Since most entities are recommending social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19 and schools are closing quickly, pantry cooking is an easy way to keep everybody at home and fed.
Here are some recipe ideas for easy dishes at home. The focus here is to make use of pantry items, foods with a longer shelf life, and/or foods that can be batch cooked and frozen for later.
BREAKFAST
Slow Cooker Overnight Steel Cut Oats
Banana Bread (good way to use over-ripe bananas, and it freezes well)
Cranberry-Orange Scones
Breakfast Burritos (can freeze and heat as needed)
French Toast Casserole
DINNER
Kale + Sausage Minestrone Soup
Sloppy Joes (filling freezes well)
Baked Sausage + Three Pepper Pasta
Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken (freezes well)
Black Bean Tostadas
Pork Carnitas (freezes well)
Southwest Turkey Skillet
Baked Spaghetti
Chicken Bog
30-Minute Black Bean Soup
Weeknight Cassoulet
Easy Beef Stew
Roasted Kielbasa + Veggies
Slow Cooker Ginger-Soy Pork
Mac + Cheese
SIDES
Make-Ahead or Last-Minute Garlic Bread
Quick-Pickled Red Onions
Perfect White Rice (Instant Pot!)
Perfect Brown Rice (in the oven!)
Stovetop Black Beans
Make-Ahead Redskin Mashed Potatoes
Cold Asian Noodles in Easy Peanut Sauce (can use whatever veggies you have, or omit them)
SWEETS
Spruced Up Boxed Brownies
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Giant Sugar Cookies
Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding
Strawberry Crumble Bars
Secret-Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies
Flourless Chocolate Cake
A Master Grocery List
If you’re braving the grocery store, here is a master list of pantry staples, easily-freezable foods, as well as foods with a longer shelf life. This is meant to be a highly-customizable starting point, so feel free to add, subtract, and specify whatever you need!
If you want a printable version, click here.
I think it’s also important to note the difference between hoarding and responsibly buying what you need. Where the line falls between the two is an obviously personal decision, but I want to voice an encouragement to not hoard! It can create a shortage for others.
I aimed to buy a full two-week’s worth of food with the rationale that if we showed any symptoms, we would be able to stay home for two weeks and not expose others by going out and shopping. There are lots of other good approaches to take here, so pick one that works for you and that you’re comfortable with.
In the words of Red Green, I’m pulling for you. We’re all in this together.
