Recipes for Pantry Staples and Shelf Cooking

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ByMalinda Linnebur Published Modified

Looking for some recipes to use up your pantry staples you have an abundance of? Here is a round-up of several recipes for breakfast, main dishes, sides, snacks, and desserts to get you started shelf cooking!

If you’re needing easy recipes to make homemade, delicious, and nutritious meals with pantry staples…….I’ve got you covered.

Cooking from what you already have on hand may be new to some of you but it’s been around for years. It’s how my grandma and mom cooked and it’s called shelf cooking by some.

Breakfast

Baked oatmeal in a bowl topped with fresh blueberries and a splash of milk.
Berry Baked Oatmeal
Top down view of Slow Cooker Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Rice topped with fresh apple slices.
Slow Cooker Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Rice
Top down view of a large pan of biscuit and gravy casserole.
Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
Tall stack of Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes topped with fresh berries and being drizzled with syrup.
Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
Cinnamon Sugar French Toast Sticks
A bite of high protein cottage cheese pancakes on a fork.
High Protein Cottage Cheese Pancakes
These meatless Bean and Cheese Breakfast Tacos are a great way to start off the day! They are delicious, hearty, and healthy!
Bean and Cheese Breakfast Tacos
Ham and Egg Cups

Keep in mind you can substitute many ingredients if you don’t have exactly what is called for in the recipe. It’s time to get creative and improvise!

If the recipe is calling for chili beans in chili sauce but all you have are black beans or pinto beans then by all means use those. Just add in extra seasonings that would otherwise come from the chili sauce. Like chili powder, cumin, onion, and garlic powder.

If your recipe is calling for canned chicken but all you have is frozen then cook a chicken breast and shred it yourself instead.

Fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables can usually be interchangeable depending on the cooking situation. Obviously, fresh will require a longer cooking time because canned and frozen have already been cooked and just need to be reheated so keep that in mind when making recipes.

Main Dishes

A slice of Mexican Casserole on a white plate with a fork.
Mexican Casserole
A plate piled high with hamburger helper and garnished with parlsey.
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Cut beer can chicken breast on a plate with salad.
Beer Can Chicken
top down picture of a bowl of taco pasta topped with taco toppings.
Taco Pasta
Close up picture of slow cooker bbq chicken on a bun with bbq sauce.
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
These Cheese Enchiladas are corn tortillas filled with monterey jack cheese and topped with a homemade red enchilada sauce! They are easy to make and will become a family favorite! #redenchiladas #cheeseenchiladas
Cheese Enchiladas
This Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Pasta Skillet takes under 30 minutes to make and tastes way better than the store bought stuff! Plus, it's made with real ingredients! #pastaskillet #groundbeef
Cheeseburger Pasta Skillet
This Creamy Potato Soup is made with no cream soup just easy simple ingredients! It's comfort food that can be on your table in under 30 minutes! #comfortfood #potatosoup
Creamy Potato Soup
This Ground Beef Stroganoff can be on your table in 30 minutes making it a wonderful weeknight meal! Plus, it's completely homemade no condensed soup! #groundbeef #stroganoff
Ground Beef Stroganoff
This Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup is a quicker way to enjoy this hearty and flavorful soup! It's full of tender meat and vegetables and perfectly satisfying! #intsantpotsoup #beefandbarleysoup
Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
This One Pot Pizza Pasta will become a family favorite dinner! It's quick and easy to make and full of flavor! Plus, customize it and use whatever pizza toppings you like! #onepot #pastarecipe
One Pot Pizza Pasta
This Easy Skillet Beef Pot Pie Recipe is the ultimate comfort food made easy! It's filled with vegetables in an easy homemade gravy and topped with biscuits. #potpie #groundbeef #easyrecipe #beefpotpie
Skillet Beef Pot Pie
Need a comforting bowl of chicken noodle soup? This Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Chicken Noodle Soup is easy to make and full of flavor. And thanks to the Instant Pot it's ready in a fraction of the time! #chicken #chickennoodlesoup #instantpot
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
These Tuna Melt Sandwiches are a family favorite. These make an easy quick lunch or even a light dinner!
Tuna Melt Sandwich
Homemade Ground Beef Taco Meat -this is a great taco meat recipe that's great for tacos, burritos, or even nachos!
Homemade Ground Beef Taco Meat
This Easy Shrimp Ramen Soup is so much better than that packet of noodles!! Packed with vegetables, shrimp, and full of flavor! #shrimp #soup #easyrecipe #ramen
Easy Shrimp Ramen Soup
This Easy Ground Beef and Broccoli is a great alternative to that expensive take out! It's quick and easy to make, full of flavor, and healthier too! #chinese #beef #quick #healthy
Easy Ground Beef and Broccoli
This Easy Taco Soup is big on flavor, hearty, and only takes 30 minutes to make! Or make it in the slow cooker and come home to a delicious meal! #soup #easy #healthy #taco
Easy Taco Soup
Sweet BBQ Rub for Chicken -is an easy way to give boring chicken a lot of flavor. It's easy to make and cheaper than buying it from the store.
Sweet Rub for Chicken
Chile Con Queso Mac and Cheese -is a great one pot meal for any night of the week! It's quick and easy (only takes 30 minutes), cheesy, and will become a family favorite!
Chile Con Queso Mac and Cheese
Spicy Chicken Tacos -a great clean eating chicken taco recipe! Filled with everyday simple ingredients to please the whole family!
Spicy Chicken Tacos
This Homemade Pizza Dough will give you a nice thick and chewy crust. It is a great basic pizza dough! | www.countrysidecravings.com
Homemade Pizza Dough
Chili Dog Tater Tot Casserole
Top down view of spaghetti sauce over noodles and topped with cheese.
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
One Pot Chicken Broccoli and Rice
Top down of pizza slices.
Homemade Cheese Pizza
Close up of a sloppy joe.
Homemade Sloppy Joes
Slow Cooker Chili Mac
Slow Cooker Shredded Mexican Chicken
A top down view of one pot hamburger stroganoff in a pan with a spoon.
One Pot Hamburger Stroganoff
This homemade Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits is a great way to use leftover chicken, turkey, herbs and veggies you may have hiding in the back of your fridge!
Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping
This easy 30 minute white chicken chili is a great way to use leftover rotisserie chicken. It's hearty and delicious, and perfect for any night of the week.
30 minute White Chicken Chili
These slow cooker beef and bean sloppy joes let the crock pot do the work for you! Use your favorite can of baked beans to give this classic a twist!
Beef and Bean Sloppy Joes
This Slow Cooker Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole is made from scratch without any canned soups! It's creamy, comforting and a one dish dinner!
Slow Cooker Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole

Sides

Melted butter being brushed on freshly baked dinner rolls.
Honey Wheat Rolls
Large bowl of slow cooker mashed potatoes with pools of melted butter and chopped parsley for garnish.
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
This Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is the perfect pasta dish and a real crowd pleaser! #pastasalad #baconranchpasta
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
How to make flaky buttermilk biscuits. This guide will show you everything to make fluffy, buttery, flaky biscuits. #homemadebiscuits #buttermilkbiscuits #bread #biscuitrecipe
Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
Easy Homemade Applesauce that is perfectly spiced and so comforting! It's a healthy snack that is sugar free, full of fiber, and flavor! #apple #applesauce #easyrecipe #homemadeapplesauce
Homemade Applesauce
This Buttermilk Cornbread recipe is the best cornbread ever!! Choose to make it sweet or savory by adjusting the sugar. It has a tender moist crumb and is perfect drizzled with honey! #cornbread #easyrecipe #sweetcornbread
Homemade Buttermilk Cornbread
Easy Rice Pilaf with Carrots and Peas is a quick and easy side dish that pairs well with so many dishes! Great for casual weeknight dinners or for company. #rice #easyrecipe #ricepilaf
Rice Pilaf
Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes
Beer Bread is a simple quick bread that is flavored with beer. It's really easy to make and goes great with any meal!
Beer Bread
Easy Spanish Rice is the perfect side dish for all you Mexican inspired meals! Instant pot and stove top instructions included! #spanishrice #mexicanrice
Easy Spanish Rice
Overhead shot of a bowl of refried beans sprinkled with cheese.
Easy “Refried” Beans
Roasted Parmesan Potatoes
These Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon Glaze are the perfect side dish! They are easy to make, healthy, and pair perfectly with many meat entrees.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon Glaze
Round loaf of Traditional Irish Soda Bread wrapped in a towel.
Traditional Irish Soda Bread

Snacks and Desserts

This Easy Banana Bread is the BEST banana bread!! It's perfectly moist, not gummy, and the perfect canvas for any additions!! #easyrecipe #bananabread #quickbread
Easy Banana Bread
These light and airy Lemon Muffins are a great breakfast or snack! They are drizzled with a bright lemon glaze and the muffin has a bright lemon flavor!
Lemon Muffins
These Easy Banana Muffins are easy to make and kids love them! They are loaded with banana flavor and make a great breakfast!
Banana Muffins
These Cinnamon Roll Muffins are a tender homemade yeast roll made in a muffin tin! Topped with a delicious vanilla icing makes these the perfect breakfast! | www.countrysidecravings.com
Cinnamon Roll Muffins
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins- an easy muffin that is tender, packed with peanut butter flavor and studded with mini chocolate chips! | countrysidecravings.com
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
Top down view of a peach pie with an all butter crust lattice top.
All Butter Pie Crust
These Chewy Rice Krispie Treats will rival any store bought! Soft and chewy and the perfect base for any add-ins you may want! #ricekrispietreats #chewyricekrispietreats
Rice Krispie Treats
This Apple Crumb Cake is the perfect fall treat! It's filled with spiced apples, an extra thick crumb layer, and a tender cake. Drizzle with an easy homemade caramel sauce for the perfect treat!
Apple Crumb Cake
No bake chocolate peanut butter bars stacked on top of each other in a tall tower.
No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
These No Chill Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies are loaded with chocolate chips, require no special ingredients and no chilling! Perfect!
No Chill Chocolate Chip Cookies
This simple Homemade Graham Cracker Crust is a great alternative to those store bought crusts. It is easy to make and tastes a whole lot better!
Homemade Graham Cracker Crust
Homemade Chewy Brownies
These Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Cookies are an all butter cookie that are super easy to make. They stay soft for days and taste phenomenal!
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
This Creamy Rice Pudding is a simple rice pudding with a touch of cinnamon, vanilla, and raisins. It's made on the stovetop for the creamiest rice pudding! #creamyricepudding #homemadericepudding
Creamy Rice Pudding

What to stock my pantry with?

You can prepare basic meals with little planning ahead if you keep these essentials in your kitchen. These are the basics needed to stock a pantry/refrigerator/freezer and are the foundation of many meals found on Countryside Cravings. 

Baking:

  • All purpose flour
  • Baking soda
  • Baking powder
  • Cornstarch
  • Sugar: white and brown
  • Semi sweet chocolate chips
  • Pure vanilla extract
  • Cocoa powder

Seasonings:

  • Salt
  • Seasoned salt
  • Pepper
  • Chili powder
  • Ground cumin
  • Dried oregano
  • Onion powder
  • Garlic powder
  • Cayenne powder 
  • Paprika
  • Ground Cinnamon

Oils/Vinegars:

  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Cooking spray
  • White vinegar
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Balsamic vinegar

Condiments:

  • Ketchup
  • Mustard: regular, dijon
  • Soy sauce
  • Worcestershire sauce

Canned goods:

  • Broths/stocks: chicken, beef, vegetable
  • Beans: pinto, chili, black
  • Salsa
  • Tomatoes: diced, crushed, sauce, paste
  • Tuna
  • Pasta sauce
  • Peanut butter
  • Jam/jelly
  • Syrup
  • Honey

Starches:

  • Rice: Long grain white rice, brown rice (or if you prefer- minute rice)
  • Pasta: macaroni, spaghetti, egg noodles
  • Old fashioned oats

Refrigerator:

  • Cheese: cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan
  • Eggs
  • Butter
  • Milk
  • Buttermilk

Freezer:

  • Chicken: breasts, thighs or whole
  • Ground beef or turkey
  • Packaged vegetables of choice
  • Packaged fruit of choice

Fresh Produce:

  • Onion
  • Potatoes
  • Garlic
  • Packaged salad greens
  • Some fresh fruit such as: bananas, apples, and oranges

Hi there, and welcome to Countryside Cravings. My name is Malinda and I love food! Here you will find recipes to please the whole family. I hope you’ll stay and have a look around.

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