Simple, Low-Cost Pantry Recipes

Here are a few meal ideas using only shelf-stable or frozen ingredients:

Breakfast

Oatmeal: Use old-fashioned or quick oats and add honey plus frozen fruit or nut butter.

Pancakes/waffles: Just add water to the mix plus add frozen blueberries, raspberries or strawberries (thawed).

Lunch

Bean Salsa Dip

1 (15ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup salsa

1 (15-ounce) can sweet corn, drained and rinsed

Tortilla chips

Combine black beans, salsa and corn. Serve with tortilla chips.

Tuna and Salsa

2 (5-ounce) cans tuna in water, drained

¾ cup salsa

Whole-wheat crackers

Combine tuna and salsa. Serve with crackers.

Dinner

Pesto Pasta

Cook time: 10 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup pesto

10 ounces whole-wheat pasta

Parmesan cheese

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

Cook pasta according to directions. Save 1 cup of pasta water.

Drain remaining pasta and place in a bowl.

Combine ¼ cup pasta water with pesto. Add pesto to pasta. Add additional water as desired.

Add salt and black pepper and top with Parmesan cheese.

Parmesan Orzo

Cook time: 10 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup orzo pasta

1 tablespoon butter

1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the orzo and butter. Stir regularly and lightly toast the orzo (about two to three minutes).

Add broth and garlic to the saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring regularly until orzo is tender and broth is absorbed.

Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Side Dish

Sautéed Green Beans With Almonds

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

2 bags (16 ounces each) frozen green beans

1 cup chopped almonds

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon dried basil

Directions

Heat the oil in a skillet pan over medium heat.

Add frozen green beans, chopped almonds and seasoning to the pan.

Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the lid and cook for about five minutes longer or until water is evaporated from pan.