A collection of easy to prepare recipes using pantry and freezer stored foods that your family will love!
When times get tough, whether it’s from a job loss, health concerns, or you’re just waiting for pay day and things are tight, these easy meal ideas are great! They use basic pantry and frozen food items. Groceries we all generally store and have in our kitchen’s.
So many of these delicious recipes are tried and true classics. The kind of meals that our Grandma’s used during the wars and great depression. They’re not fancy, but they’re one hundred percent comforting, and during difficult times we all want one thing…comfort!
The great thing about basic simple recipes is that substitutions can easily be made without changing the dynamics of the recipe.
A few simple tips to help you with Pantry Meal Prep
- Go through your pantry, freezer, and refrigerator. Take inventory of what you have. Remove any food that is out of date, or out of code. You’ll be surprised to learn that you have more food on hand than you realized. Have your children help you with this task, it can bring them peace and teach them a valuable skill.
- Use your “inventory list” to create a week worth, or more, of dinner menus. I like to do two weeks at a time. Start with dinner ideas and then move to lunch and breakfast. It’s best to save the majority of your ingredients for your main meal. Cereal and a peanut butter sandwiches can always fill in for breakfast and lunch.
- Think outside the box! Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches can be a breakfast. Leftovers can be made into another meal. Leftover roast can be used in Quesadillas for lunch the next day. Leftover roasted chicken can be taken off the bone and used in a casserole the next night. Breakfast for dinner! Always a favorite at this nest.
- Go meatless! Macaroni and cheese, Cooked spaghetti with butter and Parmesan cheese, a salad bar, or veggies about to turn can be used to make a great vegetable stock.
- Post your meal plan on the refrigerator where your older children and teens can see. Knowing there is a plan can bring great peace of mind to your children when they are hearing the news stories during a health crisis and help advert anxiety.
- Let your children help you prepare at least one meal a week or take turns preparing meals. Learning to cook is a skill that will benefit them their entire life. Have them help with the menu plan. If they create the menu they’re more likely to eat it.
Easy Pantry and Freezer Storage Recipes
A collection of easy to prepare recipes using pantry and freezer stored foods that your family will love!
Mexican Dorito Chicken Casserole is layered with crushed Doritos, chicken, cheese, and corn in a creamy sauce that creates a delicious quick and easy dinner your whole family will love!
Tender Juicy Chicken in a simple crispy coating of Corn Flakes and Parmesan Cheese! This Retro Recipe is a Family Favorite!
Slow Cooker boneless skinless chicken breast in a flavorful zesty chili verde sauce. Tender, juicy, and perfect for all your favorite Mexican dishes.
Easy Homemade Beef Stroganoff made with Tender Cube Steak with fresh mushrooms, onions, garlic, in rich flavorful cream sauce over egg noodles.
Poppy Seed Chicken Skillet Dinner is a quick and easy dinner casserole that can be served over rice, mashed potatoes, or noodles for a scrumptious dinner the whole family will love!
A sweet buttery moist corn bread that is perfect with soups, salads, and BBQ. Sure to be a family favorite!
A quick simple hearty Country Hamburger and Potato Skillet dinner! Ready in minutes using just one pan! Perfect for your Nest!
A quick, easy, and delicious soup ready in 30 minutes. Loaded with ground beef, vegetables, pasta and a savory broth.
Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls are a quick, easy, and delicious way to make traditional homemade yeast cinnamon rolls without all the fuss and stress.
Hearty Savory Homemade Cream Sauce with Tender Chunks of Turkey or Chicken served over fluffy biscuits.
A delicious, quick, and easy homemade soft French bread or Hard Roll recipe that is sure to become your favorite bread recipe.
Tender, moist, juicy chicken fillets in with a golden crispy flavorful breading and smothered in an amazing creamy country gravy!
Easy Ground Beef Enchilada's are kicked up with a rich warm homemade enchilada sauce! These will have your family begging for more!
A delicious, easy, thick and hearty soup made with roasted chicken, wild rice, carrots, celery and rich flavorful creamy base! It's all made in the crock pot and perfect on a cold day!
A very light and fluffy buttermilk pancake that makes the BEST Pancakes you'll ever have!
This flavorful Italian beefy noodle soup is a hearty rich soup perfect for all the Italian food lovers in your homes!
A quick and easy hamburger dish full of savory Mexican flavors. So tasty the whole family will love this dish!
A rich, hearty, and comforting dish this pork chop and mushroom wild rice casserole will quickly become a family favorite!
Homemade soft buttery Pretzels with an amazing Salsa Verde Cheese Dipping Sauce. They're so easy to make you'll wonder why you waited so long to make this delicious treat at home!
Down Home Pure and Simple Comfort food is what this Chicken Rice Casserole offers your family! It is one of our "Nests" favorite dishes and the left overs make a wonderful lunch the next day...if you're lucky enough to have any!
Creamy Rich Chicken and Vegetable Soup topped with old fashioned homemade drop herb dumplings.
Tender tasty easy to make homemade baking powder biscuits.
A wonderful Chicken and Gravy dinner that will remind you of Thanksgiving dinner when served over mashed potatoes and served with a side of instant stuffing.
This Classic Tuna Noodle Casserole is the perfect weeknight family dinner. It's pure comfort food and a great way to stretch your food budget without compromising on taste.
The Best Soft, Easy, and Chewy Snickerdoodle cookie made without Cream of Tartar!
Big plump juicy berries in a slightly sweet filling with hints of cinnamon and vanilla topped with tender flaky biscuits sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and baked until golden brown.
"A rich moist dark chocolate cake with an amazingly creamy smooth chocolate buttercream frosting. This is The BEST Chocolate Cake in the World!"
Melt-in-your-mouth moist french vanilla cake swirled with cinnamon and topped with a light cinnamon streusel and topped with a vanilla icing glaze is the perfect Coffee Cake. Share it with a friend.
A rich creamy pumpkin pie with hints of delicious Fall spices. Easy to make and less likely to crack on top. It's the perfect Pumpkin Pie!
Boxed Brownie Mix gets Kicked Up with this simple and amazing recipe. Seriously the BEST brownie's EVER!
Hope these long-standing family favorite recipes will help you out when the cupboards are running a little low, and you need some help trying to come up with an easy recipe that requires ingredients found in your pantry and freezer.
Thanks so much for stopping by today and I hope you have a wonderful week. I’d love to have you follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram where I share more family friend recipes each and every day!
