Simple Pantry Meals for Busy Weeknights
Today I am sharing some simple pantry meals for busy weeknights.
Cooking a meal on a busy weeknight is hard work, especially when you have kids to feed. Between after school activities, homework, and nighttime routines it can be really easy to just give up and order takeout.
A pantry meal is a meal you can make with staples from your pantry, things that you always have on hand. So even when your fridge seems empty, you can pull something together.
Sometimes, the best meals are the simplest ones. These ingredients can create delicious, healthy, and budget-friendly dishes without much effort.
If you want to cook more and order out less, then bookmark this post and you'll be armed with a handful of simple pantry meals for busy nights.
Here are the benefits of making simple pantry meals, along with some of my go-to meals for busy weeknights.
The Benefits of Simple Pantry Meals
Why less is more in the kitchen.
Convenient.
One of the most significant advantages of pantry meals is convenience. When life gets busy, there’s no need to run to the store to whip up a quick, nutritious meal. Having staples like pasta, canned beans, rice, lentils, and tomatoes means you can throw something together without leaving your house.
Budget-friendly.
Eating well doesn’t have to break the bank. Pantry staples are often some of the most affordable items in the grocery store, and they have long shelf lives, which means you can buy them in bulk. By relying on simple pantry ingredients like oats, canned vegetables, and dried grains, you can create satisfying meals that are gentle on your wallet while minimizing food waste.
Healthy meals.
Contrary to what you might think, pantry meals can be incredibly nutritious. Canned beans, for example, are rich in protein and fiber, while items like olive oil, whole grains, and spices provide essential nutrients and healthy fats. Many pantry staples, like quinoa, nuts, and seeds, are packed with vitamins and minerals, allowing you to create balanced meals without needing to use fresh ingredients all the time.
Reduces food waste.
We’ve all had that moment of guilt when we throw away wilted vegetables or forgotten leftovers. Pantry meals reduce food waste by encouraging the use of non-perishable items that don’t spoil quickly.
Reduces decision fatigue.
With the countless meal options available today, deciding what to cook can feel overwhelming. Pantry meals simplify the process by limiting choices to what you already have. This reduces decision fatigue, making meal planning more manageable and less stressful.
Simple Pantry Meals
Pasta with marinara sauce. I took a poll on Instagram and asked for your favorite simple pantry meals. The number one response was pasta with a jar of marinara sauce. I mean, you can't get any easier than that. If you keep some meatballs in the freezer (store-bought or homemade) then you'll be set with a balanced meal you can have it ready pretty quickly.
Grilled cheese with soup. If you have bread, butter, cheese and some soup in your pantry or freezer, you've got a meal you can make right away. My kids like grilled cheese so we do this every now and then, especially on cold winter nights when soup sounds delightful. If you don't like soup from a package, make your own and freeze it in batches. Lots of soups freeze really well.
Tacos or taco bowls. With ground beef, taco seasoning and some rice you can whip up some tacos or taco bowls. Toppings like black beans, cheese, lettuce, salsa, avocado or guacamole and tortilla chips are an added bonus. We make this meal several times a month in our house. You can also meal prep some taco meat on the weekend to shorten the prep time during the week.
Breakfast for dinner. Whether you scramble up some eggs or whip up some pancakes, breakfast is always a winner. I like to keep sausage links and hash browns in the freezer, along with gluten free bread for toasting. A smoothie for some fruit rounds out the meal. You can also prep an egg bake over the weekend and rewarm it in the oven on the night you'd like to have it.
Snack board dinner. Pull out whatever you have in your fridge and pantry and make it a snack board dinner! My kids loooove this kind of dinner. It usually includes some raw veggies, like carrots, cucumbers and snap peas, cut fruit, crackers, cheese, beef sticks or leftover rotisserie chicken cut into cubes, dips like hummus or peanut butter, pretzels. Literally whatever you have!
Pizza. Save some money and still have a pizza night! Keep a few pizza crusts in your freezer, a jar of pizza sauce in your pantry and some shredded cheese. If you have spare meat or veggies to use up, pile them on!
Pantry Staples to Have on Hand for Easy Meals
Here are the staples to keep on hand in your freezer or pantry for these easy meals.
You can also check out my healthy pantry staples for the full list!
Pantry Staples:
Pasta and your favorite marinara sauce.
Bread, your favorite cheese, store-bought or homemade soup from your freezer stash.
Ground beef, taco seasoning, canned beans, rice, salsa.
Eggs, sausage or bacon, pancake and waffle mix. (Our favorite mix to have on hand is Birch Benders Gluten Free Pancake Mix.)
Pizza crust, pizza sauce, shredded cheese.
Frozen fruit and vegetables for smoothies, seeds such as chia or flax, protein powder.
Cooking made easy.
These are the meals that I lean on when I feel like I am short on time, or when I feel like we have no food in the house.
Simple pantry meals are more than just a fallback option—they’re a smart, sustainable, and satisfying way to cook. By focusing on basic ingredients that are budget-friendly, versatile, and nutritious, you can create delicious meals with minimal effort.
These meals are very basic, no recipe needed. For me, though, it helps to have a reminder of the different options I have right in my pantry. I like to keep these meals in mind when I'm meal prepping and making my grocery list for the week, especially if I'm feeling a little stuck in what to make.
With some simple meal prep on the weekends, and a stocked pantry, you'll be ready to cook more and order out less.
What would you add? Please let me know below or message me over at @thelifestylenotes on Instagram. I loooove new ideas.
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