Create Easy Meals with Ingredients Already in Your Pantry

Use Your Favorite Ingredients in New Ways

Amy Brantley
Did you ever stop to think that ingredients in your pantry could be used in several different ways? You don't have to use pasta sauce just pasta or nuts just to snack on. There are several ways you can use these ingredients to create several different meals.

Create Easy Meals with Ingredients from Your Pantry #1: Pasta Sauce

Obviously you use pasta sauce for pasta, but what about using pasta sauce in other ways? First of all you can use this pantry ingredient to make mini pizzas. You can also use pasta sauce to make Italian burritos. Simply cook up a pound of hamburger and 8 ounces of mushrooms. Add just enough pasta sauce to make a thick meat sauce. Spoon the mixture into a tortilla, add cheese, roll, and pop into the microwave until the cheese is melted.

Create Easy Meals with Ingredients from Your Pantry #2: Bisquick

Bisquick is a great pantry ingredient, because it can be turned into several different meals. You can make meat pies, biscuits, pancakes, pizzas, and so much more. For several recipes, visit the Bisquick website located in the resource section.

Create Easy Meals with Ingredients from Your Pantry #3: Pie Filling

While you can't use pie filing to make meals, you can use this pantry ingredient to make more than just pies. Pie filling is great on top of pancakes, in cakes, and even served over ice cream. There are so many different uses for this pantry ingredient; you are only limited by your imagination.

Create Easy Meals with Ingredients from Your Pantry #4: Tortillas

Tortillas are must have for any pantry. This ingredient can be used for quesadillas, wraps, pizzas, homemade tortilla chips, and even in Mexican lasagnas. This is another ingredient that can be used in a thousand different ways.

Create Easy Meals with Ingredients from Your Pantry #5: Potato Chips

Potato chips are great for an afternoon snack, but they also work wonders on your average supper. You can add crushed potato chips to the top of casseroles. You can also coat chicken tenders in potato chips. Be creative and use this pantry ingredient in unexpected ways.

Create Easy Meals with Ingredients from Your Pantry #6: Beans

Many people serve beans as a side dish or add them to chili, but what about using this pantry ingredient for other meals? You could add spicy chili beans to a salad. You could also add beans, with some leftover Spanish rice and a little bit of cheese, for a Mexican burrito.

Create Easy Meals with Ingredients from Your Pantry #7: Powered Sugar

Powdered sugar is like the wonder ingredient when it comes to desserts and candies. You can make fudge, candy, cakes, pies, and so much more. You can also sprinkle powdered sugar over pancakes and French toast.

Create Easy Meals with Ingredients from Your Pantry #8: Cereal

Cereal isn't just for breakfast. You can use this pantry ingredient to coat chicken tenders. You can also make snack mixes and desserts. Crushed corn flakes are also good on top of casseroles.

Create Easy Meals with Ingredients from Your Pantry #9: Nuts

People use nuts in desserts and to snack on, but why not use this pantry ingredient in meals? You can coat chicken tenders in nuts. You can also add nuts to salads and what would pesto be without pine nuts?

Create Easy Meals with Ingredients from Your Pantry #10: Rice

Rice is a wonderful ingredient for you pantry. With rice you can create several different meals. You can make chicken fried rice, burritos, Spanish rice, and you can even make a dessert: rice pudding. The best thing about rice is the fact that you can take leftover rice and turn it into a wonderful meal.

Published by Amy Brantley - Featured Contributor in Lifestyle

A passionate writer who specializes in food-related content and has hopes of changing the way people think about cooking. Has published over a thousand pieces of food-related content. Amy is available for wr...  View profile

  • Tortillas have a thousand different uses.
  • Chicken tenders can be coated in several different pantry ingredients.
  • Use pasta sauce for Italian burritos.
When adding potato chips to the tops of casserole, you will need to add melted butter so that they become golden brown and delicious.

5 Comments

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  • Christie Silvers4/1/2007

    Great job!! All of it sounds yummy. :-)

  • Joanna E. Lopez4/1/2007

    Sounds delicious. I eat chicken tenders and never thought of sprinkling cereal on it. I've heard of sprinkling it on casserole though. Have you've made an english muffin pizza? They are the best. Great ideas.

  • Heather Shockney4/1/2007

    Great ideas,these will surely help someone out.

  • Carol Gilbert4/1/2007

    Glad tortillas is on the list because we had a ton already and someone gave us a ton more.

  • Cee Belair4/1/2007

    Great ideas! Great article!

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