Canned Goods

Keep a big bowl in your fridge for endless possibilities.

Turn on your oven, toss canned tomatoes in, roast them until they're caramelized and sweet, and you've got the base for a killer tomato soup that will warm you up all fall.

Cool weather brings on the craving for cozy comfort foods like steaming bowls of soups, stews, chiles, and chowders. Creamy tomato soup is the perfect seasonal soup to transition from the bright tomato flavors of late summer into the crisp evenings of October. The secret to creamy tomato soup isn’t in the preparations, but in the ingredients. Heavy cream is the best way to get that classic creamy flavor we know and love.

If you’ve got leftover caramelized onions, or you are about to make a recipe that uses them, double up. And while you’re at it, grab that loaf of leftover bread because you are about to embark on a trip to France in one delicious vegetarian casserole based on the famous soupe à l’oignon gratinée.

The slow cooker is a mainstay of modern American cooking — but it’s not just you and me firing up the Crock-Pot on a weeknight. Famous chefs and celebrities are not above its charms, and this week we’re bringing you five recipes from five kitchen stars that show off their favorite ways to put the slow cooker to good use. First up: Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman herself, with a classic broccoli cheddar soup that is kid-friendly and good for any cold night.

Plant-based and extra filling.

Around the World in 30 Soups: This month we’re collaborating with chefs, cookbook authors, and our own Kitchn crew to share a globetrotting adventure in soups from countries and cuisines around the world. Today’s stop: Tanzania. For a window into Tanzania and its soups we turned to Evi Aki of Ev’s Eats and author of Flavors of Africa. Like so many soups from this part of the African continent, it leans on the richness and flavor of coconut.

Around the World in 30 Soups: This month we’re collaborating with chefs, cookbook authors, and our own Kitchn crew to share a globetrotting adventure in soups from countries and cuisines around the world. Today’s stop: Mexico. We asked Gonzalo Guzmán, chef at San Francisco’s Nopalito and author of the eponymous cookbook, to share his take on one of the soups that speaks most to him of Mexico.

Around the World in 30 Soups: This month we’re collaborating with chefs, cookbook authors, and our own Kitchn crew to share a globetrotting adventure in soups from countries and cuisines around the world. Today’s stop: Thailand. It’s tough to pick just one soup from Thailand. Leela Punyaratabandhu creates wonderful Thai food that is both accessible and delicious.

A couple of shortcuts and a trimmed-down ingredient list make it the easiest ever.

If you’re looking for a recipe to turn you into a soup person, here’s the one that did it for me. A surprisingly simple ingredient list — featuring sweet spring carrots and spicy fresh ginger — yields a silky-smooth, bold-flavored soup that’s perfect for these chilly early April evenings. The best puréed soups are rich and velvety-smooth (but stop short of verging into baby-food territory).

Each one only needs two ingredients.

Ah, couscous! The food so nice they named it twice. Except this isn’t really couscous. It’s cauliflower. And I feel like I won a gold medal in the kitchen when my couscous-loving husband didn’t bat an eye while he gobbled up this “pretend” version. I’ll be the first to admit I don’t usually like when food is referred to something it’s not.

We’ve received a lot of requests over the years for healthy, portable meals. With busy lifestyles that juggle sports, after-school activities, and late nights in the office, it’s no wonder that people are looking for on-the-go meals. Wraps always fit the bill since they don’t need to be heated and can even be eaten with one hand. These vegetarian wraps are full of nutritious garbanzo beans and fresh vegetables and get a flavorful kick from salty feta.

How do you make tuna noodle casserole better? How about some artichokes and capers? A few easy upgrades turn this classic into a fast and fancy French-inspired supper.

This is the light, fragrant stew created with spring celebrations in mind. Unlike the rich beef stews you cozied up with in winter, this one opts for a subtly spiced, brothy base studded with ultra-tender chunks of lamb and vegetables. It’s casual enough for a simple Sunday supper, although if you spoon it over a bowl of buttery couscous and top with a splash of fresh herbs, it becomes the centerpiece of a dinner party.

There's a reason why many steakhouses and chain restaurants have warm spinach-artichoke dip on their appetizer menu.

On the nights I’m craving a wholesome salad for dinner, I ditch the lettuce altogether and start with a couple of sheet pans because this salad is built around roasted broccoli, sweet potatoes, and hearty chunks of BBQ-slicked tofu. Add a scoop of brown rice or leftover grains, some black beans, and a drizzle of yogurt ranch dressing, and you’ve got a totally satisfying warm salad bowl that will leave you completely satisfied and crossing your fingers for leftovers.

What would some of our favorite comfort food classics looks like if we asked a nutritionist to give them a makeover? In this series of recipes, you see how smart choices around vegetables, meats, and cheese make for a lighter, more nutritious take on everything from mac and cheese to meatloaf without ever compromising the flavor. This lasagna tastes just like the classic, but it’s packed with extra vegetables.

If I could urge you to make one meal in your slow cooker this month, these chicken enchiladas would be it! We don’t eat enough enchiladas in my house, mostly because my brain equates rolling enchiladas with too much work for a weeknight, but these slow cooker enchiladas are layered, not rolled, and each layer is stacked with delicious flavor.

I want to tell you so much about this tofu tikka masala, but let me start with the sauce. It’s layered with a mess of warm spices plus the smoky flavors of charred onion and ginger all infused into the requisite tomato cream sauce. That’s what you want from tikka masala, but at the same time, this dinner wouldn’t be the stand-out star it is without the firm cubes of tofu infused with a hint of tangy yogurt and lemon juice and a light spice that seeps all the way through.

Chicken Caesar wraps have had their time to shine, but now we forge ahead with a well-deserved (and much-needed) update. Inspired by the lunchtime classic, this salmon-packed version has everything you’d expect, with a twist. Crisp romaine is swapped for leafy kale, while rich and flaky canned salmon takes the place of chicken. To make this no-cook meal complete, everything is tossed with creamy Caesar dressing and shredded Parmesan before getting folded into your favorite tortilla.

This smoky black bean salad is sure to get you excited about the midday meal.

These are basically delicious salmon "crab" cakes.

When a midweek craving for cheeseburgers hits, and it is certain that no drive-thru burger will satisfy, we say forget the buns and pull a package of rotini pasta from the pantry because tonight’s dinner is a pasta night and burger night mashup. Savory morsels of ground beef wind between the curves of tender corkscrew pasta and a cheesy sauce spiked with a tangy hint of mustard.

Say hello to your must-try fall lunch: fall harvest freekeh salad! If you’re brand new to the world of freekeh, this salad is an easy and delicious way to get your feet wet. And if freekeh is already a regular part of your diet, then this is a recipe you’ll definitely want to add to your stash! This salad is a culmination of all of my favorite salad-y things in one bowl.

The rise of the one-bowl meal has a lot to do with convenience. It’s easy to get all your food and flavor in one handy vessel, but figuring out just what to put in one to make it as flavorful and nutritious as possible requires some thinking. Chef Seamus Mullen has created a one-bowl meal that delivers on all fronts.

Look, we had to get rid of the peas — trust us.

You’re going to want to keep this salad firmly planted in your summer meal plan rotation and at the ready for all of your picnics and potlucks. It is what I consider a multi-purpose, do-it-all salad — one that everyone can eat. It gets its bulk from protein-rich pantry staples like quinoa and beans, and picks up freshness, crunch, and color from a medley of veggies before it’s tied together with a zippy chile-lime dressing.

This salad is the reason to use a Mason jar for your lunch box.

On hot summer days, I want a bright, vibrant pasta salad with a wide variety of flavors and textures — not a wimpy mixture of bottled Italian salad dressing and overcooked pasta. This version, perfect for a backyard barbecue or poolside shindig, takes inspiration from antipasto, the Italian first course that includes all kinds of pickled veggies, cured meats, and of course, cheese.

Full of chickpeas, potatoes, and cauliflower in a rich coconut milk broth.

The leftovers are even better than eating it the first time around.

This vegetarian chili is October in a bowl.

Come home from work, take a bowl from the cupboard, and proceed immediately to the table without even needing to turn on the stove.

Making a big pot of chili, whether the classic beef-and-bean duo or a white chicken-based version, is often relegated to weekend work; simmering on a Sunday while you watch the game or go about your day. Here’s how to make it possible on a weeknight. Leaning on a few shortcuts, this is a white bean chicken chili that can be churned out in under 30 minutes. Chili comes in all shapes and sizes, and everyone has their favorite take, but this version is designed for busy weeknights.

With minimal effort and several hours of hands-off cooking, you're gifted with a robust meal that feeds a crowd.

Basically, the coziest meal you'll eat all winter.

Coconut, chicken, turmeric, peanuts, tomatoes — how can you say no to this Brazilian-inspired stew?

A wholesome stew that depends on a glorious, meat-free Parmesan-garlic broth. (You're gonna want to double it.)

This 30-minute chili, featuring the flavorful power couple of chorizo and chicken, is what you make on Wednesday when you hit a wall on what to make for dinner. A change of pace from a beefy chili, this one-pot meal kicks up the flavor with spicy chorizo and seared chicken thighs. Smoky, fire-roasted tomatoes and two types of beans make up the sauce, with a few dashes of spices and herbs added in to give it a complex flavor.

Let me introduce you to the most winning weeknight dinner and game-changer for combatting the weeknight blues: dinner dip. It’s all the fun of Friday night dinner dates or Sunday game days for a regular ol’ dinner. The dip is made with tender chicken, jalapeños, and creamy, dreamy, melty cheese all cooked in a skillet. This white chicken chili dip is based off a family favorite recipe for white chicken chili that uses white beans, rotisserie chicken, and canned jalapeños.

Despite what some Texans believe, the best chili is one where beans take center stage and vegetables get some of the spotlight. So for this number, pinto and kidney beans kick things off by spending the day simmering in a warmly spiced tomato broth. By the time you lift the lid after a long day, you will find the beans tender and the liquid thickened.

The trusty Dutch oven makes it possible to cook chili and bake a layer of cornbread on top all in one pot.

A good excuse to flex those knife skills.

Let me guess — when chili is on the docket, you blindly reach for a can of diced tomatoes and the jar of red chili powder. I’m no different, but this time around we’re going to shake things up with a vibrant chili verde from the slow cooker. Fill your shopping basket with tomatillos, jalapeños, poblanos, cilantro, and oregano, and set aside the ground beef to reach for a pork shoulder instead.

Coconut milk is the luxury that makes a vegan chowder not only possible, but also wonderful. This simple but satisfying soup is hearty with cauliflower, red potatoes, and corn kernels. It’s simmered in a fragrant coconut-curry broth full of garlic and ginger for a weeknight-friendly dinner that will chase away those winter blues.

There’s no shortage of ways to get your fill of tacos. Here’s how I get mine every year when chili season rolls around: I reimagine my favorite chicken tacos into a thick, chunky chili loaded with tender bite-sized pieces of boneless chicken thighs and a duo of beans, all topped with shower of cheddar and scallions. Just don’t forget the crunchy tortilla chips for dipping!

A simple and easy chili made faster in your Instant Pot.

Whether you call it Paleo chili or meat-lover’s chili, the most important thing to know about this chili is that it is downright delicious. Buried in the rich broth tinged with warm spices and cocoa undertones, you’ll find a double dose of beef in the form of seared cubes of chuck with crumbled ground beef. This version skips the beans altogether, but gets its bulk and an extra-hearty texture from a slew of thick-cut root vegetables, like sweet potatoes and carrots.

Lots of flavor, none of the fuss.

I've eaten a lot of vegetarian chili over the years, and this easy, customizable template makes the very best one.

It doesn't get easier than this.

A cozy dinner that requires barely any work? Sign us up.

As far as guilty pleasures go, a love of SpaghettiOs is pretty tame. Cranking open a can may have been acceptable for me as a 7-year-old back in 1989, but it’s time to admit that what I really love are the soft O-shaped noodles swimming in a sweet tomato sauce. With this wholesome take on a childhood favorite, I know I won’t be reaching for the can opener anytime soon. My traditional spaghetti dinner takes two pots, one pan, and an embarrassing number of bowls and utensils.

Tomato sauce can be so many things: fresh and simple, marinara full of vegetables, or slow-cooked until it is so luscious and rich that it’s the stuff of memories. This is the story of a sauce that delivers such a delicious, powerfully memorable impact that it is worthy of two days — yes, days — of cooking. So when you have a weekend to spare, or you’re snowed in and want a pot of sauce bubbling away all day long, here is the recipe your pasta dinner deserves. Deep.

You can quench a taco craving with fish tacos, chicken tacos, cauliflower tacos, or breakfast tacos, but a ground beef taco is the quintessential taco in my book. When weeknight cooking calls for serving a crowd, trade tortillas for tender noodles and serve it hot and bubbling straight from the Dutch oven. This weeknight pasta checks all the right boxes with family-friendly flavor, a streamlined ingredient list, and simple one-pot prep. Flour or corn? Hard or soft?

What if I told you that you didn’t need to pick up a knife or turn on your oven to make a delicious lasagna? Yes, it’s true — this lasagna only has six ingredients and cooks all in one pan. Ready to learn more? I usually only make traditional lasagna once a year because it just involves too many ingredients and too much of my time.

This slow cooker mac and cheese is so easy that it feels like it can’t possibly be right. Dry pasta, milk, and cheese go in, and a few hours later you’re scooping warm macaroni and cheese onto your plate. Ready for a little magic in your dinner? Let’s take a look at how this macaroni and cheese can be yours. This recipe makes a casserole-style macaroni and cheese with a sturdy (but still creamy!) texture that can be sliced into squares.

You just need four ingredients and a sheet pan.

Layered with sauce, these pockets of pasta and cheese cook while you work.

Dessert lasagna is the modern take on trifles. Cookies or cake are layered with pudding, mousse, or whipped cream (or in some cases, all three) in a 9×13-inch baking dish, giving it distinct layers like its savory counterpart. But dessert lasagna doesn’t require any cooking and actually gets better the longer it sits in the fridge. Pumpkin dessert lasagna is an easy make-ahead dessert perfect for Thanksgiving.

This is everything you love about a classic breakfast burrito, layered into an egg casserole.

If there was ever a time to keep tortilla chips stocked in your pantry, it’s now. When tossed with lime juice, spicy chipotles, and fresh cilantro, a humble can of black beans and an ear of fresh summer corn are transformed into a bold, full-flavored salsa you’ll want to eat with everything. It’s both a crowd-pleasing dip and the base of a no-cook summer supper. First and foremost, like any salsa, this one is a crowd-pleasing party dip.

A delightful take on the classic veggie platter dip.

This is how you do French toast during prime pumpkin season (aka right now!). It’s a sweet, seasonal breakfast casserole for a crowd and powerful enough to win over the most ardent pumpkin spice critic. Thick cubes of buttery brioche are soaked overnight and infused with rich custard packed with warm spices and a double dose of pumpkin. Then it’s dotted with a crunchy brown sugar and pecan streusel that takes it over the top. Amazing, right?

Ever since I met this sweet slow cooker breakfast casserole, I’ve been hosting weekend brunch as often as possible. It’s a treat to be sure, loaded with tender cubes of custard-soaked brioche tinged with the warm scent of pumpkin spice and topped with a nutty brown sugar streusel. You’ll want to keep this one in rotation all year long. French toast casseroles are my easy go-to solution for serving this breakfast favorite to a crowd.

This sweet, citrusy, bright orange and vanilla-flecked smoothie calls to mind a certain classic ice pop confection. It’s definitely creamy and mellow, and it almost tastes like dessert, but this blend packs a huge nutritional punch to keep you energized and full all the way to lunchtime. Our secret weapons here for a filling, hearty smoothie are everyday ingredients that you may already have on hand: frozen orange segments and cooked sweet potatoes.

You get salsa and a cocktail, so basically you win at life.

If you love breakfast for dinner, particularly when it involves eggs, this miracle meal needs to be in your rotation. This riff on shakshuka, the dish of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce, adds tender chickpeas to the mix for extra heartiness and comes together beautifully in the microwave. Allow yourself just five minutes — yes, really just five minutes! — and it can be yours when you need dinner for one, fast.

This sweet and spicy sandwich is the ultimate flavor bomb.

I grew up with a mother that was very ahead of her time. In the early ’80s she had turned half of our back yard into an organic vegetable garden that almost completely sustained us during the warm months of the year. With four children running around, she had lot of help harvesting. I think that my love of gardening (and vegetables) stemmed from that childhood garden. In particular I remember the snap peas, strawberries, and zucchini.