12 Easy Pantry Dinners You Can Whip Up with Staple Ingredients

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chili Mac

Pantry meal staples: Onion, Garlic, Beef Broth, Kidney Beans, Diced Tomatoes

Chili or mac and cheese? We say, why choose one when you can enjoy two meals in one marvelous mash-up with this set-and-forget pantry recipe? A full 8 ounces of cheddar (conveniently, the amount in one of those vacuum-packed bricks that's all set for shredding) offers the luxurious texture you love in mac and cheese while chili powder, beans, beef, and canned tomatoes crank up the spice.

Black Bean Chipotle Tostadas

Pantry meal staples: Tostada Shells, Black Beans, Farro, Frozen Corn, Red Onion, Salsa, Lime Juice, Garlic, Canned Chipotle Pepper in Adobo, Olive Oil

Vegan-friendly, quick pantry dinners do exist … and can be something even meat-eaters will crave. These smoky, citrus-spiked bean and vegetable tostadas are proof. The only fresh ingredients, red cabbage and avocado, are completely optional if you can't make a trip to the grocery store. (Although we've done a deep-dive into the best online grocery retailers so you can fill your fridge without stepping foot outside your front door.)

Vegetable Turkey Pot Pie

Pantry meal staples: Onion, Frozen Mixed Vegetables, Diced Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, Canned Pizza Dough

While it looks and tastes like this showy lattice-topped pot pie took all day to prep, the pantry dinner can be on your table in just 45 minutes. Yes, really! The all-star here is a package of refrigerated pizza dough. Alongside the other staples, you only need one egg and a pound of ground meat (or plant-based meat) thawed from your freezer and the cozy casserole is ready for the oven.

Slow Cooker Jalapeño Popper Chili

Pantry meal staples: Onion, Garlic, Pinto Beans, Diced Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, Chicken Broth, Taco Seasoning

If jalapeño poppers are one of your favorite party apps (our hands are raised HIGH for that!), this easy pantry dinner is designed with you in mind. The hearty slow cooker recipe features the same spice and cream cheesy goodness, just in spoonable, supper-appropriate form. A packet of taco seasoning mix is a simple way to step up the spice without adding dozens of ingredients to the line-up.

Stove-Top Chicken, Macaroni, and Cheese

Pantry meal staples: Macaroni, Onion, Milk, Flour

Start a small shopping list (or shop your fridge and freezer): A package of chicken breasts, a bag of spinach, a pint of cherry tomatoes, and a couple of cheeses, then add the staples. A family-friendly dinner will be on your table in a flash. This tastes so much better than boxed mac and cheese. Plus our pantry recipe is loaded with 33 grams of protein and plenty lots of nutrients!

Skillet Taco Pie

Pantry meal staples: Black Beans, Tomato Sauce, Salsa, Taco Shells

Grab a skillet and carve out 25 minutes. That's nearly all you need to tackle this easy pantry dinner, well, besides your Mexican-inspired ingredients! This speedy skillet supper is a flavor fiesta thanks to a few staples, a handful of spices, shredded cheese, and some optional fresh green onions and salad fixings for a garnish.

Sloppy Turkey and Chili Joes

Pantry meal staples: Onion, Tomato Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, Kaiser Rolls

Sloppy joes = a clutter-free grocery list. This kid-favorite sandwich sneaks in a serving of veggies in the sauce, but calls for oodles of ingredients with long shelf lives or fridge lives. For a gluten-free and lower-carb variation on this dinner recipe with pantry staples, serve the meat mixture over steamed cauliflower rice (which is a cinch to stock in the freezer).

Ham and Sweet Potato Mini Flatbreads

Pantry meal staples: Sweet Potatoes, Orange Juice, Whole Wheat Thin Sandwich Rolls

In a hurry? Grab a can or refrigerated package of mashed sweet potatoes to make this sandwich even quicker. For a change of pace, try turkey deli meat instead of ham atop this quick pantry dinner idea.

Best-Loved Fried Rice

Pantry meal staples: Eggs, Soy Sauce, Garlic, White Rice, Frozen Peas

Make your own takeout with this easy one-pan recipe. Dig for celery, mushrooms, and carrots in the back of your produce drawer (bet these common vegetables are hiding in there!) and sauté this fried rice recipe. Add grilled shrimp or chicken to make it a pantry meal (rather than a side).

Spaghetti with Seared Asparagus

Pantry meal staples: Spaghetti, Olive Oil, Garlic, Hazelnuts, Panko Bread Crumbs, Lemon Juice

Pan-seared asparagus steals the show in this springy spaghetti recipe. (It's also the only ingredient, besides the parsley garnish, that you'll need to mix with your go-to dinner ingredients in this easy pantry dinner.) Stock up on either green or white stalks, both team up nicely with the zesty, fresh flavors of the pasta entrée.

Test Kitchen Tip: To make more pantry-friendly, keep a bag of frozen asparagus in the freezer and freeze-dried parsley in the fridge so there's no need for fresh produce.

Lemon-Basil Pasta

Pantry meal staples: Linguine, Cannellini Beans

Come summer, this is one of our go-to quick pantry dinners. The five-ingredient recipe is easy, fresh, and flavorful. Lemon, basil, and olive oil make a garden-inspired sauce for linguine and cannellini beans.

Egg Salad Sandwich with Basil-Honey-Lemon Dressing

Pantry meal staples: Onion, Kalamata Olives, Crusty Bread, Eggs, Honey

Give plain ol' egg salad a modern makeover. Sliced hard-cooked eggs, Kalamata olives, and carrots transform the picnic favorite into an elevated yet easy pantry meal option. Serve it all between sliced bread, tucked inside a tortilla for a wrap sandwich, or simply pile the egg salad on a bed of leafy greens.