Pantry Meals

To be honest, before I started planning our meals, I had quite a few days where I didn’t make it to the grocery store and had to make do with what I had sitting in the fridge and pantry. Over time I got pretty creative with these impromptu meals. Here are some of my favorites…

• Mediterranean Spaghetti – heat a can of drained tuna with some onion and garlic in a little olive oil. Add some tomato sauce from a jar and a few olives or leftover veggies and serve over cooked pasta.

• Tuna or Chicken Salad Sandwiches – drain a can of tuna or chicken and mix with a little mayonnaise, salt and pepper and serve as sandwiches.

• Crackers Deluxe – Get out some crackers plus any cold cuts, cheeses, fruits and raw veggies you have sitting around. Arrange everything on a platter and call it dinner.

• Baked Potato Bar – Microwave or bake whole potatoes until they are cooked through. Set out butter, sour cream, grated cheese, chopped sandwich meat (like salami, ham or pepperoni), cooked leftover veggies, chili (heated from a can) and anything else your family might like on a baked potato. Let everyone make their own loaded baked potato.

• Rice and Beans – Cook a batch of rice, then add some canned beans. Season with salt and pepper and add tomato sauce if you like.

• Pasta with Black Beans – Cook whatever type of pasta you have available. Heat your favorite pasta sauce or a can of chili while the noodles cook. Add some drained and rinsed black beans into the pasta sauce. Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta. Top with cheese.

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