Hunkering down at home and looking for some recipes to maximize what's already in your pantry? Whether you’re a seasoned home cook or just learning to cook out of necessity, we’re all scrambling for creative recipes that are fun to make and make the most of ingredients that we already have on hand. To ease the stress of planning, prepping, and cooking we’ve dug through the internet for beginner friendly, delicious, pantry-staple recipes we’re confident you’ll want to make time and time again. For the best possible cooking experience and recipe outcome, we recommend making these favorites with your Prepdeck, but rest assured, you’ll be able to make these simple recipes no matter your kitchen setup!
Three Ingredient Banana Bread
This recipe requires just three ingredients and in 25 minutes, you’ll have a steaming loaf of the ultimate comfort food: banana bread. Stop staring at those overripe bananas and combine them with the pancake mix in your pantry, add some peanut butter, find a good book and curl up on the couch with your new favorite banana bread.
Leftover Pasta Frittata
Can’t stomach the thought of yet another serving of pasta with canned sauce? Use your leftover pasta in this New York Times cooking recipe for ~pasta frittata~ and feel a little fancy while you do it. Combine some spaghetti, whisked eggs, cheese, bacon or prosciutto if you prefer, season to taste, and create a dish that no longer resembles your dreaded leftovers.
Recipe by Mark Bittman, Photo by Suzy Allman
Veggie Stock from Scraps
Let no food go to waste and repurpose your vegetable skins, peels, and cutoffs to create your own homemade vegetable stock with this video from Tasty. Start adding your scraps to a ziplock bag. When you’ve got enough stored up, add your scraps to water and easily enough, you have vegetable stock. Use it to make a truly homemade chicken noodle soup on a chilly day.
Three Ingredient Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Using only sweet potatoes, flour, and salt, use this recipe to make your own gnocchi. This delicious (and vegan!) meal is one that is fun to make, especially with a glass of vino or two.
Recipe and photo by Brita, Food with Feeling
One Pot Rice and Beans
This New York Times recipe is one of our favorites, all you have to do is dump the ingredients in a pot and let it sit, plus there’s only one dish to clean at the end of the night! Using the bag of rice and the can of black beans in your pantry, combine them with an onion, broth, seasonings, and add some fun garnishes (cilantro and lime suggested) to upgrade this classic dish. Can you get more pantry friendly than that?
No Knead Focaccia
Baking your own bread can be intimidating, but this “shockingly easy” no knead focaccia from Bon Appetit is a good place to start. Grab some yeast, flour, and spices to create this olive-oil covered, carb-loaded, goodness. It’s worth it, we promise.
Recipe by Sarah Jampel
Go-to Homemade Salad Dressing
To round out our pantry friendly recipes, we must include a dressing appropriate for all occasions. Salad, quinoa, or maybe even a marinade, this homemade dressing will become your go-to. This oil and vinegar based dressing recipe leaves room for creativity with lots of suggested add ins, many of which you’re sure to find in your spice drawer or pantry.
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From our Prepdeck family to yours, we hope you’re all staying safe, healthy, and home! Use these recipes to spice it up, work with what you’ve got, and use cooking as a form of self care in a time when we all need it.