Fried Rice
• One-Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken & Rice

Read more: How To Cook Rice on the Stove

Canned soup is not only a meal in itself, but a shortcut ingredient that can help turn a handful of simple ingredients into a complete dinner. If you have a can of cream of chicken or tomato soup on hand, you’re one step away from a comforting meal. Stock and broth also comes in handy, and if you have a carton of broth on hand you can turn pretty much any vegetable into soup.

• Mediterranean Chickpea and Chicken Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Lemony Tortellini Spinach Soup
• Classic Minestrone Soup
• 5-Ingredient Sausage, Kale, and Sweet Potato Soup
• Stuffed Pepper Soup
• Kale and Cannellini Bean Stew
• Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
• Easy Lemon Chicken Potato Casserole from Gimme Some Oven
• 20-Minute Pumpkin Soup

Read more: 10 Ways to Dress Up Canned Soup

Canned tuna comes in a few different varieties, and all are perfect for building a meal around. “Solid tuna” is an entire piece of tuna that is firm and steaky. “Chunk” or “flake” tuna is made up of smaller pieces of tuna that have been shredded into tiny pieces. Any variety can be used in these recipes.

• Tuna Poke Bowl
• Tuna Macaroni Salad
• Creamy Tuna Pasta with Peas and Parmesan by Budget Bytes
• Italian Orzo Tuna Salad
• Mac and Cheese with Tuna
• Tuna Melts with Olive Oil Mayonnaise & Parmesan
• Pasta Salad with Roasted Peppers, Tuna & Oregano
• Perfect Tuna Salad
• Mediterranean Tuna Noodle Casserole
• Stovetop Tuna Orzo Casserole with Broccoli

Read more: What to Make With Canned Tuna

These shortcut baking mixes can make so much more than just cornbread, muffins, and biscuits. They’re great for casseroles, puddings, cookies, and so many other quick meals — both sweet and savory. The great thing about both Jiffy and Bisquick is that they already contains leaveners (aka baking soda/powder), so it allows you to create a quick off-the-cuff meal without having to add a ton of additional ingredients.

• Easiest-Ever Jiffy Corn Casserole
• Bisquick Breakfast Casserole by The Salty Marshmallow
• Chicken Cornbread Casserole by Cookies & Cups
• Pumpkin Spoon Bread
• Bisquick Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Instant Pot Biscuits and Gravy
• Chicken Tamale Casserole by I Wash You Dry
• Jiffy Pancakes
• Bisquick Burrito Bake by The Country Cook
• Maple Corn Cakes

Read more: 5 Ingenious Jiffy Mix Recipes That Are Even Better than Cornbread

Oats can make so much more than just oatmeal. Think savory porridges, cookies, breads, pancakes, and bars. The most common varieties sold in stores are instant, steel-cut, and rolled oats. They each have a slightly different texture, so make sure to check the packaging before you start cooking one of these recipes. (You can read more about the differences between them here.)

• Easy Oatmeal Pancakes
• Easy 5-Ingredient Black Bean Veggie Burgers
• Homemade Granola Bars
• Savory Oatmeal by The Spruce Eats
• Overnight Oats
• Easy Muesli
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Slow Cooker Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal
• Apple Pie Granola Bars
• Savory Oatmeal with Garlicky Kale by Naturally Ella

Read more: What’s the Difference Between Steel-Cut, Rolled, and Instant Oats?

What’s your favorite pantry staple recipe? Share them in the comments!