Coronavirus is on our minds this week, with good reason. The lines at the grocery are so long we’re texting photos of them to our partners and friends. And since we’re all hunkering down in quarantine, we’re looking at easy meals that can be made with what’s already in your pantry and freezer. Because we are not going shopping again.
At top: One Pot Pasta with Peas & Bacon at Salted Mint; Fried Rice by Jane Sweeney for Cool Mom Eats
Speaking of shopping, check out this helpful pantry list for kids’ lunches for a quick refresher if you’re going to have kids home from school for a while.
Also, check out Caroline’s post on 7 dinners you can make with pantry staples. And 5 ways you can use frozen veggies to spruce up your family dinners. So helpful right now.
Related: 10 easy immune-boosting recipes
I love lighter pastas for dinner in the spring months, and this One Pot Pasta with Peas & Bacon at Salted Mint is easy to make with noodles and frozen peas (or any frozen green veggie you have). The idea of using bacon is so tasty and kid-friendly, but you could also do ham chunks, leftover chicken, or even fish.
Jane’s fried rice recipe is a great idea for a quick “empty the pantry” type meal. If you happened to get a Trader Joe’s run in, all you have to do is add her dressing. Otherwise, just boil rice then fry it in a wok or on the stove top and add frozen veggies, a scrambled egg, meat or anything else you love in your fried rice.
Related: 10 tasty ways to doctor a boxed brownie mix. Because chocolate is getting us through right now.
Chili is always a satisfying meal and it’s one of the easiest dishes that satisfy with just cans of beans from the pantry and some spices. If you have some fresh veggies on hand, this Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili at Sally’s Baking Addiction adds an extra sense of heartiness.
Have we mentioned we like breakfast for dinner around here? But we don’t limit ourselves to pancakes and waffles (although, yum). We love these Bacon, Egg, and Avocado Breakfast Sandwiches from Skinny Taste so much. Of course, switch out ingredients according to what you have on hand—bread instead of bagels, ham or sausage instead of bacon, etc. Get creative!
A simple sheet-pan roast for dinner is a great idea when you’re limited on ingredients. We love this Sage Butter Faux-Roasted Chicken at Cooking for Keeps (if you happen to have sage on hand) but you could really do this with any protein and veggies. In addition to the potatoes, you could use frozen peppers, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, or sweet potato. Whatever you have frozen and on hand is fine!
![Save yourself some time with our cheat sheet of foods you never need to both washing -- and a few that you should always. You may be surprised (we were)! | Cool Mom Eats [Photo by Davide Ragusa via Unsplash]](https://coolmomeats.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2018/02/foods-that-should-never-be-washed-davide-ragusa-unsplash-300x200.jpg)
