
When all this Coronavirus stuff first really started rolling out in the U.S. I knew I would need to get creative with our grocery list.
Usually we go shopping every week to get fresh goods, but with social distancing and recommendations to stock enough food for two weeks (not hoarding!!) our usual game plan wasn’t going to work.
I went back through all my favorite recipes and finally came up with a good list of things we could eat at home other than pasta, that we wouldn’t get bored of, and that weren’t just sodium/preservative filled frozen meals.
So here are some ideas for you to use too if you need some food-spiration!
Most of these recipes require limited or no fresh ingredients so you can stock your pantry or freezer and not have to worry about food going bad. They also make great leftovers or can be frozen once cooked – another great way to get the most servings out of your meals as possible.
Some of these recipes are either my own (or ones that I’ve been using for so long I have no idea where I originally found them) which have a recipe card you can download or are favorites from Pinterest that I linked to directly.
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Dinner Recipes
Breakfast for Dinner
Breakfast for dinner is one of my all-time favorite meals. Eggs, bacon, a side of fresh/frozen/canned fruit and a stack of pancakes – what’s not to like? But the premade pancake mix may not be available/restocked so here’s a recipe for homemade mix.

Stovetop BBQ Chicken
A staple in our house. Goes great with a side of green bean casserole (see below) and biscuits.
Get the recipe here.
Pesto Chicken
All you need for this one is three ingredients (two if you’re not a fan of tomatoes!).

Homemade Chicken Pot-Pies
This recipe makes 16 mini-pot pies that are great for freezing. I recommend using canned chicken to cut down your cooking time.
Get the recipe here.
Taco Ring + Queso
This one is delicious and easy. Most taco ring recipes call for shredded cheese in the taco ring but I prefer to dip it in queso instead. (Plus, Velveeta and Rotel are great pantry friendly items.)
Chicken Enchilada Bake
This is great because it makes a big pan of food (hello yummy leftovers) and is actually a Weight Watchers recipe so it always feels like a ‘healthier” choice.
Get the recipe here.
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Crock-Pot / Instant Pot
I know not everyone has a crockpot or Instant Pot but I love mine so I had to include a few of those recipes too.
Crock Pot Chili + Cornbread Muffins
Nothing makes me feel cozier than some chili and cornbread. Use this slow cooker chili recipe then make a batch of Jiffy cornbread muffins to go with it.
Get the chili recipe here.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
Only takes two ingredients to make this delicious taco chicken. Serve it up in traditional taco form, as a bowl, or however by itself.

Instant Pot Chicken + Sausage Jambalaya
This is Zach’s favorite instant pot meal of all time. Such good flavor and almost anything in the IP is easy to make.
Get the recipe here.
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Nothing warms the soul like homemade soup and this recipe is especially full of happiness and yummy flavors.
Get the recipe here.
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Tasty Sides
Taco Potatoes
It seems like potatoes last forever so they’re a great pantry staple to keep on hand. This is a super easy, very tasty way to cook them that only requires three ingredients.

Tater Tot Casserole
I refer to this as heaven in a pan.
Get the recipe here.
Oven Roasted Green Beans
Another super easy side that doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. Plus, it calls for frozen green beans that don’t need to be thawed out before cooking making it über freezer friendly.

Classic Green Bean Casserole
Just because green bean casserole is the star of any Thanksgiving doesn’t mean we can’t eat it year-round! Super tasty, easy to make, only requires 5 ingredients.
Get the recipe here or on the side of a crispy fried onions can.
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If you have any good pantry friendly recipes to add, drop them in the comments!
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