A couple weeks ago I polled my Instagram followers to see what pantry staples they bought to sustain them through this period of social distancing. I wrote down the most popular answers and every day since I’ve picked one of those ingredients and posted recipe ideas for that ingredient in my Instagram stories. But, I didn’t want anyone else to miss out on this ultimate compilation of recipe ideas for pantry staples, so I’m also posting them all here in one spot. Now you can bookmark the list and refer back whenever you want!
The Ultimate List of Recipe Ideas for Pantry Staples
Below you’ll see the list of pantry ingredient staples that were requested most often in the Instagram poll. Tap on any ingredient below to be taken to that ingredient in the list of recipe ideas. This is similar to our website’s ingredient index, where our recipes are organized by ingredient, but this is a much shorter, curated list focused on pantry staple ingredients.
If you’re looking for a list of recipes that only use pantry staples, check out my 15 Pantry Staples Recipes blog post (includes a grocery list!).
Pantry Staple Ingredients:
Beans & Grains
Canned Goods
Vegetables
Bread & Pasta
- Noodles
- Tortillas
- Bread
- Or see our full Pasta archives
Meat
Pantry Staple Recipe Ideas by Ingredient
(all images below are also linked)
Recipe Ideas for Black Beans:
- Turkey Taco Skillet
- Smoky Black Bean Soup
- BBQ Beef and Beans
- Cowboy Caviar
- Poor Man’s Burrito Bowls
- Loaded Mashed Potato Bowls
- Weeknight Black Bean Chili
- BBQ Bean Sliders
- Black Bean and Avocado Enchiladas
- Hearty Black Bean Quesadillas
Recipe Ideas for Chickpeas:
- Cauliflower and Chickpea Masala
- Scallion Herb Chickpea Salad
- Homemade Hummus (four flavors)
- Smoky Potato Chickpea Stew
- Spanish Chickpeas and Rice
- Falafel Salad
- Curried Chickpeas with Spinach
- Chana Saag
Recipe Ideas for White Beans:
- Easy Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
- Smoky White Bean Shakshuka
- Tuna and White Bean Salad
- Tuscan White Bean Pasta
- Creamy White Bean and Spinach Quesadillas
- Italian Sausage and White Bean Skillet
- Sun Dried Tomato, Kale, and White Bean Skillet
Recipe Ideas for Lentils:
- Creamy Coconut Curry Lentils with Spinach
- Vegan Winter Lentil Stew
- Sloppy Joes “Plus”
- Golden Coconut Lentil Soup
- Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili
- Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Lentils
- Marinated Lentil Salad
- Lentil and Sausage Stew
- Mexican Red Lentil Stew
Recipe Ideas for Oats:
- No Sugar Added Blueberry Almond Overnight Oats
- Oatmeal Cookie Baked Oatmeal
- Triple Berry Oat Muffins
- No Sugar Added Banana Nut Granola
- Soft Oat and Nut Bars
- Banana Bread Oatmeal
- Brown Butter Soda Bread
- Oatmeal Molasses Bread
- Golden Milk Overnight Oats
- Super Crunchy Oil Free Granola
Recipe Ideas for Rice:
- Creamy Chicken and Rice Skillet
- One Pot Teriyaki Chicken and Rice
- Easy Cheesy Broccoli and Rice
- Easy Taco Rice
- Greek Turkey and Rice Skillet
- Spanish Chickpeas and Rice
- Yellow Jasmine Rice
- Cilantro Lime Rice
Recipe Ideas for Quinoa:
- Lemony Artichoke and Quinoa Salad
- Roasted Cauliflower and Quinoa Salad
- Smoky Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
- Apple Nut Breakfast Quinoa
- Quinoa Tabbouleh
Recipe Ideas for Salsa:
- Creamy Salsa Chicken Skillet
- Easiest Burrito Bowls
- Cheddar Grits Breakfast Bowls
- Southwest Chicken Skillet
- Slow Cooker Taco Chicken Bowls
- Country Breakfast Bowls
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Recipes for BBQ Sauce:
- Monterey Chicken Skillet
- Loaded Mashed Potato Bowls
- Sheet Pan BBQ Meatloaf Dinner
- Skillet Pineapple BBQ Chicken
- Ultimate BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
- BBQ Bean Sliders
- BBQ Chicken Burrito Bowls
Recipe Ideas for Pasta Sauce:
- Garden Vegetable Lasagna Roll Ups
- Italian Sausage Stuffed Zucchini
- Pesto Stuffed Shells
- Giant Slow Cooker Meatballs
- White Beans with Mushrooms and Marinara
Recipe Ideas for Canned Tomatoes (diced, crushed, sauce, etc.):
- Swamp Soup
- Turkey Taco Skillet
- Easy Oven Baked Fish with Tomatoes
- Smoky Tomato Soup
- Secret Ingredient Tomato Soup
- Thick and Rich Pizza Sauce
- 5-Ingredient Butter Tomato Sauce
Recipe Ideas for Canned Tuna:
- Sesame Tuna Salad
- Creamy Tuna Pasta with Peas and Parmesan
- Spicy Tuna Guacamole Bowls
- Sweet and Spicy Tuna Salad
- Tuna and Red Pepper Pasta
Recipe Ideas for Frozen Mixed Vegetables:
- One Pot Teriyaki Chicken and Rice
- Sweet and Sour Pork Chops with Vegetables
- Creamy Chicken and Rice Skillet
- Vegetable Pot Pie Skillet
- Vegetable Fritters
Recipe Ideas for Cabbage:
- Simple Creamy Coleslaw
- Curried Cabbage
- Fried Cabbage and Noodles
- Savory Cabbage Pancakes
- Cumin Lime Coleslaw
- Vinaigrette Slaw with Feta
- Beef and Cabbage Soup
- Sweet Crunch Winter Salad
- “All You Can Eat” Cabbage Soup
- Cajun Cabbage and Noodles
- BBQ Beef and Cabbage
Recipe Ideas for Potatoes:
- Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes
- Zuppa Toscana
- Cheesy Cottage Pie
- Smoky Roasted Breakfast Potatoes
- One Pan Roasted Kielbasa and Cabbage (and Potatoes) Dinner
- Colcannon
- Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Baked Potatoes
- Thick Cut Garlic Parmesan Oven Fries
- Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes (Dairy-Free)
Recipe Ideas for Sweet Potatoes:
- Turkey Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
- Sweet Potato Biscuits
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Peanut Lime Sauce
- Chorizo and Sweet Potato Enchiladas
- Roasted Sweet Potato Rainbow Salad
- Sweet Potato Tacos
- Sweet Potato Cornbread
- Chorizo Sweet Potato Skillet
Recipe Ideas for Carrots:
- Roasted Carrot and Feta Salad
- Thai Coconut Curry Carrot Soup
- Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
- Curry Roasted Carrots
- Curried Lentils (with carrots)
- Carrot and Orzo Salad
- Spicy Pickled Carrots
Recipe Ideas for Noodles:
- Cold Peanut Noodle Salad
- Garlic Noodles
- Vegan Creamy Mushroom Ramen
- Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles
- Fried Cabbage and Noodles
- Simple Mushroom Broccoli Stir Fry Noodles
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Stir Fry Beef Noodles
- Spicy Dragon Noodles
- Cajun Cabbage and Noodles
- Sesame Noodles with Greens
Recipe Ideas for Tortillas:
- Creamy Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas
- Homemade Baked Tortilla Chips
- Pizza Roll Ups
- Weeknight Enchiladas
- Easy Oven Fajitas
- Pizzadillas
- Hummus Breakfast Tacos
Recipe Ideas for Bread:
- Homemade Baked Croutons
- Kale, Swiss, and Mushroom Strata
- 5-Minute Savory Microwave Breakfast Mug
- 5-Minute Microwave French Toast Mug
- Homemade Garlic Bread
- Garlic Toast with Balsamic White Beans and Tomatoes
- Homemade Breadcrumbs
Recipe Ideas for Ground Beef:
- Baked Beef and Black Bean Tacos
- One Pot American Goulash
- Beef Kofta Meatballs
- Simple Homemade Chili
- Cheddar Cheeseburger Meatloaf
- Weeknight Pasta Sauce
- Sheet Pan BBQ Meatloaf Dinner
- Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry
- BBQ Beef and Beans
- Cheesy Cottage Pie
Recipe Ideas for Ground Turkey:
- Ground Turkey Stir Fry
- Maple Sage Breakfast Sausage
- Spinach and Feta Turkey Meatballs
- Turkey Taco Skillet
- Green Chile Turkey Burgers
- Mini Garden Turkey Loaves
- Hoisin Stir Fry Bowls with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Recipe Ideas for Chicken Thighs:
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- 20-Minute Honey Mustard Chicken
- Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken
- Easy Sesame Chicken
- Herb Butter Chicken Thighs
- Skillet Pineapple BBQ Chicken
- Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs
- Sticky Ginger Soy Glazed Chicken
Recipe Ideas for Chicken Breast:
- Baked Pizza Chicken
- Homemade Baked Chicken Nuggets
- Creamy Spinach Artichoke Chicken
- Sheet Pan Greek Chicken and Vegetables
- Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken Dinner
- Jerk Chicken with Pineapple Black Bean Salsa
- Chicken Piccata
- One Pot Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
- One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Recipe Ideas for Sausage:
- Classic Baked Ziti
- Zuppa Toscana
- Italian Sausage and White Bean Skillet
- One Pot Sausage and Sun Dried Tomato Skillet
- Penne Pasta with Sausage and Greens
- Lentil and Sausage Stew
- Smoky Roasted Sausage and Vegetables
- Pastalaya
- Spicy Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage and Kale
Recipe Ideas for Eggs:
- Homemade Lemon Curd
- Hummus Breakfast Tacos
- Almond Dutch Baby
- Spinach, Mushroom, and Feta Crustless Quiche
- Easy Egg Drop Soup
- Green Chile Migas
- Creamed Spinach Baked Eggs
- Smoky White Bean Shakshuka
- Eggs Florentine Breakfast Pizza
Brilliant!
Your pickled red onions have become a refrigerator staple at my house.
This is a wonderful resource! Thank you so very much. I should bookmark this entry. Much easier than doing a search by ingredient, and there are entries that I might not have thought of, but are useful. (Like what to do when I have a large package of tortillas, or mare carrots than a recipe requires.)
Amazing list. Thanks as always for the thought and care you put into your valuable work!
Thank you for this wonderful source of inspiration!
Your website and app are so wonderful! Thank you for all that you do!!
Thank you so much for this incredibly organized resource to help us feed our families on a budget during these unprecedented times.
Thank you, Beth! This is organized perfectly and so very helpful! Some great ideas to make for my family. You rock!
Holy guacamole! This is a super-useful collection of recipes for these strange and stressful times, and I love the way you’ve organized it! Thanx so much, Beth! You’re a sweetie. Stay safe and take care of those you love.
Very helpful and organised, thank you!
This is amazing. By showing us how we can use what we have, and don’t actually need to go to the store, you are putting us in the “abundance” mindset and helping us save lives. Thank you!
Hello. Amaaaaaaazing, I can’t believe you provided this incredible resource. I can’t wait to serve some of these delicious recipes to Brad and the kids. They’re a hungry bunch! LOL Thanks, girl!!!
–XOXO Kylee <3
Awesome list! I’m surprised that no one listed barley as a staple ingredient! I substitute barley in any soup calling for rice because it doesn’t “explode” and disintegrate after the first meal. (Except wild rice, that holds up better since it’s actually a grain of sorts). I’d also add farro for a grain of choice for myself. Any recipes you could suggest?
Stay safe and healthy!
BB’s Baked Barley with Mushrooms is amaaaaazing (https://www.budgetbytes.com/baked-barley-mushrooms/) although it probably need something with it to make a true meal. I also love adding barley to beef stew to help bulk it up.
This is an unbelievably awesome resource!! Thanks so much!
Wonderful post! Some of my faves there, and a few more I can’t believe I missed–Quiche for lunch, and only 4 eggs, which have been in short supply in my local stores. Thanks!
This is so helpful and well organized, thank you so much.
This is incredibly helpful! Thank you!