Meals that can be made from cupboard staples

Knowing how to make simple, tasty meals from cupboard staples is a life saver. It saves on shopping as there are no expensive ingredients, and keeping it simple means no technical cooking methods.

A few humble ingredients can save you time, reduce waste, save money, and help you stretch your weekly shop for a few more days. I find that it makes me more creative and also makes meal planning easier. Every week I slot  a number of cupboard staple meals into my menu plan.. They are especially good for lunches. Sometimes I will add homegrown veg or fridge gravel (bits and pieces left in the fridge) to bulk them out, or switch them up. Meat or fish can also be added to some. Here are a few simple recipes.

Classic Tomato Pasta

Ingredients:

• Pasta

• Canned tomatoes

• Garlic or onion

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper

Cook the pasta, simmer the tomatoes with garlic, and toss everything together. Finish with dried herbs or grated cheese if available. It is fine just like this, but any fridge gravel can be added. I might add a wizened bit of pepper, a grated carrot, mushrooms, a bit of tuna or chopped ham, or some wilted spinach. If the sauce tastes too bitter, you can just add a little sprinkle of sugar or a bit of ketchup.

Egg Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• Cooked rice

• Eggs

• Soy sauce

• Frozen peas, or any leftover vegetables

Scramble the eggs, stir in the rice and cooked vegetables, and season with soy sauce for a quick and satisfying meal.

Baked Potatoes with Toppings

Ingredients:

• Potatoes

• Butter

• Cheese

• Beans or tuna

I tend to bake my potato in the microwave and finish off in the air fryer if I don’t have the oven on for baking. This is a good way to use left overs like chilli, bolognaise, or curry instead of the tuna, as well. These potatoes were actually cooked in the slow cooker.

Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• Dried or canned lentils

• Onion

• Carrot or any spare veg (even frozen)

• Stock or water

Simmer until tender for a warming, protein-rich soup. Sometimes I will add a can of tomatoes, some puree, and herbs or spices to make it nicer. To make it more filling, some broken bits of spaghetti can be added.

Bean Quesidillas 

Ingredients:

• Tortillas (or wraps)

• Canned beans

• Cheese

Mash the beans, spread on tortillas, sprinkle with cheese, and cook until golden. I have also mashed tinned makeral in spicy sauce, and filled them with this and added cheese. You can fill them with leftovers like chilli as well.

Chickpea Curry

Ingredients:

• Canned chickpeas

• Onion

• Canned tomatoes

• Curry powder

Simmer and serve with rice, chaphati, or flatbread. Sometimes I will add a chopped sweet potato or other veg. The flatbread can be made with just water, salt and flour, or yoghurt and flour.

Omelette

Ingredients:

• Eggs

• Cheese

• Leftover vegetables

I add what ever I have to omelettes. Herbs like chives work well with the cheese. I don’t always have cheese to add. On those occassions I will add onion, or left over veg. It makes a great main meal by adding salad and chips, but we also eat it on it’s own for lunch.

Tuna Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

• Pasta

• Canned tuna

• Canned tomatoes or white sauce

• Cheese

Mix, top with cheese, and bake until bubbling. I tend to cook my pasta first, but many people don’t. If I don’t have tuna I will add what ever I have, like a bit of cooked ham and cooked veg. I also make them totally veggie sometimes.

Shakshuka

Ingredients:

• Eggs

• Canned tomatoes

• Onion

• Spices

Poach eggs in a spiced tomato sauce and serve with crusty bread. I also add fridge gravel vegetables to this, or items harvested from my garden.

Potato and Onion Frittata

Ingredients:

• Potatoes

• Onion

• Eggs

This is like a Spanish omelette cooked in an air fryer or oven. Simple, filling, and excellent hot or cold. This kind of crustless quiche is great for picnics.

Peanut Noodles

Ingredients:

• Noodles or spaghetti

• Peanut butter

• Soy sauce

• Garlic

Cook the spaghetti or noodles. Add cooked garlic, soy sauce, and peanut butter and mix. Creamy and packed with flavour.We also add veg with the garlic, sometimes.

Homemade Pizza Toast

Ingredients:

• Bread

• Tomato sauce and tomato puree

• Cheese

Toast the bread on one side. Mix the tomato puree with the tomato sauce (a squirt of each). Spread over the uncooked side of the toast with the cheese on top. Cook until the cheese is melted. I like to add herbs and garlic to the tomato sauce if I have them and will usually cook and add onion or fridge gravel to add as a topping. These are also nice done on pitta bread, flad breads, or wraps.

Pancakes

Ingredients:

• Flour

• Eggs

• Milk

Serve with sweet or savoury toppings depending on what you have available. This is a great way to use leftovers like chilli or bolognaise.

Rice and Beans

Ingredients:

• Rice

• Beans

• Onion

• Spices

A nutritious and budget-friendly staple enjoyed around the world. I will often add tomato puree  and chilli to it.

There are so many other meals that can be made from cupboard staples. Cook from your pantry when ever you can to save running to the supermarket. It will save you money and stretch your shopping. I find that having the following staples helps.

• Pasta and rice

• Eggs

• Potatoes, and bread, or wraps

• Canned tomatoes and puree

• Beans and lentils

• Onions and garlic

• Cheese

• Frozen vegetables

• Herbs and spices

What are your cupboard staple cupboard favourite meals? Mine are potato nachos, or a wrap quiche .